As we approach the holidays, many people plan to donate to their favorite charities or give money or assets to their loved ones. Here are the basic tax rules involved in these transactions.
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Are you considering a move to another state when you retire? Perhaps you want to relocate to an area where your loved ones live or where the weather is more pleasant. But while you’re thinking about how many square feet you’ll need in a retirement home, don’t forget to factor in state and local taxes. Establishing residency for state tax purposes may be more complicated than it initially appears to be.
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The need for a will as a key component of your estate plan may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people — even affluent individuals — who don’t have one. A reason for this may be a common misconception that a revocable trust (sometimes called a “living trust”) obviates the need for a will.
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When choosing health care benefits, many businesses opt for a self-insured (self-funded) plan rather than a fully insured one. Why? Among various reasons, self-insured plans tend to offer greater flexibility and potentially lower fixed costs.
When implementing a self-insured plan, stop-loss insurance is typically recommended. Although buying such a policy isn’t required, many small to midsize companies find it a beneficial risk-management tool.
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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.
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As if another year of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t enough to produce an unusual landscape for year-end tax planning, Congress continues to negotiate the budget reconciliation bill. The proposed Build Back Better Act (BBBA) is certain to include some significant tax provisions, but much uncertainty remains about their impact. While we wait to see which tax provisions are ultimately included in the BBBA, here are some year-end tax planning strategies to consider to reduce your 2021 tax liability.
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Employers offer 401(k) plans for many reasons, including to attract and retain talent. These plans help an employee accumulate a retirement nest egg on a tax-advantaged basis. If you’re thinking about participating in a plan at work, here are some of the features.
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Have you heard of the “nanny tax?” Even if you don’t employ a nanny, it may apply to you. Hiring a house cleaner, gardener or other household employee (who isn’t an independent contractor) may make you liable for federal income and other taxes. You may also have state tax obligations.
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If you’re fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you may want to rent it out for part of the year. What are the tax consequences?
The tax treatment can be complex. It depends on how many days it’s rented and your level of personal use. Personal use includes vacation use by you, your relatives (even if you charge them market rent) and use by nonrelatives if a market rent isn’t charged.
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Haste makes waste. Or, in the case of estate planning, it can lead to other problems and, possibly, financial loss. Notably, if you don’t take enough time to choose the best executor for your estate, this “wrong call” can cost your family.
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The Social Security Administration recently announced that the wage base for computing Social Security tax will increase to $147,000 for 2022 (up from $142,800 for 2021). Wages and self-employment income above this threshold aren’t subject to Social Security tax.
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If your business is depreciating over a 30-year period the entire cost of constructing the building that houses your operation, you should consider a cost segregation study. It might allow you to accelerate depreciation deductions on certain items, thereby reducing taxes and boosting cash flow. And under current law, the potential benefits of a cost segregation study are now even greater than they were a few years ago due to enhancements to certain depreciation-related tax breaks.
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Are employees at your business traveling again after months of virtual meetings? In Notice 2021-52, the IRS announced the fiscal 2022 “per diem” rates that became effective October 1, 2021. Taxpayers can use these rates to substantiate the amount of expenses for lodging, meals and incidental expenses when traveling away from home. (Taxpayers in the transportation industry can use a special transportation industry rate.)
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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 would become effective, if one or both of the laws are enacted.
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If you own a valuable piece of art, or other property, you may wonder how much of a tax deduction you could get by donating it to charity.
The answer to that question can be complex because several different tax rules may come into play with such contributions. A charitable contribution of a work of art is subject to reduction if the charity’s use of the work of art is unrelated to the purpose or function that’s the basis for its qualification as a tax-exempt organization
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