When it comes to deducting charitable gifts from your 2015 taxes, all donations are not created equal. As you file your 2015 tax return and plan your charitable giving for 2016, it’s important to keep in mind the available tax deductions. Common charitable donations that can be claimed for tax deductions include: Cash. This includes […]
If there was a college student in your family last year, you may be eligible for some valuable tax breaks on your 2015 tax return. To max out your education tax breaks, you’ll need to determine which ones you’re eligible for and then claim the one(s) that will provide the greatest benefit. In most cases […]
Today it’s becoming more common to work from home. But just because you have a home office space doesn’t mean you can deduct expenses associated with it from your 2015 taxes. Eligibility requirements If you’re an employee, your use of your home office must be for your employer’s convenience, not just your own. If you’re […]
Bonus depreciation allows businesses to recover the costs of depreciable property more quickly by claiming additional first-year depreciation for qualified assets. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (the PATH Act) extended 50% bonus depreciation through 2017. The break had expired December 31, 2014, for most assets. So the PATH Act may give […]
If you’re like many Americans, you may not start thinking about filing your tax return until the April 15 deadline (this year April 18) is just a few weeks — or perhaps even just a few days — away. There’s another date you should keep in mind: January 19. That’s the date the IRS began […]
By purchasing stock in certain small businesses, you can not only diversify your portfolio but also enjoy preferential tax treatment. And under a provision of the tax extenders act signed into law this past December (the PATH Act), such stock is now even more attractive from a tax perspective. 100% exclusion from gain The PATH […]
For the last several years, taxpayers have been allowed to take an itemized deduction for state and local sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes. This break can be valuable to those residing in states with no or low income taxes or who purchase major items, such as a car or boat. […]
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act) extended a wide variety of tax breaks, in some cases making them permanent. Extended breaks include many tax credits — which are particularly valuable because they reduce taxes dollar-for-dollar (compared to deductions, for example, which reduce only the amount of income that’s taxed). Here […]
Under the original provisions of the ACA, the due date for providing Forms 1095 to employees was February 1, 2016. Employers had until February 29, 2016 to file Forms 1094 & 1095 with the IRS (if submitting these forms electronically, the deadline was March 31, 2016). However, on December 28, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service […]
Retirement plan contribution limits are indexed for inflation, but with inflation remaining low, the limits remain unchanged for 2016: Type of limit 2016 limit Elective deferrals to 401(k), 403(b), 457(b)(2) and 457(c)(1) plans $18,000 Contributions to defined contribution plans $53,000 Contributions to SIMPLEs $12,500 Contributions to IRAs $5,500 Catch-up contributions to 401(k), 403(b), 457(b)(2) and […]
Many valuable tax breaks expired December 31, 2014. For them to be available for 2015, Congress had to pass legislation extending them — which it now has done, with the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act), signed into law by the President on December 18. The PATH Act not only revives […]
What is a claims examination and when should you consider obtaining one? A claims examination is a test of claims designed to identify overpayments and can cover medical, dental, vision and other types of health benefits. It should be performed by an independent firm or person that specializes in this type of work—ideally a firm […]