Key Takeaways Bump up your retirement account contributions to potentially reduce your income tax Consider logging stock losses against your taxable ordinary income Add to your child’s tax-advantaged 529 savings plan by April 15, 2019, for 2018 tax deductions As the calendar ticks down to the end of 2018, there’s still time to make moves […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Prepare for your 2018 filing by getting organized with a checklist Know your deadlines for filing and contributing to retirement accounts Learn how key tax reform changes can affect your filing strategy The start of the new year means that tax season has begun. So, now’s the time to gather and organize the […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Transitioning into retirement may mean changes in your employment status; make sure your retirement tax strategies keep pace The near-retirement years can offer certain tax-advantaged savings alternatives Downsizing your home? Consider the tax implications The road to retirement is changing, and the best route isn’t always clear. If you’re approaching your retirement destination, […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Consider the tax consequences of traditional versus Roth retirement accounts Aim for a lower Adjusted Gross Income by tapping various income sources Make catch-up contributions to retirement accounts for tax advantages If you’re getting ready to retire, you may be expecting your tax bill will be lower with lower income compared to your […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Think about where to put certain securities to try to reduce your tax burden  Consider tax-advantaged accounts for many fixed-income investments Explore how you can put tax-efficient mutual funds and ETFs in a taxable account Many investors have both taxable accounts, such as bank and brokerage accounts, as well as tax-advantaged accounts like […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Capital losses arise from the sale (at a loss) of a capital asset such as real estate, mutual funds, or shares of stock Depending on their filing status, taxpayers may deduct up to $3,000 of a net capital loss against salary and other income Short- and long-term holdings are treated differently Tax season […]

Continue Reading

Key Takeaways Retirement accounts can be subject to tax penalties if rules aren’t followed carefully Learn some of the retirement account mistakes to avoid  Look to limit penalties by understanding contributions, withdrawals, and distributions Tax penalties usually occur when taxpayers don’t file returns or extensions or make other errors that raise red flags with the […]

Continue Reading

It’s time to run down the changes we will see this tax filing season and what to expect in 2014 and beyond. In 2001, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that 38% of taxpayers reporting a security sale incorrectly reported their taxable gain or loss due to an incorrect cost basis, creating an $11 billion […]

Continue Reading

Let’s test your tax-filing knowledge. Myth or fact? Brokers track your wash sales. Actually, both. It just depends. At its most basic, the wash sale rule prevents investors from taking an artificial loss as a means to lower their tax bill. But the fine print gets more complicated. Now, the wash sale tax rule is […]

Continue Reading

Do the letters OID mean anything to you? How about DIV, INT, or MISC? If your answer was “I’ve seen those letters on a tax form,” congratulations. These are among the designations assigned to 1099s you might see as part of a Consolidated Form 1099. Confused? A little overwhelmed, maybe? That’s understandable; tax forms can […]

Continue Reading