The 1st attempt to inflict an income tax on Americana occurred as a result of the War of 1812. At the end of two years of war, the federal government owed an unbelievable $100 million of debt (in inflationary terms, it probably had the same impact on the treasury as $100 billion debt would today). To pay for this, the government doubled the rates of its major source of revenue, customs duties on imports. This measure obstruct...
The 1st attempt to inflict an income tax on Americana occurred as a result of the War of 1812. At the end of two years of war, the federal government owed an unbelievable $100 million of debt (in inflationary terms, it probably had the same impact on the treasury as $100 billion debt would today). To pay for this, the government doubled the rates of its major source of revenue, customs duties on imports. This measure obstructed trade so severely that the government ended up bringing in less revenue than it had received from the lower rates. It's ironic that the American Revolution was began because of Tea Taxes in Boston.
Also, excise taxes were imposed on goods, and commodities such as housing, slaves and land were taxed pay for the war. After the war ended in 1816, these taxes were repealed and instead high customs duties were passed to retire the accumulated war debt.
What is Taxable Income?
The amount of income utilized to arrive at your income tax. Taxable income is your gross income minus all your adjustments, deductions, and exemptions.
A few specific taxes:
Estate Taxes:
One of the oldest and widely-used forms of taxation is the taxation of property held by an individual at the time of demise.
The US currently has Estate Taxes, although there are proposals to do away with them.
Such a tax can take two forms of implemantation. A direct estate tax can be levied on the estate prior to any transfer to heirs. An estate tax is a charge upon the deceased's entire estate, regardless of how it's disbursed. Another option form of death tax is an inheritance tax (a tax levied on beneficiaries getting property from the estate). Taxes imposed upon demise provide incentive to transfer assets prior to demise.
Canada no longer has Estate Taxes.
Virtually all European countries have Estate Taxes. The prime illustration is Great Britain, where high estate taxes have effectively ruined the financial well-being of virtually all of Britain's Nobility, who have been forced to sell vast real estate holdings or place them in historical trusts.
Capital Gains Taxes
Capital Gains are the increases in value of anything (including investments or even real estate) that makes it worth more than the price for which it was bought. The gains are likely not to be realized or even taxed until the asset is sold.
Capital gains are ordinarily taxed at a lower rate than regular income to promote business development or entrepreneurship during all economic phases. This is thought to help companies invest in technology and expand to create more employment.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Real Estate Tax: Tax Maps, Real Estate Tax Exemptions, Estate Tax Lien
The history of real estate tax and property tax can be traced back to Colonial America. Land was taxed on a per-acre basis until the nineteenth century when uniformity clauses were adopted to help protect settlers. The uniformity clauses now require that property be taxed according to its value.
Illinois was the first state to adopt this clause, and some states such as Tennessee adopted additional provisions that exempted products produced from the soil and up to one thousand dollars of personal property. Elected officials would assess the market value of the property, collect taxes due, and turn the money over to the proper government (school districts, special districts for fire prevention, irrigation, etc.).
It wasn’t until 1907 that the National Tax Association was founded, and declared that trained professionals perform all assessments of real estate for tax purposes. This regulation curtailed favoritism and promoted equality.
PROPERTY ASSESSOR AND REAL ESTATE TAX MAPS
In the twenty-first century, state governments depend more on income and sales taxes than on property taxes for funding. Local governments still rely on a small percentage of property taxes to generate revenue. The tax assessment is based on the value of the building and the value of the land it occupies. The assessor maintains accurate “tax maps” which identify individual properties to ensure they are not taxed more than once.
Any improvements made to the structure or land will be noted on these maps. Methods used to calculate value of property have changed since colonial times. Assessors may now choose between the income approach, market value, or replacement cost. All values determined by the assessor are subject to a “second opinion” via administrative or judicial review. Once the value of the property is agreed upon, the assessor will multiply this value by the established tax rate to calculate how much you owe in taxes.
