by admin | Oct 25, 2024 | Retirement
2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) change The Social Security Administration announced a 2.5% boost to monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 2025, another rate drop versus last year’s increase of 3.2%. The increase is...
by admin | Oct 18, 2024 | The Audit
Understanding Tax Terms: Contemporaneous Records If you have problems getting to sleep at night and you turn to the IRS tax code for help, you might find some vocabulary that is very foreign to you. One of the more uncommon words used by the IRS is the...
by admin | Oct 11, 2024 | Miscellaneous
What do I need to keep? Each of us needs to keep records that substantiate our tax return or other important life events for as long as they are needed. So what does this mean? The basic retention period. Federal tax return substantiation is generally three years from...
by admin | Oct 4, 2024 | Planning
Most taxpayers ignore the federal estate tax, thinking they will never be touched by it. Unfortunately, you do this at your own peril. Why? Because states often have this tax AND politicians have a habit of frequently changing the rules. The most recent change is...
by admin | Sep 27, 2024 | Deductions
It’s possible that someone in your family will need assisted living care at some point in their life. This care can be at an assisted living facility, a nursing home, or in their own home. Often, assisted living care is expensive and not fully reimbursable by...
by admin | Sep 20, 2024 | Retirement
You’ve got it all planned out. Your retirement savings accounts are full, you have started receiving Social Security benefits and your pension is ready to go. Everything is planned. What could go wrong? Here are five surprises that can turn your plan on a dime. Health...
by admin | Sep 13, 2024 | Deductions
The tax term head of household is one of the more misunderstood tax phrases inside the U.S. tax code. However, if your situation warrants head of household status, there are two big tax benefits: First, a higher standard deduction. Second, lower effective tax rates...
by admin | Sep 6, 2024 | Planning
Now is the time to make your estimated tax payment If you have not already done so, now is the time to review your tax situation and make an estimated quarterly tax payment using Form 1040-ES. The third quarter due date is now here. Due date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024...
by admin | Aug 30, 2024 | Planning
Now is the tax planning season. Those that treat tax filing as an event and not a process often are the ones paying more than they need. So how do you go about moving from the event to planning? By looking at triggers that should stimulate a discussion. Here are some...
by admin | Aug 25, 2024 | Retirement
If you contribute too much money into your IRA during the year, how do you correct the problem without facing a tax penalty? Here are some tips. Remember the annual limits 2023 Annual IRA contribution limits $6,500 per individual $7,500 per individual if age 50 or...
