Year-End Tax Tips
The end of 2016 is in sight, so you might want to consider dropping by the office of Gardner & Billing CPAs to see if there's any last minute steps to take that could improve the numbers on your 2016 return! The following is an article by Daniel Hood from www.accountingtoday.com that might give you some food for thought....
With Dec. 31 just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about next season – and to make any last-minute moves that might improve a client’s tax position.
With that in mind, here’s a list of tax tips for you and your clients to think about before the end of 2016, from the National Society of Accountants and others in the field.
1. First – what’s not changing: While President-elect Trump is in a strong position to enact his promise of lower tax brackets next year, it’s important to remember that the current income tax rates of 10, 15, 25, 33, 35 and 39.6 percent are still in effect for the tax returns being filed in April. The standard deduction amounts remain $6,300 single/married filing separately, and $12,600 for married filing jointly. The standard deduction for heads of households, however, rises to $9,300.
2. Deferring income: If the president-elect does manage to lower and simplify the individual tax brackets per his plan, that means rates next year will be lower, so it might be worth it for individuals to consider deferring some income into 2017. That may mean getting a bonus in January, instead of December, or waiting to redeem a savings bond, or putting off debt forgiveness income.
3. Keep an eye on AGI: Since some tax benefits -- including itemized deductions, personal exemptions, and education and adoption credits -- get phased out depending on a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income, deferring income may also make sense depending on their current AGI.
4. New permanent incentives for individuals: The PATH Act of 2015 made a number of tax incentives permanent. For individuals, these include:
7. Tax-loss harvesting: Even in the current bull market, a portfolio can contain some duds – but they can still be useful! Taxpayers with large amounts of taxable gains in 2016 may want to offset some of those by realizing losses on those duds to lower their overall capital gains exposure.
8. Be careful with mutual funds: Many mutual funds make capital gains distributions in December, so taxpayers will want to bear that in mind when buying or selling. That a fund is or isn’t planning a major distribution needn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker – but it may add to the eventual tax bill.
With that in mind, here’s a list of tax tips for you and your clients to think about before the end of 2016, from the National Society of Accountants and others in the field.
1. First – what’s not changing: While President-elect Trump is in a strong position to enact his promise of lower tax brackets next year, it’s important to remember that the current income tax rates of 10, 15, 25, 33, 35 and 39.6 percent are still in effect for the tax returns being filed in April. The standard deduction amounts remain $6,300 single/married filing separately, and $12,600 for married filing jointly. The standard deduction for heads of households, however, rises to $9,300.
2. Deferring income: If the president-elect does manage to lower and simplify the individual tax brackets per his plan, that means rates next year will be lower, so it might be worth it for individuals to consider deferring some income into 2017. That may mean getting a bonus in January, instead of December, or waiting to redeem a savings bond, or putting off debt forgiveness income.
3. Keep an eye on AGI: Since some tax benefits -- including itemized deductions, personal exemptions, and education and adoption credits -- get phased out depending on a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income, deferring income may also make sense depending on their current AGI.
4. New permanent incentives for individuals: The PATH Act of 2015 made a number of tax incentives permanent. For individuals, these include:
- The American Opportunity Tax Credit;
- The teachers’ $250 classroom expense deduction;
- The ability to deduct state and local sales tax instead of state income taxes;
- The exclusion for direct charitable donation of up to $100,000 from an IRA; and,
- The 100 percent gain exclusion on qualified small-business stock.
- The reduced five year recognition period for S-Corp built-in gains tax;
- 15-year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold improvements, restaurant property and retail improvements; and,
- Charitable deductions for the contribution of food inventory.
7. Tax-loss harvesting: Even in the current bull market, a portfolio can contain some duds – but they can still be useful! Taxpayers with large amounts of taxable gains in 2016 may want to offset some of those by realizing losses on those duds to lower their overall capital gains exposure.
8. Be careful with mutual funds: Many mutual funds make capital gains distributions in December, so taxpayers will want to bear that in mind when buying or selling. That a fund is or isn’t planning a major distribution needn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker – but it may add to the eventual tax bill.