HOMESTEAD REAL ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION
Some states have passed laws to provide homestead exemptions to put limitations on how high property taxes may be raised. This exemption is only available to residents of these states in which the property in question is the primary residence. You cannot use a rental property or second home in a different state as your “primary residence” to receive this tax break. Once the property is sold, the exemption is removed and property taxes may rise for the new owner based on the purchase price of the home.
DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE TAX PENALTIES (APRIL 1ST)
Failure to pay your taxes by April 1st each year will result in a delinquent real estate tax. Penalties for delinquent taxes may vary by state. In some states you will be charged a ten percent penalty on all unpaid taxes and will be charged an additional administrative processing fee.
If after the beginning of June you still have not paid your delinquent real estate taxes, your property will become tax defaulted. At this time you will begin to accrue additional penalties for each month that your taxes remain unpaid. If you continue to refuse paying delinquent taxes, the Tax Collector may appeal to the Court to seize and sell your property.
LIEN ON PROPERTY AND TAX CERTIFICATES
A lien may be placed on the house through the purchase of a tax certificate, and the owner can only remove the lien by paying the required taxes due. After a period of two years, the holder of the tax certificate may request a tax deed application. This application allows the certificate holder to sell your property at a public auction. The only way to prevent losing your property is to pay all delinquent taxes and applicable fees that have accumulated.
ESTATE TAX LIEN AND AFFIDAVIT TO REMOVE TAX
Some states such as Massachusetts will put an estate tax lien on property after the death of the owner, or anyone else who may have had a legal interest in the property (i.e. spouse). This usually occurs in the absence of probate and when the gross estate value does not exceed $1.5 million. Estates worth more than this limit will be subjected to federal estate tax filing.
Barring the above exceptions, an estate tax lien may be removed by filing an Affidavit. The Affidavit may be filed by an Executor or anyone in possession of the deceased’s property (i.e. spouse). An Affidavit must contain key information such as:
1. Full name and date of death for the deceased
2. Documentation that the estate does not require federal estate state filing
3. The identity and title of the person signing the Affidavit and the form must be notarized
4. The death certificate
5. Any applicable recording fees for the Affidavit and death certificate
By: Rocco Beatrice
Illinois was the first state to adopt this clause, and some states such as Tennessee adopted additional provisions that exempted products produced from the soil and up to one thousand dollars of personal property. Elected officials would assess the market value of the property, collect taxes due, and turn the money over to the proper government (school districts, special districts for fire prevention, irrigation, etc.).
It wasn’t until 1907 that the National Tax Association was founded, and declared that trained professionals perform all assessments of real estate for tax purposes. This regulation curtailed favoritism and promoted equality.
PROPERTY ASSESSOR AND REAL ESTATE TAX MAPS
In the twenty-first century, state governments depend more on income and sales taxes than on property taxes for funding. Local governments still rely on a small percentage of property taxes to generate revenue. The tax assessment is based on the value of the building and the value of the land it occupies. The assessor maintains accurate “tax maps” which identify individual properties to ensure they are not taxed more than once.
Any improvements made to the structure or land will be noted on these maps. Methods used to calculate value of property have changed since colonial times. Assessors may now choose between the income approach, market value, or replacement cost. All values determined by the assessor are subject to a “second opinion” via administrative or judicial review. Once the value of the property is agreed upon, the assessor will multiply this value by the established tax rate to calculate how much you owe in taxes.
HOMESTEAD REAL ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION
Some states have passed laws to provide homestead exemptions to put limitations on how high property taxes may be raised. This exemption is only available to residents of these states in which the property in question is the primary residence. You cannot use a rental property or second home in a different state as your “primary residence” to receive this tax break. Once the property is sold, the exemption is removed and property taxes may rise for the new owner based on the purchase price of the home.
DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE TAX PENALTIES (APRIL 1ST)
Failure to pay your taxes by April 1st each year will result in a delinquent real estate tax. Penalties for delinquent taxes may vary by state. In some states you will be charged a ten percent penalty on all unpaid taxes and will be charged an additional administrative processing fee.
If after the beginning of June you still have not paid your delinquent real estate taxes, your property will become tax defaulted. At this time you will begin to accrue additional penalties for each month that your taxes remain unpaid. If you continue to refuse paying delinquent taxes, the Tax Collector may appeal to the Court to seize and sell your property.
LIEN ON PROPERTY AND TAX CERTIFICATES
A lien may be placed on the house through the purchase of a tax certificate, and the owner can only remove the lien by paying the required taxes due. After a period of two years, the holder of the tax certificate may request a tax deed application. This application allows the certificate holder to sell your property at a public auction. The only way to prevent losing your property is to pay all delinquent taxes and applicable fees that have accumulated.
ESTATE TAX LIEN AND AFFIDAVIT TO REMOVE TAX
Some states such as Massachusetts will put an estate tax lien on property after the death of the owner, or anyone else who may have had a legal interest in the property (i.e. spouse). This usually occurs in the absence of probate and when the gross estate value does not exceed $1.5 million. Estates worth more than this limit will be subjected to federal estate tax filing.
Barring the above exceptions, an estate tax lien may be removed by filing an Affidavit. The Affidavit may be filed by an Executor or anyone in possession of the deceased’s property (i.e. spouse). An Affidavit must contain key information such as:
1. Full name and date of death for the deceased
2. Documentation that the estate does not require federal estate state filing
3. The identity and title of the person signing the Affidavit and the form must be notarized
4. The death certificate
5. Any applicable recording fees for the Affidavit and death certificate
By: Rocco Beatrice
Friday, March 23, 2007
Own Your Business And Get Sizable Tax Deductions Too!
For entrepreneurs who are running their own businesses and even for those who are planning to set up their own businesses, the self-employment tax deduction could be a huge blessing. By these deductions, many of the expenses that businessmen incur for their businesses could be put up for tax deductions. There are several such heads where self-employed people can win over employees in tax deductions. A preliminary step for availing of these could be use to their social security number as their business tax identification number and to file taxes under Schedule C or Schedule C-EZ.
Though these schedules are often mentioned together, they provide different kinds of benefits, the form for Schedule C-EZ is more beneficial for people who are spending lesser amounts on running their businesses, or people who make profits with their businesses, who run their businesses single-handedly, i.e. without employing anyone else, or those who do not claim home office deductions and don’t report depreciations.
The form for Schedule C is for bigger businesses. Here the taxpayers would be asked about the gross income – this is similar to the form for Schedule C-EZ – but in addition they would be asked in detail about the various heads of expenditure in running the business. But the advantage here is, the self-employed person can report a loss and get that saved on tax too.
Self-employed persons can claim the following tax deductions:-
(i) Equipment Expenditure – As per Section 179, the total cost of all equipment that has been purchased for conducting the business can be shown as tax deductible. Equipment such as computers, filing cabinets and furniture are tax deductible. But there is a limiting condition here. The limit is based on the amount that can be shown for deduction. A better idea can be got by referring to the IRS Publication 946, as this limit is changed quite frequently.
(ii) Travel Expenditure – All the expense incurred during traveling for the business is also tax deductible. This includes the meals and lodging that go with the travel. It is necessary to produce the receipts and bills of these expenses and to state the purpose of the travel.
(iii) Health Insurance and Social Security Taxes – All health insurance premiums paid for the self-employed person and for his/her closest family members can be claimed for tax deduction. A part of the social security tax can also be deducted from the total income. This deduction is available on Form 1040 and not on the Schedule C.
(iv) Self-Managed Retirement Benefits – Self-employed people secure themselves for their retirements with the Keogh or the Simplified Employee Pension plans. Upon filing the Form 1040, the payments made for these plans could be shown for tax deductions.
