Articles

Avoid capital gains tax when selling investment property

Did you know that it may be possible to avoid paying immediate capital gains taxes when you sell an investment property? That’s true if you’re planning to sell the property and invest the proceeds in another property shortly afterward. For instance, suppose you own a condo as an investment, and you plan to sell it and use the proceeds to buy another investment property. You might be able to treat the sale and the subsequent purchase

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Interest rates are going up – what does this mean for your estate planning?

The Federal Reserve has begun raising interest rates. And while rates are still historically extremely low, they’re probably at the start of a long, gradual increase. As a result, you might want to consider some estate planning techniques now that benefit from very low rates … because an opportunity like this one might not come around again for many, many years. Here are some ways to use the current low-rate environment to transfer assets to your

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Are you missing a refund?

Did you forget to file your 2012 federal income tax return? You’re not alone. The IRS says an estimated one million taxpayers did not file a return for that year, leaving refunds totaling $950 million unclaimed. If you’re one of those taxpayers, you must file a 2012 federal income tax return no later than this year’s April tax deadline. There is no penalty for failure to file if you are due a refund. Contact us for

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Simple steps can lead to growing savings

You’ve probably heard the expression, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” Ben Franklin’s simple guidance has provided the foundation for savings plans for generations of Americans. His advice remains sound today, but economic conditions and financial demands may cause your savings to get off track. Getting back on track – and sooner rather than later – is important. Why? You can reap benefits thanks to the effects of time. The earlier you put cash into

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A tax return is required to claim an insurance premium credit

If you or a family member enrolled in a qualified health plan offered through a government insurance marketplace, such as HealthCare.gov, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit. The amount of the credit varies depending on your household income and can be claimed on your tax return. Alternatively, you have the option to receive all or part of the credit in advance in the form of payments to your insurer that reduce your health

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Tax-exempt organizations have an upcoming filing requirement

Tax-exempt organizations are required to file annual reports with the IRS. Those with gross receipts below $50,000 can file an e-Postcard (Form 990-N) rather than a longer version of Form 990. The deadline for nonprofit filings is the 15th day of the fifth month after the year-end. For calendar-year organizations, the filing deadline for 2015 reports is May 16, 2016.

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April is a busy month for taxes

Is your tax return finished? If not, this year you have an extra day – or two – to file. April 18, 2016, is the due date to file your 2015 individual federal income tax return and pay any balance due. If you live in Maine or Massachusetts, you have until Tuesday, April 19, to file and pay. Here’s why. The normal due date – Friday, April 15 – is Emancipation Day. That’s a holiday in

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Will rising interest rates affect you?

For almost the entire past decade, interest rates held steady at near-zero levels. Then, in mid-December 2015, the Federal Reserve raised rates by one-quarter percentage point. Market watchers and economists expect further rate increases in the coming months. How will you be affected? Technically speaking, only the federal funds rate was adjusted in December. That’s the short-term rate that credit-worthy banks and credit unions use to lend each other money. But any interest rate revisions can

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Update your tangible property expensing policy

In 2013, the IRS issued regulations clarifying when tangible real and personal business property can be expensed. The regulations provided safe harbors that let you deduct certain costs you’d otherwise have to capitalize. For example, using a de minimis safe harbor, you could elect to deduct individual capital expenditures of $500 or less if your business did not have an “applicable financial statement.” (In general, an applicable financial statement is a financial statement based on a

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Plan for changes to social security

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 made two changes to social security benefit strategies. “File and suspend” was a way for married couples to allow the higher earning spouse to claim benefits at full retirement age but suspend the benefits until a later date. Under the Act, this strategy will no longer be available after April 30, 2016.

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