Articles
Year-End Planning Provides Tax Savings Opportunities: Review Your FSA Contributions
To maximize your pre-tax deductions, review your FSA contributions to make sure they match up with your spending. Increase the amount you set aside for next year in your employer’s health flexible spending account (FSA) if you set aside too little for this year. Don’t forget that you cannot set aside amounts to get tax-free reimbursements for over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin and antacids (2010 is the last year that FSAs can be used for nonprescription drugs).
IRS Offer-in-Compromise
If the IRS is after you to collect a tax liability that’s beyond your capacity to pay, you should be aware of a technique that may allow you to settle your tax debt for a fraction of its face value. It’s called an offer-in-compromise.
Strategies for Non-Filers to Re-Enter the Tax System
If anyone you know has failed to file tax returns when due, it’s important that they be aware of the ways to resolve such a problem. Many nonfilers missed a year for one reason or another, and now are afraid to re-enter the tax system. But in fact, taxpayers who file overdue returns on their own are often treated reasonably well, much better than those who are caught.
Settling Tax Debts
If the IRS is after you to collect a tax liability that’s beyond your capacity to pay, you should be aware of a technique that may allow you to settle your tax debt for a fraction of its face value. It’s called an offer-in-compromise.
Your Rights Within IRS Disputes or Audits: Vol II
If you are involved in a dispute with IRS or are currently undergoing an audit, you should be aware of your rights to appeal tax determinations within IRS. This approach tends to be less costly and formal than litigating the matter in court, and often results in satisfactory resolution of the issues involved. Our Vol I post covered when you can file an appeal and mediation. In Volume II we address arbitration.
Your Rights Within IRS Disputes or Audits: Vol I
If you are involved in a dispute with IRS or are currently undergoing an audit, you should be aware of your rights to appeal tax determinations within IRS. This approach tends to be less costly and formal than litigating the matter in court, and often results in satisfactory resolution of the issues involved.
Year-End Planning Provides Tax Savings Opportunities: Stock Losses and Investment Preservation
Taking steps today to reduce your tax burden tomorrow is a smart way to manage your tax liability. Review your investment portfolio for opportunities to realize losses on stock while substantially preserving your investment position. There are several ways this can be done. For example, you can sell the original holding, then buy back the same securities at least 31 days later. It may be advisable for us to meet to discuss year-end trades you should consider making.
2010 New Hire Social Security Employment Tax Exemption
Employers are exempted from paying the employer 6.2% share of Social Security employment taxes on wages paid in 2010 to newly hired qualified individuals.
Year-End Planning Provides Tax Savings Opportunities: Qualified Small Business Stock
Interested in expanding your investment portfolio while limiting your tax burden? Purchase qualified small business stock (QSBS) before the end of this year. There is no tax on gain from the sale of such stock if it is (1) purchased after September 27, 2010 and before January 1, 2011, and (2) held for more than five years. In addition, such sales won’t cause AMT preference problems. To qualify for these breaks, the stock must be issued by a regular (C) corporation with total gross assets of $50 million or less, and a number of other technical requirements must be met. Our office can fill you in on the details.
Year-End Planning Provides Tax Savings Opportunities: Gift Giving
Feeling particularly generous? Make annual exclusion gifts before year end to save gift tax (and estate tax if it is reinstated). You can give $13,000 in 2010 or 2011 to an unlimited number of individuals free of gift tax. However, you can't carry over unused...
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