(v) Home Offices – Self-employed people who are running their businesses in their homes could claim home office tax deductions. These could be whole or part of the expenses incurred in the maintenance and upkeep of the home office. Even if the person conducts most of the business outside the home office and uses it only for simple chores like book keeping, its expenses could be claimed for tax deduction.
By: Adam J. Heist
Though these schedules are often mentioned together, they provide different kinds of benefits, the form for Schedule C-EZ is more beneficial for people who are spending lesser amounts on running their businesses, or people who make profits with their businesses, who run their businesses single-handedly, i.e. without employing anyone else, or those who do not claim home office deductions and don’t report depreciations.
The form for Schedule C is for bigger businesses. Here the taxpayers would be asked about the gross income – this is similar to the form for Schedule C-EZ – but in addition they would be asked in detail about the various heads of expenditure in running the business. But the advantage here is, the self-employed person can report a loss and get that saved on tax too.
Self-employed persons can claim the following tax deductions:-
(i) Equipment Expenditure – As per Section 179, the total cost of all equipment that has been purchased for conducting the business can be shown as tax deductible. Equipment such as computers, filing cabinets and furniture are tax deductible. But there is a limiting condition here. The limit is based on the amount that can be shown for deduction. A better idea can be got by referring to the IRS Publication 946, as this limit is changed quite frequently.
(ii) Travel Expenditure – All the expense incurred during traveling for the business is also tax deductible. This includes the meals and lodging that go with the travel. It is necessary to produce the receipts and bills of these expenses and to state the purpose of the travel.
(iii) Health Insurance and Social Security Taxes – All health insurance premiums paid for the self-employed person and for his/her closest family members can be claimed for tax deduction. A part of the social security tax can also be deducted from the total income. This deduction is available on Form 1040 and not on the Schedule C.
(iv) Self-Managed Retirement Benefits – Self-employed people secure themselves for their retirements with the Keogh or the Simplified Employee Pension plans. Upon filing the Form 1040, the payments made for these plans could be shown for tax deductions.
(v) Home Offices – Self-employed people who are running their businesses in their homes could claim home office tax deductions. These could be whole or part of the expenses incurred in the maintenance and upkeep of the home office. Even if the person conducts most of the business outside the home office and uses it only for simple chores like book keeping, its expenses could be claimed for tax deduction.
By: Adam J. Heist
Friday, March 9, 2007
Budgeting, Forecasting And Tax Planning
Corporate tax is a tax levied by various jurisdictions on the profits made by companies or associations. Tax will vary drastically from one jurisdiction to another. Allowances for capital expenditure as well as the total amount of interest payments that can be deducted from gross profits when working out the tax liability will both vary.
Tax rates will also vary and are determined on whether profits have been distributed to shareholders or not. Know that any profits that have been reinvested can not be taxed. For those in America the federal rate is 35%, but in 1999 Treasure announced the “check the box” systems there have been some corporations who can elect to be treated special and get to skip taxes.
If you need to save money for tax time you can use new software which will teach you how to budget properly. Budgeting software will help to provide you and your family with financial security and personal peace of mind. With the help of budgeting software you are able to reach long term financial goals and teach your children how to manage their money. Budgeting now will save you the headache later in life when you should be sending your children to the college of their choice, while enjoying an early retirement.
Budgeting software can also include additional features such as online bill paying, invoice generating, customer tracking, as well as accounts receivable and payable management. You can even find some budgeting software that is available to you in the form of a free trial.
When it comes to our business I’m sure we all wish we could see in to the future. This may seem like an unreasonable request or even a fantasy but the truth is that there are a few different programs that will provide you with the information that you need, known as forecasting software. It is easier if this software has the ability to create charts and graphs.
Forecasting software can works together with budgeting software so that you can analyze your current financial status, as well as the likely future. Forecasting software will predict the demand for your specific product or service. It will use this number to determine whether the amount of employees you have is sufficient.
