Tax and Other Financial Consequences of Tax-Free Bonds
If you’re interested in investing in tax-free municipal bonds, you may wonder if they’re really free of taxes. While the investment generally provides tax-free interest on the federal (and [...]
How Tax Reform Affects Divorce Settlements for Small Business Owners
How does the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) affect divorce settlements? Changes in the new law may require divorcing individuals — especially those who own businesses and other investments [...]
Seller-paid points: Can homeowners deduct them?
In its latest report, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced that July 2022 existing home sales were down but prices were up nationwide, compared with last year. “The [...]
How Will Inflation Affect Your 2023 Tax Bill
Inflation has been surging this year. The July 2022 consumer price index (CPI) was up 8.5% year over year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor [...]
Year-end Tax Planning Ideas for Individuals
Now that fall is officially here, it’s a good time to start taking steps that may lower your tax bill for this year and next. One of the first [...]
Is Your Income High Enough To Owe Two Extra Taxes?
High-income taxpayers face two special taxes — a 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) and a 0.9% additional Medicare tax on wage and self-employment income. Here’s an overview of [...]
401(k) Loans: Yay or Nay?
In today’s tough economy, you may find yourself struggling to cover your day-to-day expenses. But rising interest rates are making traditional loans more expensive. In such an environment, you might [...]
Settling Your Tax Debt with the IRS
Individual taxpayers who are unable to meet their tax obligations can try to resolve matters through the IRS's offer-in-compromise (OIC) program. However, the IRS can refuse such a request — [...]
The Inflation Reduction Act: what’s in it for you?
You may have heard that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law recently. While experts have varying opinions about whether it will reduce inflation in the near [...]
An “Innocent Spouse” May Be Able to Escape Tax Liability
When a married couple files a joint tax return, each spouse is “jointly and severally” liable for the full amount of tax on the couple’s combined income. Therefore, the [...]
Avoiding the 10% Penalty On Early IRA Withdrawals
For one reason or another, you may need to take some money out of an IRA before reaching retirement.* You can withdraw money from an IRA at any time and [...]
What You Need to Know About Taxes and Gig Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen an expansion of the so-called "gig economy," also known as the sharing or access economy. According to the Pew Research Center, 16% of U.S. workers [...]
Estimated Tax Payments: Who Owes Them and When Is the Next One Due?
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 [...]
Three Tax Breaks for Small Businesses
Sometimes, bigger isn’t better: Your small- or medium-sized business may be eligible for some tax breaks that aren’t available to larger businesses. Here are some examples. QBI deduction For [...]
Always Question Owner’s Compensation in Divorce
Divorce is more complicated when either spouse owns a private business interest. In these cases, a settlement is only as reasonable as the value of the business and the compensation [...]