Year-End Tax Planning (in Uncertain Times) Updated Oct. 31, 2012.
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Transcript of Year-End Tax Planning (in Uncertain Times) Updated Oct. 31, 2012.
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Year-End Tax Planning(in Uncertain Times)
Updated Oct. 31, 2012
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Overview
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Where Are We Now?
What Is Scheduled to Expire?
Year-End Planning Tips
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Where Are We Now?
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What We Do Know …
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• If Congress does nothing
- Bush tax cuts will expire
- Estate tax extenders will expire
• Super Committee
- Debt ceiling debate
- Required legislation to avoid “automatic” cuts
- Temporary measure but deficit debate continues
- New debt ceiling looming, possibly by November 2012
• Supreme Court validated PPACA
- Health care reform is here to stay
- Changes to tax code started in 2010 and continue to 2014
- Tax return compliance is expanding in scope
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Super Committee and Taxes
• Tax reform/revenue raisers
- 11/23/11 and 12/23/11 deadlines
- Tasked with finding $1.5 trillion savings over 10 years
- Result: automatic $1.2 trillion in equal defense and non-defense spending cuts
• What was in play
- Corporate reform
- Bush tax cuts
- Taxing large partnerships
- International repatriation
- Millionaire surtax
• New debt ceiling by November 2012
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Supreme Court Upheld Health Care Reform
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• Significant tax implications as court upheld action to require all individuals to buy health insurance
• Several new tax provisions to pay for new law now in effect
• Additional provisions are scheduled to kick in every year
• Impacts businesses, small and large, and individuals
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Schedule of New Health Care Provisions
Year Provision2013 • Flexible spending arrangement the maximum drops to
$2,500 per plan year• New “HI” (hospital insurance tax) on high-income taxpayers• New 3.8% Medicare tax on investment income• Medical care itemized deduction threshold increases to
10% of AGI starting in 2013 (except from 2015–2016)
2014 • States will be required to provide federally approved insurance plans • Premium assistance credit• Excise tax on uninsured individuals• Excise tax on applicable large employers• Insurer reporting requirements• Eligible premiums included in cafeteria plans
2017 • Increase in medical deduction threshold for taxpayers age 65 and over
2018 • Excise tax on high-cost employer plans
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What is Scheduled to Expire?
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Key Provisions That Expired in 2011
• Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Exemption
• State/local sales tax deduction
• Bonus Depreciation (for 2012) dropped to 50%
• Mortgage insurance premiums deduction
• Student loan interest deductions
• School teacher expenses
• Charitable distributions from IRAs
• Research tax credit
• Section 179 limit dropped to $139,000 for 2012
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Provisions That Expire in 2012
• Income tax brackets (10% goes away, 39.6% returns)
• Long-term capital gains (15% goes to 20%)
• Qualified dividends – 0% / 15% eliminated
• Phase-out of personal exemptions
• Phase-out of itemized deductions
• Marriage penalty
• $1,000 child credit resets to $500
• Section 168 Bonus Depreciation expires
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Likely that some of the expiring provisions may not
be extended
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Estate Tax Expiring Provisions
• Estate Taxes
- $1 million exemption?
- 55% maximum estate tax rate?
- No portability of exemption?
• Gift Taxes
- $1 million lifetime exemption?
- 55% maximum rate?
• GST Technical Issues
- 9100 relief
- Default GST allocation for certain trusts
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3.8% Medicare Tax Starts Jan. 1
• The rules
• What is subject to the new tax?
• What is not subject to the new tax?
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Impact of New Tax on Planning
• Applies only if modified AGI exceeds $200K for single and $250K for MFJ
• Don’t forget to consider new tax when calculating 2013 estimated tax payments
• Tax exempt interest is not subject to the tax, so consider if more tax-exempt investments make sense
• Consider income included in AGI that is not subject to the tax
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Start Now!
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• Don’t wait
• Have a Plan A and a Plan B
• Use multiple scenarios
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Why Projections?
• Better handle on cash flow
• Lower risk of overpaying estimated taxes
• Improved income tax planning
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Multiple Scenarios – Multiple Years
• What if Romney gets elected? What if Obama stays in office?
• Also, consider the possibility that Congress waits until next year to do something
• Possibility for a 60- or 90-day extension on everything
• Why it is important to consider multiple years?
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Year-End Planning Tips
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Investments
• Are you diversified?
- What is held in a taxable account vs. retirement account?
- Consider Muni bonds (to avoid new Medicare tax in 2013)
• Triggering long-term capital gains/losses?
- Some may consider triggering gains if they plan on selling in the near future
- Others will not trigger losses like they normally do at the end of the year
• Accelerating income?
- Not limited to investments, also consider ordinary income
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Other Considerations
• Look at stock options that will expire in 2013 or 2014
- Should you exercise them now?
- Consider other factors (i.e., blackout periods, current FMV, etc.)
- Consider ISOs as well
• Understand how real estate will be treated under new Medicare tax
• Transfers to younger generation (assuming you avoid Kiddie Tax rules)
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Defer Deductions?
• Many factors in making this type of decision
- Alternative Minimum Tax (or AMT)
- Return of phase-in and phase-out rules
- Possible increase in rates
• Not prepaying state income taxes?
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Charitable Contributions
• Phase out of itemized deductions is scheduled to return in 2013!
• A 100% charitable contribution this year (with a maximum rate of 35%) is better than a 20% deduction next year (even if the rate is 39.6% or higher)
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Education Incentives
• American Opportunity Tax Credit expires at end of 2012
• Should students prepay student deduction if they have not maximized the deduction for 2012?
• The 529 plan still is around and is a great option!
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Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health care FSA contribution will be capped at $2,500
• Be sure to use the 2012 amount in full
• It is a “use it or lose it” account
• Consider other FSAs
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Retirement Plans
• Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs
- Popular provision
- Should you wait until late in the year … just in case?
- Consider getting the form from your broker and follow the right steps in case they make the rule retroactive
• Maximize 401(k) contribution (always a good bet!)
• Conversions to Roth IRAs
- Know what factors to consider before converting
- Important to consider the right time – is this the year to convert?
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Business Entity Considerations
• Consider paying/declaring dividends for C Corporations or previous C Corporations before the end of 2012
• Bonus Depreciation/Section 179
• Other business-related issues
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Conclusions - Best Tips of All!
• Don’t get caught off guard
- Plan now instead of waiting until the last minute
• Engage your CPA year-round
- Better to ask about tax consequences before engaging in a particular transaction
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Trust and Estate Issues
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• Change in rules
• Annual gifting
• Direct payments for medical, education, etc.
• Other year-end planning moves
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Copyright © 2011 American Institute of CPAs
Copyright © 2011 American Institute of CPAs
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