Your financial status is vital to your business, so it is important to cover all aspects, including tax information. There are tips you can use to lower your tax costs include write offs such as writing off 60% of your health insurance and writing off anything business related such as taking clients out to lunch.
File everything and keep record of all of your financial information. This will prove extremely helpful when tax season comes around.
By: Natalie Aranda
Tax rates will also vary and are determined on whether profits have been distributed to shareholders or not. Know that any profits that have been reinvested can not be taxed. For those in America the federal rate is 35%, but in 1999 Treasure announced the “check the box” systems there have been some corporations who can elect to be treated special and get to skip taxes.
If you need to save money for tax time you can use new software which will teach you how to budget properly. Budgeting software will help to provide you and your family with financial security and personal peace of mind. With the help of budgeting software you are able to reach long term financial goals and teach your children how to manage their money. Budgeting now will save you the headache later in life when you should be sending your children to the college of their choice, while enjoying an early retirement.
Budgeting software can also include additional features such as online bill paying, invoice generating, customer tracking, as well as accounts receivable and payable management. You can even find some budgeting software that is available to you in the form of a free trial.
When it comes to our business I’m sure we all wish we could see in to the future. This may seem like an unreasonable request or even a fantasy but the truth is that there are a few different programs that will provide you with the information that you need, known as forecasting software. It is easier if this software has the ability to create charts and graphs.
Forecasting software can works together with budgeting software so that you can analyze your current financial status, as well as the likely future. Forecasting software will predict the demand for your specific product or service. It will use this number to determine whether the amount of employees you have is sufficient.
Your financial status is vital to your business, so it is important to cover all aspects, including tax information. There are tips you can use to lower your tax costs include write offs such as writing off 60% of your health insurance and writing off anything business related such as taking clients out to lunch.
File everything and keep record of all of your financial information. This will prove extremely helpful when tax season comes around.
By: Natalie Aranda
Friday, February 23, 2007
Looking For A Good Tax Break? Donate Your Car To Charity
Alright, that old rattletrap, rusting buggy still masquerading as a car has been taking up space in your driveway for much too long. It's become part of the neighborhood landscape. You've been able to overlook it, but your neighbors are growing a little upset. You've bitten the bullet and realize the time has come to get rid of it, but how?
Why not contact a charity to see if they are interested taking the car as a donation? Not only is giving your car away to a charity good for deposit in your karma bank, when tax time rolls around, that donation can help keep some of your cold hard cash in the bank as well by allowing you to take a potentially sizable deduction. If you ask around, you'll find numerous charities that have established programs for taking vehicles as donations.
As you might expect with the IRS, there are some tricky rules. Giving a car away to charity for a tax break is not as easy as it used to be. The old tax laws allowed you to write off the fair market value of any car given to charity. Fair market value was determined by auto industry standard evaluation services, like the Kelly Blue Book, so if the Blue Book value of your car was $2,000, you got to write that whole amount off when tax time arrived. That system was fraught with abuse, however, with people claiming inflated donation values of $654 million in one year alone. Therefore, the law changed in 2005, and the IRS now places some limitations on the way donation deductions are claimed.
The basic rule is that IRS places a cap on vehicle donation deductions of $500. If your donation is worth more than that, then you will be required to meet a few criteria before you can claim your deduction. First, you need to know how the charity is using your car. If they take if from you and sell it, then the price they sell it for is the amount you can claim as a deduction, even if it is less than the value of the car. If the charity sells your car for more than it is worth, you can only claim a deduction up to the fair market value of the vehicle.
There are a few exceptions. If the charity decides to give the car away to a needy person, or if they sell the car to a needy person for far below the fair market value, then in most cases you can claim the actual worth of your car as your deduction. Also, under the "Intervening Use Exception," if the charity uses your car for awhile before selling it, and then sells it for below the fair market value, you can claim the value of your car at the time of the donation as your deduction, since their use of the car lowered the value.
