Here’s a simplified way to project your estate tax exposure. Take the value of your estate, net of any debts. Also subtract any assets that will pass to charity on your death. Then, if you’re married and your spouse is a U.S. citizen, subtract any assets you’ll pass to him or her. Those assets qualify […]
A tax exempt organization may need a letter to confirm its tax-exempt status or to reflect a change in its name or address. If so, an organization may generally contact Customer Account Services by phone, letter, or fax to request an affirmation letter. A letter or fax requesting an affirmation letter must include your organization’s […]
With Congress returning from its August recess, this is the question on tax-savvy Americans’ minds. Many valuable tax breaks aren’t permanent, so Congress has to pass legislation extending them to keep them in effect. Unfortunately, Congress often waits until the last minute to do so. For example, Congress didn’t pass 2014 extenders until December 2014, […]
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued ASU 2015-12 Plan Accounting: Topic 960, Defined Benefit Pension Plans; Topic 962, Defined Contribution Pension Plans; Topic 965, Health and Welfare Benefit Plans. The guidance consists of three parts: Part I designates contract value as the only required measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts. An adjustment to […]
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued ASU 2015-07 Disclosures for Investments in Certain Entities That Calculate Net Asset Value per Share (or Its Equivalent). Entities measuring investments at net asset value per share (NAV) as a practical expedient are no longer required to categorize such investments within the fair value hierarchy. The investments […]
The tax treatment of investment income varies, and not just based on whether the income is in the form of dividends or interest. Qualified dividends are taxed at the favorable long-term capital gains tax rate (generally 15% or 20%) rather than at the applicable ordinary-income tax rate (which might be as high as 39.6%). Interest […]
If your business exports American-made goods or performs architectural or engineering services for foreign construction projects, an interest-charge domestic international sales corporation (IC-DISC) can help slash your tax bill. An IC-DISC is a “paper” corporation you set up to receive commissions on export sales, up to the greater of 50% of net income or 4% […]
If you’re a collector, donating from your collection instead of your bank account or investment portfolio can be tax-smart. When you donate appreciated property rather than selling it, you avoid the capital gains tax you would have incurred on a sale. And long-term gains on collectibles are subject to a higher maximum rate (28%) than […]
The IRS plans to amend minimum distribution rules for defined benefit plans to prohibit lump sum payments in lieu of ongoing annuity payments. The new requirement is to be effective July 9, 2015.
Teenagers’ retirement may seem too far off to warrant saving now, but IRAs can be perfect for teens precisely because they’ll likely have many years to let their accounts grow tax-deferred or tax-free. The 2015 contribution limit is the lesser of $5,500 or 100% of earned income. A teen’s traditional IRA contributions typically are deductible, […]
Mortgage interest rates are still at historically low levels, but they’re expected to go up by year end. So if you’ve been thinking about helping your child — or grandchild — buy a home, consider acting soon. There also are some favorable tax factors that will help: 0% capital gains rate. If the child is […]
Tread carefully when determining compensation for S corp. shareholder-employees By distributing profits in the form of dividends rather than salary, an S corporation and its owners can avoid payroll taxes on these amounts. Because of the additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers and $125,000 for married filing […]