The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was passed at the end of last year, and generally took effect in 2018. One feature of this legislation is an almost doubling of the standard deduction for most tax payers. Because of this steep increase, more taxpayers are likely to take the standard deduction for 2018,
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Since rising rates tend to depress bond prices, the threat of rising interest rates may worry fixed income investors. Investors with this concern may want to consider constructing a bond ladder to hedge against this risk.
If your company makes sales to out-of-state buyers, do you need to collect state sales tax? Until recently, Supreme Court decisions from the 20th century said that would not necessarily be the case. Companies were not required to collect state sales tax for a state in which it had no “physical presence.” This put in-state retailers at a disadvantage to out-of-state sellers who didn’t collect sales tax.
Many people think of life insurance as a product for family protection. The life of one or two breadwinners is insured; in case of an untimely death, the insurance payout can help with raising children and maintaining the current lifestyle.
Taxpayers who itemize deductions on Schedule A of their tax return have in the past been able to deduct outlays for state and local income tax as well as property tax with no upper limit. (State and local sales tax may be deducted instead of income tax.) However, as of 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 provides that no more than $10,000 of these state and local tax (SALT) expenses can be deducted on single or joint tax returns ($5,000 for married individuals filing separately).
You probably know the G.I. Bill as a program designed to help military veterans receive college educations after they left the armed forces following World War II. What you may not know is that the G.I. Bill has endured, in various forms, until present times.
In fact, just last year the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2017 became law and modified the G.I. Bill. This latest version is sometimes called the “Forever G.I. Bill” because it removes time limits on receiving benefits for military personnel. It also authorizes the transfer of education benefits to spouses and children.
For many years, 529 college savings plans have offered a tax-favored way to save for higher education. These plans, officially called “qualified tuition programs,” take their nickname from the section of the Internal Revenue Code that authorizes them.
The federal estate tax exemption now exceeds $11 million per person. Accordingly, few individuals or married couples will owe this tax. Nevertheless, there is more to successful wealth transfer than reducing or eliminating estate tax. Ideally, you’ll want your assets to pass to the desired recipients with a minimum of turmoil and expense.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 increased the federal estate tax exemption to $11.18 million for 2018. That’s per person, so the combined exemption for a married couple can be as much as $22,360,000 worth of assets this year.
We have seen an increase in market volatility in early 2018. A steep pullback in stocks could be good news for working people who are building retirement funds, but those approaching or in retirement might be hurt.