However, if the charity makes improvements to the car, increasing its value, and later sells it for more than it was worth when you donated it, you can still only claim the fair market value of the vehicle at the time of donation. Whichever circumstance applies to you, the charity should notify you in writing within 30 days of receipt of the car of their intentions for the car and the donation value. If they sell the car, they must notify you within 30 days in writing of the sale price.
Of course, deductions are not subtracted directly from your tax bill, but rather allow you to reduce your tax bill by a percentage. Exactly how much a deduction will take off your tax bill depends on your income, your tax bracket and how you file.
by Robert G. Knechtel
Why not contact a charity to see if they are interested taking the car as a donation? Not only is giving your car away to a charity good for deposit in your karma bank, when tax time rolls around, that donation can help keep some of your cold hard cash in the bank as well by allowing you to take a potentially sizable deduction. If you ask around, you'll find numerous charities that have established programs for taking vehicles as donations.
As you might expect with the IRS, there are some tricky rules. Giving a car away to charity for a tax break is not as easy as it used to be. The old tax laws allowed you to write off the fair market value of any car given to charity. Fair market value was determined by auto industry standard evaluation services, like the Kelly Blue Book, so if the Blue Book value of your car was $2,000, you got to write that whole amount off when tax time arrived. That system was fraught with abuse, however, with people claiming inflated donation values of $654 million in one year alone. Therefore, the law changed in 2005, and the IRS now places some limitations on the way donation deductions are claimed.
The basic rule is that IRS places a cap on vehicle donation deductions of $500. If your donation is worth more than that, then you will be required to meet a few criteria before you can claim your deduction. First, you need to know how the charity is using your car. If they take if from you and sell it, then the price they sell it for is the amount you can claim as a deduction, even if it is less than the value of the car. If the charity sells your car for more than it is worth, you can only claim a deduction up to the fair market value of the vehicle.
There are a few exceptions. If the charity decides to give the car away to a needy person, or if they sell the car to a needy person for far below the fair market value, then in most cases you can claim the actual worth of your car as your deduction. Also, under the "Intervening Use Exception," if the charity uses your car for awhile before selling it, and then sells it for below the fair market value, you can claim the value of your car at the time of the donation as your deduction, since their use of the car lowered the value.
However, if the charity makes improvements to the car, increasing its value, and later sells it for more than it was worth when you donated it, you can still only claim the fair market value of the vehicle at the time of donation. Whichever circumstance applies to you, the charity should notify you in writing within 30 days of receipt of the car of their intentions for the car and the donation value. If they sell the car, they must notify you within 30 days in writing of the sale price.
Of course, deductions are not subtracted directly from your tax bill, but rather allow you to reduce your tax bill by a percentage. Exactly how much a deduction will take off your tax bill depends on your income, your tax bracket and how you file.
by Robert G. Knechtel
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Top 7 Ways to Reduce Income Taxes
Are you paying too much in income taxes? Are you getting all the credits and deductions you are entitled to? Here are 7 tips to help you minimize taxes and keep more in your pocket:
1. Participate in company retirement plans. Every dollar you contribute will reduce your taxable income and thus your income taxes. Similarly, enroll in your company's flexible spending account. You can set aside money for medical expenses and day care expenses. This money is "use it or lose it" so make sure you estimate well!
2. Make sure you pay in enough taxes to avoid penalties. Uncle Sam charges interest and penalties if you don't pay in at least 90% of your current year taxes or 100% of last year's tax liability.
3. Buy a house. The mortgage interest and real estate taxes are deductible, and may allow you to itemize other deductions such as property taxes and charitable donations.
4. Keep your house for at least two years. One of the best tax breaks available today is the home sale exclusion, which allows you to exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers) of profit on the sale of your home from your income. However, you must have owned and lived in your home for at least two years to qualify for the exclusion.
