With kids back in school, it’s a good time for parents (and grandparents) to think about college funding. One option, which can be especially beneficial if the children in question still have many years until heading off to college, is a Section 529 plan. TAX-DEFERRED COMPOUNDING 529 plans are generally state-sponsored, and the savings-plan option [...]
The limited liability company (LLC) and limited liability partnership (LLP) business structures have their advantages. But, in years past, the IRS treated LLC and LLP owners as limited partners for purposes of the passive activity loss (PAL) rules. This could be a tax negative. Fortunately, LLC and LLP owners can now be treated as general [...]
It’s a safe bet that state tax authorities will let you know if your business hasn’t paid enough sales and use taxes. But the lines of communication may not be so open if you’re overpaying. For this reason, many business use reverse audits to find over-payments so they can see reimbursements. In most states, businesses [...]
When Congress was debating tax law reform last year, there was talk of repealing the federal estate and gift taxes. As it turned out, rumors of their demise were highly exaggerated. Both still exist and every taxpayer with a high degree of wealth shouldn’t let either take their heirs by surprise. Exclusions and Exemptions For [...]
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act late last year had a marked impact on Roth IRAs: to wit, taxpayers who wish to convert a pretax traditional IRA into a post-tax Roth IRA can no longer “re-characterize” (that is, reverse) the conversion for 2018 and later years. The IRS recently clarified in FAQs [...]
For some people, Roth IRAs can offer income and estate tax benefits that are preferable to those offered by traditional IRAs. However, it’s important to take note of just what the distinctive features of Roth IRA are before making the choice. Traditional vs. Roth The biggest difference between traditional and Roth IRAs is how taxes [...]