Category: News
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Two ACA Taxes That May Apply To Your Exec Comp
If you’re an executive or other key employee, you might be rewarded for your contributions to your company’s success with compensation such as restricted stock, stock options or nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC). Tax planning for these forms of “exec comp,” however, is generally more complicated than for salaries, bonuses and traditional employee benefits. And planning…
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Which Tax-Advantaged Health Account Should Be Part Of Your Benefits Package?
On October 12, an executive order was signed that, among other things, seeks to expand Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). HRAs are just one type of tax-advantaged account you can provide your employees to help fund their health care expenses. Also available are Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Which one should you…
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Don’t Ignore The Oct. 16 Extended Filing Deadline Just Because You Can’t Pay Your Tax Bill
The extended deadline for filing 2016 individual federal income tax returns is October 16. If you extended your return and know you owe tax but can’t pay the bill, you may be wondering what to do next. File by October 16 First and foremost, file your return by October 16. Filing by the extended deadline…
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Accelerate Your Retirement Savings With A Cash Balance Plan
Business owners may not be able to set aside as much as they’d like in tax-advantaged retirement plans. Typically, they’re older and more highly compensated than their employees, but restrictions on contributions to 401(k) and profit-sharing plans can hamper retirement-planning efforts. One solution may be a cash balance plan. Defined benefit plan with a twist…
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“Bunching” Medical Expenses Will Be A Tax-Smart Strategy For Many In 2017
Various limits apply to most tax deductions, and one type of limit is a “floor,” which means expenses are deductible only if they exceed that floor (typically a specific percentage of your income). One example is the medical expense deduction. Because it can be difficult to exceed the floor, a common strategy is to “bunch”…
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Timing Strategies Could Become More Powerful In 2017, Depending On What Happens With Tax Reform
Projecting your business income and expenses for this year and next can allow you to time when you recognize income and incur deductible expenses to your tax advantage. Typically, it’s better to defer tax. This might end up being especially true this year if tax reform legislation is signed into law. Timing strategies for businesses…
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Investors: Beware of the Wash Sale Rule
A tried-and-true tax-saving strategy for investors is to sell assets at a loss to offset gains that have been realized during the year. So if you’ve cashed in some big gains this year, consider looking for unrealized losses in your portfolio and selling those investments before year-end to offset your gains. This can reduce your…
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2 Ways Spouse-Owned Businesses Can Reduce Their Self-Employment Tax Bill
If you own a profitable, unincorporated business with your spouse, you probably find the high self-employment (SE) tax bills burdensome. An unincorporated business in which both spouses are active is typically treated by the IRS as a partnership owned 50/50 by the spouses. (For simplicity, when we refer to “partnerships,” we’ll include in our definition…
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Why You Should Boost Your 401(k) Contribution Rate Between Now and Year End
One important step to both reducing taxes and saving for retirement is to contribute to a tax-advantaged retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, contributing to that is likely your best first step. If you’re not already contributing the maximum allowed, consider increasing your contribution rate between now and year-end. Because of tax-deferred…
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Should Your Business Use Per Diem Rates for Travel Reimbursement?
Updated travel per diem rates go into effect October 1. To simplify recordkeeping, they can be used for reimbursement of ordinary and normal business expenses incurred while employees travel away from home. Per diem advantages As long as employees properly account for their business-travel expenses, reimbursements are generally tax-free to the employees and deductible by…