5. Time your investment sales. If your income is higher than expected, sell some of your losers to reduce taxable income. If you will be selling a mutual fund, sell before the year-end distributions to avoid taxes on the upcoming dividend or capital gain. Also, you should allocate tax efficient investments to your taxable accounts and non-efficient investments to your retirement accounts, to reduce the tax you pay on interest, dividends and capital gains.
6. If you're retired, plan your retirement plan distributions carefully. If a retirement plan distribution will push you into a higher tax bracket, consider taking money out of taxable investments to keep you in the lower tax bracket. Also, pay attention to the 59 and one half age limit. Withdrawals taken before this age can result in penalties in addition to income taxes.
7. Bunch your expenses. Certain expenses must exceed a minimum before you can deduct them (medical expenses must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income and miscellaneous expenses such as tax preparation fees must exceed 2% of your AGI). In order to deduct these expenses, you may need to bunch these types of expenses into a single year to get above the minimum. To achieve this, you might prepay medical and miscellaneous expenses on December 31 to get above the minimum amount.
The most important thing is to be aware of the tax deductions and credits that apply to you and to plan for taxable events. And don't be afraid to ask for help. The benefits from consulting an experienced tax professional far outweigh the cost to hire that professional.
by Kristine McKinley
1. Participate in company retirement plans. Every dollar you contribute will reduce your taxable income and thus your income taxes. Similarly, enroll in your company's flexible spending account. You can set aside money for medical expenses and day care expenses. This money is "use it or lose it" so make sure you estimate well!
2. Make sure you pay in enough taxes to avoid penalties. Uncle Sam charges interest and penalties if you don't pay in at least 90% of your current year taxes or 100% of last year's tax liability.
3. Buy a house. The mortgage interest and real estate taxes are deductible, and may allow you to itemize other deductions such as property taxes and charitable donations.
4. Keep your house for at least two years. One of the best tax breaks available today is the home sale exclusion, which allows you to exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers) of profit on the sale of your home from your income. However, you must have owned and lived in your home for at least two years to qualify for the exclusion.
5. Time your investment sales. If your income is higher than expected, sell some of your losers to reduce taxable income. If you will be selling a mutual fund, sell before the year-end distributions to avoid taxes on the upcoming dividend or capital gain. Also, you should allocate tax efficient investments to your taxable accounts and non-efficient investments to your retirement accounts, to reduce the tax you pay on interest, dividends and capital gains.
6. If you're retired, plan your retirement plan distributions carefully. If a retirement plan distribution will push you into a higher tax bracket, consider taking money out of taxable investments to keep you in the lower tax bracket. Also, pay attention to the 59 and one half age limit. Withdrawals taken before this age can result in penalties in addition to income taxes.
7. Bunch your expenses. Certain expenses must exceed a minimum before you can deduct them (medical expenses must exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income and miscellaneous expenses such as tax preparation fees must exceed 2% of your AGI). In order to deduct these expenses, you may need to bunch these types of expenses into a single year to get above the minimum. To achieve this, you might prepay medical and miscellaneous expenses on December 31 to get above the minimum amount.
The most important thing is to be aware of the tax deductions and credits that apply to you and to plan for taxable events. And don't be afraid to ask for help. The benefits from consulting an experienced tax professional far outweigh the cost to hire that professional.
by Kristine McKinley
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
The Secrets of Performing Tax-Deferred Exchange
In real estate investing business, performing a tax-deferred exchange can be a great way to maximize your wealth. A tax-differed exchange, also referred to as a non-taxable sale, is simply a method enabling property owners to trade an investment (non-primary residence) property for another investment property (or properties) without paying capital gain taxes on the transaction. Thus, tax-deferred exchange is a system that helps you avoid the tax bill on the sale you have performed.
