Documenting Charitable Contributions

A frequently asked question is, “What records are required for charitable contributions?” In recent years, Congress has passed stringent recordkeeping rules for charitable contributions as well as harsh penalties for understating taxable income. The following is a summary of the recordkeeping rules currently in effect for a variety of contribution types. This list is not all-inclusive, so if you don’t see rules that apply to your particular situation, please give our office a call. Cash Contributions — Cash contributions include those paid by...

Read More

Turning 70½ This Year?

If you are turning 70½ this year, you may face a number of special tax issues. Not addressing these issues properly could result in significant penalties and filing hassles. • Traditional IRA Contributions – You cannot make a traditional IRA contribution in the year you reach the age of 70½. Contributions made in the year you turn 70½ (and later years) are treated as excess contributions and are subject to a nondeductible 6% excise tax penalty for every year in which the excess contribution remains in the account. The penalty, which cannot exceed...

Read More

Mid-Year Tax Planning Checklist

All too often, taxpayers wait until after the close of the tax year to worry about their taxes, missing opportunities that could reduce their tax liability or help them financially. Fall is the perfect time for tax planning. The following are some events that can affect your tax return; you may need to take steps to mitigate their impact and thus avoid unpleasant surprises after it is too late to address them. Did you get married, divorced, or become widowed? Did you change jobs or has your spouse started working? Did you have a substantial...

Read More

Did Your 2012 Roth-Converted Account Decline in 2013?

If you converted your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA during 2012 and paid (or will pay) the tax on the conversion and then watched the value of the account decrease in 2013, you still have an opportunity to do something about it. If you filed your return on time or are on extension, you automatically receive a 6-month extension from the return’s original due date to recharacterize the Roth account back to a Traditional account, thereby avoiding paying taxes on IRA values that have evaporated. Once you make the recharacterization, you must wait...

Read More

Installment Sale – a Useful Tool to Minimize Taxes

Two new laws that take effect in 2013 can significantly impact the taxes owed from the sale of property that results in capital gains. They include: Higher Capital Gains Rates – Starting in 2013, capital gains can be taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20% depending upon the taxpayer’s regular tax bracket for the year. Therefore, if your regular tax bracket is 15% or less, the capital gains rate is zero. If your regular tax bracket is 25% to 35%, then the top capital gains rate is 15%. However, if your regular tax bracket is 39.6%, the capital gains rate is...

Read More

Fast Write Off of Business Assets

Normally, when a business acquires an asset, it must be capitalized and depreciated over its useful life. However, tax law includes some provisions that allow the entire asset or some portion of it to be written in the first year it is placed in service, providing the opportunity for very large first-year write-offs. The following is a summary of those provisions. Section 179 Expensing – Code Section 179 allows taxpayers to elect to treat the cost of Section 179 property as an expense deduction for the tax year in which the Section 179 property...

Read More

“Flipping” Homes – A Reviving Trend in Real Estate

Prior to the recent economic downturn, flipping real estate was popular. With mortgage interest rates low and home prices at historical lows, flipping appears to be on the rise again. House flipping is, essentially, purchasing a house or property, improving it, and then selling it (presumably for a profit) in a short period of time. The key is to find a suitable fixer-upper that is priced under market for its location, fix it up, and resell it for more than it cost to buy, hold, fix up and resell it. If you are contemplating trying your hand...

Read More

Higher Income Taxpayers Hit with Exemption & Itemized Deductions Phase-out

Generally, taxpayers are allowed to deduct personal exemptions of $3,900 for themselves, their spouses and their dependents. In addition, taxpayers are allowed a standard deduction or, if their deductions are large, they can itemize their deductions. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 included a provision to phase out, beginning in 2013, both the personal exemptions and itemized deductions for higher income taxpayers. The phase-out will begin when a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI) reaches a phase-out threshold amount. The threshold...

Read More

Employing a Family Member

A way to reduce the overall family tax bill is by employing family members through your business, which allows you to shift income to them and provide them with employment benefits. • Employing your Spouse. Reasonable wages paid to your spouse entitle you to a business deduction. Although the wages are subject to income and FICA taxes, your spouse may qualify for Social Security benefits to which he or she might not otherwise be entitled. In addition, your spouse may also be entitled to receive coverage under the qualified retirement and health...

Read More

July 2013 Business Due Date Reminders

July 1 - Self-Employed Individuals with Pension Plans If you have a pension or profit-sharing plan, you may need to file a Form 5500 or 5500-EZ for calendar year 2012. Even though the forms do not need to be filed until July 31, you should contact this office now to see if you have a filing requirement, and if you do, allow time to prepare the return. July 15 - Non-Payroll Withholding If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in June. July 31 - Self-Employed Individuals with Pension Plans If you have a pension or...

Read More

July 2013 Individual Due Date Reminders

July 1 - Time for a Mid-Year Tax Check Up Time to review your 2013 year-to-date income and expenses to ensure estimated tax payments and withholding are adequate to avoid underpayment penalties. July 10 - Report Tips to Employer If you are an employee who works for tips and received more than $20 in tips during June, you are required to report them to your employer on IRS Form 4070 no later than July 10. Your employer is required to withhold FICA taxes and income tax withholding for these tips from your regular wages. If your regular wages...

Read More