Category: Taxation-Individuals

  For purposes of the Child Tax Credit for the 2021 tax year, a qualifying child is one who doesn’t turn 18 before January 1, 2022, and who satisfies certain other conditions. Taxpayers who don’t qualify for the Child Tax Credit because their children are too old may have an alternative. The Credit for Other Dependents maxes out at $500 per dependent if certain conditions are met. To qualify, a dependent must: Be age 17 or older; Have an individual… Read more ›

  Almost three months after it passed the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), better known as the bipartisan infrastructure bill. While the bulk of the law is directed toward massive investment in infrastructure projects across the country, a handful of noteworthy tax provisions are tucked inside it. Here’s what you need to know about them. Early termination of the Employee Retention Credit The IIJA terminates the Employee Retention Credit… Read more ›

  Potential Income Tax Implications of the Build Back Better Act The House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act Friday on November 19. The bill still must pass the Senate and be signed by the President. In its current form, the bill contains a variety of individual income tax provisions to provide incentives to taxpayers and raise revenue to pay for new spending. CBM will continue to communicate with you as the bill passes to the Senate and… Read more ›

Do you own real estate that will produce a big capital gain when you sell it? Fortunately, you may be able to realize significant tax benefits by negotiating an installment sale of the property. However, there are several potential tax traps to avoid. How do you qualify for installment sale reporting? It’s relatively easy. All you have to do is arrange to receive payments over at least two tax years. For example, say you contract to sell real estate in December… Read more ›

Negotiations continue in Washington, D.C., over the future of President Biden’s agenda. Tax law changes may be ahead under two proposed laws, the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIB), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The final provisions remain to be seen, but the BBBA and, to a lesser extent, the BIB, contain a wide range of tax proposals that could affect individuals and businesses. It’s also unclear when the tax changes… Read more ›

The days of classic “tax shelters”— such as cattle breeding or oil drilling deals — are long gone. But at least one major tax shelter is still standing: Your home. If you own your principal residence, you can cash in on a bevy of tax breaks, saving thousands of tax dollars or even more. Accordingly, here are six ways your home can provide tax shelter. 1. Home sale exclusion. Let’s begin with the biggest tax payoff for homeowners. If you… Read more ›

An important payroll tax deadline is coming up for certain employers. To provide relief from the economic ravages of COVID-19, the CARES Act allowed employers to defer their share of Social Security tax from March 27 through Dec. 31, 2020. Those employers must now pay 50% of the deferred tax by Dec. 31, 2021, and the balance by Dec. 31, 2022. In guidance, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel states that to avoid penalties, deposits must be made of “all… Read more ›

Estate planners often tout the virtues of owning property jointly — and with good reason. Joint ownership generally offers several advantages for surviving family members. But this shouldn’t be viewed as a panacea for every estate planning concern. You must also be aware of all the implications. Title Wording Matters – Joint Ownership in Estate Planning Joint ownership requires interests in property by more than one party. The type of joint ownership depends on the wording of the title to… Read more ›

To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that’s helpful and appropriate for your business. The IRS sometimes challenges deductions claimed for certain types of business expenses. In doing so, an examiner might claim that payments made by a corporation to a shareholder for personal items or that are above or below fair market value constitute… Read more ›

DC metropolitan-area shoppers looking for a deal should consider taking advantage of tax-free shopping in Virginia and Maryland starting tomorrow. Below are details for those anticipating purchases in such areas as back-to-school shopping and preparation for the fall season. Virginia (Tax-Free Weekend, August 6-8) School supplies under $20 can be purchased tax-free Apparel/footwear under $100 can be purchased tax-free Additionally, Virginia has made several hurricane and emergency preparedness product purchases available tax-free including: Portable generators less than $1,000 per item… Read more ›