As a business owner, you should be aware of some recent federal tax legislation changes. Many of the changes can affect the bottom line for the business as well as you as the business owner — some in a good way and some in a bad way.
Continue reading “Nine Things a Business Owner Should Know After Tax Reform”
Year over year, participation in 529 plans continues to rise.1 Anyone can open an account, lifetime contribution limits are typically over $300,000, and there are tax benefits if the funds are used for college. Here are some common questions on opening an account.
Continue reading “Rules on Opening a 529 Plan Account for College”
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2019.
Continue reading “Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2019”
An estate plan is a map that explains how you want your personal and financial affairs to be handled in the event of your incapacity or death. Due to its importance and because circumstances change over time, you should periodically review your estate plan and update it as needed.
Continue reading “Reviewing Your Estate Plan”
Recent federal tax reform legislation has added several favorable new tax provisions for ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts. ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities that are typically used to cover qualified disability expenses. Generally, an ABLE account is disregarded for purposes of determining eligibility for, and the amount of, any assistance or benefit provided under certain means-tested federal programs.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, approximately doubled the federal gift and estate tax basic exclusion amount to $11.18 million in 2018 (adjusted for inflation in later years). After 2025, the exclusion is scheduled to revert to its pre-2018 level and be cut approximately in half. Otherwise, federal gift and estate taxes remain the same.
Continue reading “What Are the Gift and Estate Tax Rules After Tax Reform?”
Established in 1996, 529 plans were designed to encourage tax efficient saving for future college expenses. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 expanded how these plans can be used and now allows them to cover up to $10,000 per year, per child for primary and secondary education at private institutions.
With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 signed into law, we have focused on four changes that we feel are significant.
The Social Security administration announced a 2% increase in benefits in 2018. The increase is estimated to affect 70 million Americans. The increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) is used to determine the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in order to keep Social Security benefits in line with changes in consumer prices. Continue reading “Social Security Benefits Expected to Increase 2% in 2018”
Technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace. The age of the internet has ushered in an unprecedented level of connectivity. In today’s modern world, people accrue vast amounts of digital assets, including digital files, such as photographs, videos, and documents, as well as digital accounts, such as social media, e-mail, websites, financial accounts, etc. As our digital footprint grows more valuable, it would be prudent to consider how these assets are handled after death.
Continue reading “What Happens to your Online Accounts When you Die?”
