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 [...]
Social Security Recipients Will Receive a Large Increase in 2023
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 70 million Americans will increase 8.7% in 2023, the federal government just announced. On average, the Social Security Administration [...]
The Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors Is Going Up in 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently released two Notices regarding the 2023 minimum wage rates that are going up for federal contractors. Contractor Minimum Wage Background [...]
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 [...]
Self-employed? Build a Nest Egg With a Solo 401(k) Plan
Do you own a successful small business with no employees and want to set up a retirement plan? Or do you want to upgrade from a SIMPLE IRA or [...]
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 — [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Interested in an EV? How to Qualify for a Powerful Tax Credit
Sales and registrations of electric vehicles (EVs) have increased dramatically in the U.S. in 2022, according to several sources. However, while they’re still a small percentage of the cars [...]