Category: Taxation-Individuals

The April tax filing deadline has passed, but that doesn’t mean you should push your taxes out of your mind until next year. Here are three tax-related actions that you should consider taking in the near term (if you filed on time and didn’t file for an extension). Retain the requisite records (2022 taxes) Depending on the specific issue, the IRS has years to audit your tax return so it’s critical to maintain the records you may need to defend… Read more ›

In 2019, the bipartisan Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) — the first significant legislation related to retirement savings since 2006 — became law. Now Congress appears ready to build on that law to further increase Americans’ retirement security. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act by a 414-5 vote. Also known as SECURE 2.0, the bill contains numerous provisions that — if enacted — would affect both individuals and employers,… Read more ›

  For charitable donors, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provided some tax breaks and took away others. Here’s what charity-minded individuals need to know. Increased Charitable Deduction Limit Under prior law, deductions for cash contributions to public charities and certain private foundations were limited to 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). The TCJA, which passed in December of 2017, increased the deductible limit to 60% of AGI for the 2018-2025 tax years. Deductions that are disallowed by… Read more ›

If your company has a qualified retirement plan or you have set one up in self-employment — such as a 401(k), profit-sharing, or Keogh plan — the participants might be allowed to borrow from their accounts. (This option is not available for traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEPs, or SIMPLE-IRAs.) In the right circumstances, taking out a plan loan can be a smart financial move because a participant gains access (within limits) to his or her retirement account money without having… Read more ›

  There’s a world of tax difference between repairs to real estate property and capital improvements. And it’s not just semantics. The characterization could result in an increase or decrease of thousands of dollars on your tax return. Basic premise: Repairs are currently deductible in full and can be used to offset the tax from rental income. On the other hand, improvements must be written off over a period of years. It takes 27.5 years to write off improvements for… Read more ›

  If you own a small business, you may have set up a defined benefit pension plan for you and your employees that will provide a specific amount of retirement income based on salary history and years of service. For 2022, the maximum annual benefit of a defined pension plan is $245,000 (up from $230,000 in 2021). In future years, it will be subject to cost-of-living adjustments. But retirement tends to be a time when medical expenses grow. Those expenses… Read more ›

  For one reason or another, you may need to take some money out of an IRA before reaching retirement.* You can withdraw money from an IRA at any time and for any reason, but it’s important to keep in mind that most IRA withdrawals are at least partially taxable. In other words, you’ll owe regular income tax on the amount. In addition, the taxable portion of a withdrawal taken before age 59 1/2, which is called an “early withdrawal,”… Read more ›

  If rising health care costs have sent your company searching for ways to reduce expenses, you should know there are alternatives to standard medical insurance plans. Your choices are not limited to either paying the higher costs yourself or transferring the burden to your employees. Tax-advantaged strategies are available which can mitigate the effect of rising costs for you and your staff members. Here are three ideas to consider. 1. Establish a Health Insurance Premium-Only Plan (POP) This super-simple… Read more ›

The IRS recently released the 2022 mileage rates for businesses to use as guidance when reimbursing workers for applicable miles driven within the year. The rates tend to increase every year to account for rising fuel and vehicle and maintenance costs and insurance rate increases. Businesses can use the standard mileage rate to calculate the deductible costs of operating qualified automobiles for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. Keep reading for the updated mileage rates, as well as some reminders… Read more ›

The federal income tax rules for depreciating vehicles used for business are complicated. And different rules apply to different categories of vehicles. Special limitations apply to vehicles that are classified as passenger autos, including many pickups and SUVs. As a result of these limitations, depreciating an expensive vehicle may take longer than you’d expect. Here’s what you need to know about depreciation write-offs for vehicles used for business purposes. Cents-Per-Mile Method vs. Actual Expense Method Depreciation calculations only come into… Read more ›