Category: Taxes

6 Charitable Tax Moves to Consider Before Year-End

The recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the most extensive and far-reaching change to the tax code in more than thirty years.  In addition to altering the existing tax brackets, the standard deduction has also been nearly doubled, which means that going forward taxpayers will need to provide more itemizable deductions in order to exceed the standard deduction.  If you plan to give to charity before year-end, here are six planning moves to consider.

1. Donate Highly Appreciated Stocks or Mutual Funds.

The stock market has been on a terrific run, and you may have highly appreciated stocks or mutual funds that you are holding on to because you do not want to pay capital gains taxes.  By donating appreciated investments, you avoid paying the capital gains tax and can receive a deduction for the fair market value of the investments.

If you are considering gifting mutual funds, do so before they declare their year-end dividends and capital gains and you will save on taxes by avoiding that income as well.  While a deduction for appreciated securities is now limited to 30% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), you can still carry the unused portion to future tax years.  When making a gift of appreciated securities, you should notify the charity that you are doing so in order for them to know who to send the record of receipt to (so that you can have that on hand when filing your taxes).

2. Combine Giving from Multiple Years Into One Year

Because the standard deduction has now been nearly doubled, consider lumping several years’ worth of contributions into one year to occasionally exceed the standard deduction. The strategy here would be to “lump” our charitable giving in one calendar year so that our itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction, and then simply claim the standard deduction in the following year(s).  The following graphic attempts to illustrate what this might look like for an individual taxpayer:

3. Use a Community Foundation or a Donor Advised Fund

If you want to create a legacy, are unsure of where to contribute right now, or want to consider “lump” giving, use a Community Foundation or Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to max out your contributions. A DAF is a unique type of account that is maintained an operated by a qualifying charitable organization, including most Community Foundations.  Once you create a DAF and contribute to it, your contribution qualifies for a charitable deduction on your tax return.

However, even though you can deduct the entire amount in the year that you make the contribution, you can make distributions from the DAF in future years to the charities of your choice.  In other words, you aren’t required to distribute all the DAF’s funds in the year that you make your contribution to it.  So, you could “lump” several years’ worth of charitable giving into your DAF and then make annual distributions to your favorite charities over the course of the next several years until your next “lump” contribution.

Additionally, the money in your DAF can be invested, creating the potential for even greater giving in the future via the power of compounding interest.

4. Create a Charitable Lead or Remainder Trust

If you are considering an even larger donation, or are interested in asset-protection, you may want to consider creating either a charitable lead or remainder trust. With a charitable remainder trust, you get a deduction for your gift now; generate an income stream for yourself for a determined period of time; and at the expiration of that term, the remainder of the donated assets is distributed to your favorite charity or charities.  A charitable lead trust is essentially the inverse of the remainder trust: you get a deduction for your gift now; generate an income stream for one or more charities of your choice for a determined period of time; and at the expiration of that term, you or your chosen beneficiaries receive the remaining principle.  The deduction you receive is based on an interest rate, and the low current rates makes the contribution value high.

5. Donate Unused Belongings

Donate your extra property, clothes, and household items to charity. Make time to clean out your closets, spare bedroom and garage, and donate those items to one of the many charitable organizations in our area.  CHKD, Salvation Army, Purple Heart, ForKids, Hope House are just a few organizations that will take old clothes, appliances, household items and furniture.  Some of them will even come to you to pick up items.  Make sure to ask the charity for a receipt and keep a thorough list of what you donated.  You can use garage sale or thrift store prices to assign fair market values to the donated items, or you can use online programs (such as itsdeductible.com) to figure out values.

6. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD’s)

If you are over age 70 ½, regardless of whether you itemize or not, make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). We discussed this charitable donation method in detail in an earlier post, which can be found here.  Essentially a QCD allows you to donate all or a portion of your IRA Required Minimum Distribution to a qualifying charity.  The donated amount is not included in your taxable income and also helps to lower your income for certain “floors” like social security benefit taxation and Medicare Part B and Part D premiums.  QCDs are very tax-efficient ways to make charitable donations.

 

Disclaimer:  This material has been prepared for general information purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, personal tax, legal, investment, financial planning or accounting advice.  You should consult your own tax, legal, investment, financial planning and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

2 Great Ways to Save on Taxes By Giving to Charity

With year-end tax planning looming in the next few months, we are bringing you two ideas for donating to charity that could save you additional money at tax time.

