Choosing a Retirement Destination: Tax Considerations With health care, housing, food, and transportation costs increasing every year, many retirees on fixed incomes wonder how they can stretch their dollars even further. One solution is to move to another state where income taxes are lower than the one in which they currently reside. While federal tax…
Taking Early Withdrawals From Retirement Accounts While taking money out of a retirement fund before age 59 1/2 is usually not recommended, in certain cases, it may be unavoidable, especially during times of economic crisis. If you need cash and have a retirement fund you can tap, here’s what you need to know. Background When…
Tax Treatment of Virtual Currency Transactions Whether you’ve invested in Bitcoin and sold it at a profit or loss or received it for services performed, you’ll need to report it on your tax return. Here’s what you should know: Background Prior to 2014, there was no IRS guidance and many people did not understand that…
Preparing for a Successful Retirement As you approach retirement, it’s vital that you pay attention to several important financial matters to ensure a smooth transition. Here are five of them: 1. Health Insurance Are you among the lucky few who will continue to be covered after retirement? If not, then you’ll need to replace your…
The Home Office Deduction With more people working from home than ever before, taxpayers may be wondering if they can claim a home office deduction when they file their 2020 tax return next year. The short answer is that self-employed taxpayers who use their home for business may be able to deduct expenses for the…
Tax Considerations When Hiring Household Help If you employ someone to work for you around your house, it is important to consider the tax implications of this type of arrangement. While many people disregard the need to pay taxes on household employees, they do so at the risk of paying stiff tax penalties down the…
It’s Never Too Early to Check Tax Withholding While it probably seem like tax season just ended, it is never too early to do a “Paycheck Checkup” to make sure the right amount of tax is withheld from earnings – and avoid a tax surprise next year when filing your 2020 tax return. As a…
Natural disasters such as hurricanes are more common in summer, but tornadoes, floods, and fires can strike at any time. As such, it’s always a good idea to plan for what to do in case of a disaster. Here are some simple steps you can take right now to prepare: 1. Backup Records Electronically. Many people…
While many schools are switching to hybrid or remote learning models, teachers and other educators should remember that they can still deduct certain unreimbursed expenses such as classroom supplies, training, and travel. Deducting these expenses helps reduce the amount of tax owed when filing a tax return. To qualify for the deduction, the taxpayer must…
If you discover a mistake on your tax return after you’ve already filed, don’t panic. In most cases, all you have to do is file an amended tax return. Here’s what you need to know: Taxpayers should use Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to file an amended (corrected) tax return. An amended tax…