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 […]
Due to the proliferation of counterfeit goods offered for sale within internet commerce websites, Miller Kaplan Arase LLP (“MKA”) has enhanced its trademark enforcement services that it can offer to its’ clients. MKA has now registered to participate on behalf of IP Rights Owners in eBay’s Verified Rights Owner (“VeRO”) Program. eBay implemented the VeRO […]
After you reach age 70½, you must take annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRAs (except Roth IRAs) and, generally, from your defined contribution plans (such as 401(k) plans). You also could be required to take RMDs if you inherited a retirement plan (including Roth IRAs). If you don’t comply — which usually requires […]
Recently, the IRS released the 2016 annually adjusted amount for the unified gift and estate tax exemption and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption: $5.45 million (up from $5.43 million in 2015). But even with the rising exemptions, annual exclusion gifts offer a valuable tax-saving opportunity. The 2015 gift tax annual exclusion allows you to give […]
From the Thanksgiving kick-off of the holiday season through December 31, many businesses find themselves short-staffed as employees take time off to spend with family and friends. But if you limit how many vacation days employees can roll over to the new year, you might find your workplace to be nearly a ghost town as […]
While tax consequences should never drive investment decisions, it’s critical that they be considered — especially by higher-income taxpayers, who may be facing the 39.6% short-term capital gains rate, the 20% long-term capital gains rate and the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT). Holding on to an investment until you’ve owned it more than one year […]
Donations to qualified charities are generally fully deductible, and they may be the easiest deductible expense to time to your tax advantage. After all, you control exactly when and how much you give. But before you donate, it’s critical to make sure the charity you’re considering is indeed a qualified charity — that it’s eligible […]