Donate Appreciated Stocks or Mutual Funds

The first idea is to donate appreciated stocks or mutual funds from your taxable accounts.  Donations of highly appreciated securities actually receive double tax savings.  First you get to deduct the full market value of the donation, up to 30% of your adjusted gross income, which can help to reduce your taxable income.  Second, the donation of securities also allows you to avoid paying the state and federal capital gains taxes that you would have owed if you had sold the stock.

Qualified Charitable Distribution

The second idea is something called a “Qualified Charitable Distribution.”  A few years ago, Congress passed a law that allows those who are over 70 ½ years old to give up to $100,000 to charity directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA).  You may use these qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) to satisfy all or part of your annual required minimum distribution (RMD).  Those who give to charity using this method get special tax treatment of their gift.

Typically, taking money out of your IRA is a taxable event – the withdrawal adds to your taxable income and inflates your adjusted gross income (AGI).  However, QCDs do not count as taxable income and therefore have no effect on your AGI.  This is significant because your AGI determines a number of things, including Medicare premium costs, the net investment income Medicare surtax, the taxability of Social Security income, itemized deduction phase-outs, and exemption phase-outs, to name a few.

So making a qualified charitable distribution allows you to satisfy all or part of your RMD without increasing your taxable income or your adjusted gross income.

What are the rules?

  • You must be over 70 ½ on the date of distribution.
  • QCDs are limited to $100,000 per person per year.
  • Only distributions from a Traditional IRA, Rollover IRA or Inherited IRA (where the beneficiary is over 70 ½) are eligible. You may not make QCDs from SEP or SIMPLE IRAs, nor from any type of employer retirement plan; those types of accounts must be rolled over into a Rollover IRA before they may qualify.
  • Your QCD must go to an organization designated by the IRS as a “qualified charity.” This list includes all 501(c)(3) public charity organizations, but explicitly excludes donor-advised funds, private foundations and other grant-making organizations, as well as “split-interest” charitable trusts (such as charitable lead trusts or charitable remainder trusts).
  • The QCD must be made directly to the charity. This is non-negotiable.  The distribution will not qualify if the check is made out to you, or if the money is first transferred into a non-IRA account of yours before it goes to the qualifying charity.  The IRS does not provide a way to correct mistakes.  Most trustees and custodians already have forms and procedures in place to help you make these transfers; make sure you are specific with them about your intent, and that they know how to handle your request.  (Checks should be made out directly in the charity’s name and mailed to the charity’s address.)
  • Ensure that no tax is withheld from your QCD to the charity (no withholding is necessary since this is a non-taxable distribution).
  • Make sure to alert the charity that you are making a QCD to them, as some custodians may not put any information on the check or wire transfer that would personally identify you.
  • Make sure you get a confirmation letter from the charity acknowledging your gift and stating that you received no goods or services in exchange for it.
  • To report a QCD on your Form 1040 tax return, you generally include the full amount of the charitable distribution on the line for total IRA distributions (15a). On the line for the taxable amount (15b), enter zero if the full amount was a QCD (or calculate the taxable amount if your QCD was less than your total required minimum distribution) and write “QCD” in the blank space next to the line.

With either of these charitable donation and tax-saving strategies, it’s always a best practice to let the organization that you’re making the gift.  This way they will know who to send the record of receipt to, so that you will have documentation to hold on to for your tax returns.

As we’ve mentioned before, we are not accountants and therefore suggest that you consult with your accountant to see if either of these ideas would make sense for your particular situation.

How Tax Brackets Work

Being in the 24% tax bracket doesn’t mean you pay 24% on everything you make.
The progressive tax system means that people with higher taxable incomes are subject to higher tax rates, and people with lower taxable incomes are subject to lower tax rates.
The government decides how much tax you owe by dividing your taxable income into chunks — also known as tax brackets — and each chunk gets taxed at the corresponding rate. The beauty of this is that no matter which bracket you’re in, you won’t pay that rate on your entire income.
Being in the 24% tax bracket doesn’t mean you pay 24% on everything you make.
For example, let’s say you’re a single filer with $32,000 in taxable income. That puts you in the 12% tax bracket in 2018. But do you pay 12% on all $32,000? No. Actually, you pay only 10% on the first $9,525; you pay 12% on the rest.
These Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed last year changed the tax brackets as well as the standard deduction.  The old 2017 tax bracket for this taxpayer was 15% meaning that he pays quite a bit less in 2018 than 2017.
If you are single and had $90,000 of taxable income, you’d pay 10% on that first $9,525, 12% on the chunk of income between $9,525 and $38,100, 22% on the income between $38,700 and $82,500 and 24% on the rest because, because some of your $90,000 of taxable income falls into the 24% tax bracket. The total bill would be about $15,890 — about 18% of your taxable income, even though you’re in the 24% bracket.  This is often referred to as your “effective rate”  as opposed to your “marginal rate.”
Under the new law, the “standard deduction” is going to make a big difference.  For a single filer, the deduction goes from $6,500 to $12,000.  For a married couple filing jointly the standard deduction goes from $13,000 to $24,000.  The increase in the standard deduction means that many people are no longer going to itemize.