For example, suppose you own a real estate investing property that has gone up in value. Now, when you sell that property under the tax-deferred exchange, and with the gain or profit from the sale, you buy a new property, you do not require paying taxes on the sale immediately at the time of closing. You can avoid the tax bill till a later date. On the other hand, if you are unable to find an appropriate property to exchange, you will not be able to avoid the tax bill. Still, you owe the taxes only at the time when you finally sell the new piece of property.
Identification Phase Of The Exchange Once you go ahead to do a tax-deferred exchange, you must not forget to identify the real estate investing property. For this, you should sign a written document and deliver the same to the party assisting you with the exchange. Make sure that you have done this on or before 45-days from the day you sold the original rental property. Also, remember that you can identify a maximum of three replacement properties without any regard to fair market value. However, in case the total value of replacement properties is less than the double value of the original property, you can go ahead and identify even more than three such properties. It is strongly recommended not to identify more properties than you are allowed because if you do so, you will be treated as if you have not identified any property, and consequently you will not be able to avoid taxes. So, act smart and be very careful.
The Time Limit When you perform a tax-deferred exchange, always remember that there is a certain time limit to perform the same. Some important deadlines are listed below. These deadlines are determined by the earliest date a property is transferred. For multiple property transfers, the time limit for the identification phase of the exchange is 45 days. On the other hand, if you are successfully through with the identification of property, you get a time limit of 180 days to complete the exchange. If you exceed the time limit of 180 days or the property is received after the due date of your return for the year you made the transfer, the real estate investing property will not be treated as similar property.
Boot Any money or any type of property that is of unlike kind, such as a car received as part of down payment, is considered as a boot. Always remember that, such money or properties are taxable. In such a case, it does not really matter if you have performed the tax-differed exchange properly or not. Therefore, in order to avoid such boots, it is always prudent to take the services of an exchange company or an attorney to examine these real estate investing transactions closely.
Overall, if you consider the above few aspects while performing a tax-deferred exchange in real estate investing business, you can do wonders in maximizing your wealth.
by James Klobasa
For example, suppose you own a real estate investing property that has gone up in value. Now, when you sell that property under the tax-deferred exchange, and with the gain or profit from the sale, you buy a new property, you do not require paying taxes on the sale immediately at the time of closing. You can avoid the tax bill till a later date. On the other hand, if you are unable to find an appropriate property to exchange, you will not be able to avoid the tax bill. Still, you owe the taxes only at the time when you finally sell the new piece of property.
Identification Phase Of The Exchange Once you go ahead to do a tax-deferred exchange, you must not forget to identify the real estate investing property. For this, you should sign a written document and deliver the same to the party assisting you with the exchange. Make sure that you have done this on or before 45-days from the day you sold the original rental property. Also, remember that you can identify a maximum of three replacement properties without any regard to fair market value. However, in case the total value of replacement properties is less than the double value of the original property, you can go ahead and identify even more than three such properties. It is strongly recommended not to identify more properties than you are allowed because if you do so, you will be treated as if you have not identified any property, and consequently you will not be able to avoid taxes. So, act smart and be very careful.
The Time Limit When you perform a tax-deferred exchange, always remember that there is a certain time limit to perform the same. Some important deadlines are listed below. These deadlines are determined by the earliest date a property is transferred. For multiple property transfers, the time limit for the identification phase of the exchange is 45 days. On the other hand, if you are successfully through with the identification of property, you get a time limit of 180 days to complete the exchange. If you exceed the time limit of 180 days or the property is received after the due date of your return for the year you made the transfer, the real estate investing property will not be treated as similar property.
Boot Any money or any type of property that is of unlike kind, such as a car received as part of down payment, is considered as a boot. Always remember that, such money or properties are taxable. In such a case, it does not really matter if you have performed the tax-differed exchange properly or not. Therefore, in order to avoid such boots, it is always prudent to take the services of an exchange company or an attorney to examine these real estate investing transactions closely.
Overall, if you consider the above few aspects while performing a tax-deferred exchange in real estate investing business, you can do wonders in maximizing your wealth.
by James Klobasa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
