It’s not too late for taxpayers to “undo” a Roth IRA conversion. The deadline to recharacterize — or reverse — the conversion is October 15. It’s an opportune time for advisors to review Roth assets with investors. In general, individuals have until October 15 of the following year to recharacterize a Roth IRA conversion and
Changes in tax laws, cost of living differences, and the appeal of milder climates prompt many people to consider relocating. While there may be benefits — including financial benefits in some cases — the process can be complex. A person may have several residences, but he or she can only have one domicile or “legal”
If clients are stinging from this year’s tax bill, it’s time to consider strategies that may improve the situation for next year. The 2013 tax year is the first that some taxpayers saw the difference in their bills due to higher marginal income tax rates and new taxes resulting from the health-care reform law, including
This year marks a pivotal time for the implementation of federal health-care reform as consumers face some key deadlines, including the requirement to obtain insurance coverage. With the fundamental changes in the nation’s health-care system as well as the steady stream of media coverage, it is likely that clients will have many questions about the
With the April 15 deadline approaching for making a 2013 tax year contribution to an individual retirement account, it is a good time to talk about tax strategy. And with varying types of IRAs available, clients of all income levels may benefit. Higher-income clients who may not be eligible to contribute to a Traditional or
An obscure rule for tax-savings on highly-appreciated company stock may be more appealing to clients following additional clarification and guidance from the Internal Revenue Service on the investment income surtax. Federal laws include special tax treatment for certain distributions of company stock held within a retirement plan. Under this rule, only the cost basis of
Limiting or reducing deductions were among the highlights of the most recent tax reform proposal on Capitol Hill, catapulting tax-preference items to the forefront of the debate once again. Although unlikely to proceed as a formal piece of legislation, the Tax Reform Act of 2014 — released last week by House Ways and Means Committee
During tax season, it’s common for both advisors and clients to be focused on tax filing forms. But tax forms may be used for more than just filing taxes. Consider using IRS tax form 1040 to launch a variety of planning discussions. Use the table below to see how the line items reveal information that
Despite a report this week pointing to decreasing federal deficits over the next two years, the longer-term outlook for tax rates grew murkier. After four consecutive years of topping $1 trillion, the U.S. federal deficit fell to $680 billion, or 4.1% of GDP, in 2013, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Budget and Economic
With the introduction of higher tax rates for some taxpayers in 2013 and ongoing tax-reform debate in Washington, it is essential for any comprehensive financial plan to include tax smart planning strategies. Specific income thresholds will trigger the new 3.8% Medicare surtax, income phase-out of itemized deductions, or the highest marginal tax rate. These five