You’re slogging through paperwork, gathering and organizing information to prepare your tax return. Take heart – you can make your hard work do double duty by using those same records to improve your financial well-being. Here are suggestions to get you started. Write down your financial goals. How much money will you need to meet…
Last-Minute Moves Can Lower Your Tax Bill
Only one month to go until tax filing day! That means you still have time to trim your 2015 tax bill. Here are last-minute moves to consider and deductions to remember. Maximize your 2015 IRA contribution. You have until April 18 (or April 19 if you live in Maine or Massachusetts) to make deductible 2015…
Look into the Tax Breaks for Supporting Adult Relatives
If you helped support your parents or other adult relatives in 2015, tax breaks are available that could lower your taxes. You may be able to claim your relative as a dependent, deduct extra medical expenses, or use a more beneficial tax bracket. Claiming a relative as a dependent. An adult dependent’s gross income must…
Tax News – 2016 Changes to Note
Effective beginning with 2016 taxable years, the de minimis tangible property safe harbor has increased to $2,500 per invoice or item. The change affects regulations issued in 2013 that clarified when your business could expense tangible real and personal business property. Previously, the de minimis safe harbor let you elect to deduct individual capital expenditures…
Consider Advantages and Disadvantages Before Making an S Corporation Election
Are you deciding whether to make your business an S corporation for 2016? Here are tax considerations to review before the March 15 due date of the election. When you make an S election, you’re opting to have your business’s income or loss “passed through” to you and other shareholders. That means you’ll report the…
These 2015 Tax Laws Can Affect Your 2016 Planning
The late-year 2015 tax extenders law grabbed headlines, but two other federal laws enacted in 2015 may also have an impact on your tax planning. Here’s an overview of selected provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Bipartisan Budget Act. This law includes changes in the way the IRS…
Keep Up With Changes to Tangible Property Expensing Rules
When you acquire tangible property to use in your business, you have to determine whether the costs should be expensed or capitalized. You probably prefer expensing so you can deduct the entire cost in the year of purchase. Otherwise, you’d need to capitalize the costs, meaning you’d get a partial deduction in the first year,…
Look Into Your 2015 Income Tax Filing Requirements
Do you need to file a federal income tax return this year? Your age, income level, and filing status will usually point you to the right answer. But special rules apply in certain situations. Here are the general filing rules for 2015 tax returns. Single taxpayers (including those who are divorced or legally separated): If…