Unexpected tax liability for retirees Of course, taxes are a major concern when you work full time for a living. Unfortunately, you may also have to pay federal income tax on a portion of the Social Security benefits you receive during the year—even though you’ve paid Social Security tax all the years you have [...]
Early last year we discussed the ABLE Accounts as a potential option for Alabama families. By December, the state of Alabama instituted the program, per State Treasurer Young Boozer, with a contract with the state of Nebraska. The Alabama plan will be known as Enable Savings Plan Alabama, and more information can be found at www.enableAL.com. [...]
The IRS pays close attention to deductions claimed for business travel expenses. Both employers and employees must meet strict recordkeeping requirements or face the consequences. Fortunately, you can obtain some relief by using IRS-approved per diem allowances in lieu of accounting for every expense. Now the IRS has updated its per diem rates for [...]
Moving Truck Are you planning a move in the near future? Be aware of special tax rules for deducting moving expenses on your personal tax return. In some cases, moving expenses are fully or partially deductible, while other times they are not. Background: You may deduct moving expenses only if you switch [...]
The penalty for failing to complete an IRA or a plan rollover in time can be severe. Unless you obtain a waiver from the IRS, the transfer is treated as a taxable distribution even if the failure is inadvertent. However, a new ruling provides some taxpayers with relief. Background: If you take a withdrawal from [...]
The Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 changed the due date for filing FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts; commonly known as FBARs) to April 15 of the following calendar year, with a six-month extension to October 15 allowed. (Previously, the due date was June 30 [...]
If your teenager earned money from a summer job, you might encourage a practical purpose for some of the money: a Roth IRA. There is no age restriction on Roth contributions as long as the child has “earned income,” such as wages. Contributions for 2016 are limited to the lesser of the earned income [...]
Do you need an influx of cash to launch a business venture devoted to your personal passion? You can do things the old-fashioned way and issue an initial public offering (IPO) for review by prospective investors. Although IPOs remain viable for some types of businesses, especially larger ones, they can cost time and money, not [...]
For years that begin after December 31, 2015, taxpayers will have new filing deadlines for many tax returns. The most significant changes are as follows: 2017 Tax Deadlines There are penalties for Form 1099 for incorrect filings, late filings and failure to file. If Form 1099 is filed within 30 days of the [...]
With a new administration taking shape in our nation’s capital after the elections, you can expect that significant tax reforms will be debated, and perhaps enacted, in the near future. But the greatest impact on year-end tax planning in 2016 will likely derive from what happened late last year, not what will happen next year. [...]