If you don’t have enough federal tax withheld from your paychecks and other payments, you may have to make estimated tax payments. This is the case if you receive interest, dividends, self-employment income, capital gains or other income. Here are the applicable rules for paying estimated tax without triggering the
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
High-income taxpayers face a 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) that’s imposed in addition to regular income tax. Fortunately, there are some steps you may be able to take to reduce its impact. The NIIT applies to you only if modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds: $250,000 for married taxpayers
Although you can’t avoid taxes, you can take steps to minimize them. This requires proactive tax planning — estimating your tax liability, looking for ways to reduce it and taking timely action. To help you identify strategies that might work for you in 2020, check out our Online Tax Planning
If you’re planning your estate, or you’ve recently inherited assets, you may be unsure of the “cost” (or “basis”) for tax purposes. The Rules of Fair Market Value Under the fair market value basis rules (also known as the “step-up and step-down” rules), an heir receives a basis in inherited
Understandably, your 2019 tax bill may have you more concerned right now than your 2020 tax situation. However, you should also be thinking about tax changes that will affect your 2020 taxes. For example, the amount of money you can put into a 401(k) plan has increased and you may
The “kiddie tax” name sounds cute, but it is not what it may seem. Changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) makes the tax more serious and now, children with unearned income could wind up in a tax bracket higher than that of their parents. However, the
Taxable vs. tax-advantaged: Where to hold investments When investing for retirement or other long-term goals, people usually prefer tax-advantaged accounts, such as IRAs, 401(k)s or 403(b)s. Certain assets are well suited to these accounts, but it may make more sense to hold other investments in taxable accounts. Know the rules
Spring and summer are busy seasons for selling a home. Interest rates are currently good and buyers are out looking for a new place. Freddie Mac reports that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 4.14% during the week of May 2, 2019, while the 15-year mortgage rate was 3.6%.
Now that 2019 has begun, there isn’t too much you can do to reduce your 2018 income tax liability. But it’s smart to begin preparing for filing your 2018 return. Because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which was signed into law at the end of 2017, likely will