Six Charitable Moves to Consider Before Year-End

The tax changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are extensive and far-reaching.  The standard deduction will be raised starting in 2018, which means that going forward taxpayers will need to provide more itemized deductions in order to receive the tax benefit of excess deductions.  If you are charitably inclined, you should to consider these six charitable planning moves before the end of the year given the impending changes to the tax code.

If you itemize your taxes:

  1. Donate highly appreciated stocks or mutual funds. The stock market has been on a terrific run, and you may have highly appreciated stocks or mutual funds that you are holding on to because you do not want to pay capital gains taxes.  By donating appreciated investments, you avoid paying the capital gains tax and can take a deduction for the fair market value of the investments.  If you are considering gifting mutual funds, do so before they declare their year-end dividends and capital gains and you will save on taxes by avoiding that income as well.  While your deduction is limited to 50% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), you can carry the unused portion to future tax years.
  2. Consider bumping up this year’s contributions: essentially, make contributions that you would have made in 2018 before the end of 2017. The rationale here is that your tax rate is likely to be lower next year than it is this year due to the TCJA, so every additional dollar given this year is deducted against your higher current 2017 rate.
  3. If you want to create a legacy or are unsure of where to contribute, use a Community Foundation or Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to max out your contributions. For example, if you give $50,000 to a DAF, you can deduct the entire amount now but designate your gifts and charities over time.  You can invest the portion of your DAF that is not immediately donated to a specific charity, creating the potential for even greater giving in the future.
  4. If you are considering an even larger donation, or are interested in asset-protection, you may want to consider creating either a charitable lead or remainder trust. With a charitable remainder trust, you get a deduction for your gift now; generate an income stream for yourself for a determined period of time; and at the expiration of that term, the remainder of the donated assets is distributed to your favorite charity or charities.  A charitable lead trust is essentially the inverse of the remainder trust: you get a deduction for your gift now; generate an income stream for one or more charities of your choice for a determined period of time; and at the expiration of that term, you or your chosen beneficiaries receive the remaining principle.  The deduction you receive is based on an interest rate, and the low current rates makes the contribution value high.
  5. Donate your extra property, clothes, and household items to charity. Make time to clean out your closets, spare bedroom and garage, and donate those items to one of the many charitable organizations in our area.  CHKD, Salvation Army, Purple Heart, ForKids, Hope House are just a few organizations that will take old clothes, appliances, household items and furniture.  Some of them will even come to you to pick up items.  Make sure to ask the charity for a receipt and keep a thorough list of what you donated.  You can use garage sale or thrift store prices to assign fair market values to the donated items, or you can use online programs (such as itsdeductible.com) to figure out values.

If you are over age 70 ½:

  1. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).  Essentially a QCD allows you to donate all or a portion of your IRA Required Minimum Distribution to a qualifying charity.  The donated amount is not included in your taxable income and also helps to lower your income for certain “floors” like social security benefit taxation and Medicare Part B and Part D premiums.  QCDs are very tax-efficient ways to make charitable donations.

Getting ready to file your taxes? Pay attention!

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As we head into tax season, many of you have received tax reports – commonly referred to as “1099s” – from your investment firm.

The IRS requires that 1099-MISC forms must be mailed by January 31st,  but issuers are not required to file copies of all 1099 Forms with the IRS until the end of February.

We frequently advise our clients to delay filing their taxes until March at the earliest.  That’s because the tax code is so complex that errors are inevitable.  As a result, investors often receive “corrected” 1099 forms after the February deadline has passed.  This may result in a change in the tax owed.  Those who use tax preparers or CPA firms may need to have their tax re-calculated, increasing the cost to the investor.

We note that Morgan Stanley has admitted to providing erroneous information to its clients.

Apparently Morgan Stanley’s reporting system sometimes generated an incorrect cost basis for its clients’ stock or bond positions, which threw off capital gains tax calculations following the sales of the securities, the paper reports. The errors affected a “significant number” of the firm’s 3.5 million wealth management clients for tax years 2011 through 2016, according to the paper. But around 90% of the under- or overpayments were less than $300 while more than half were less than $20, a Morgan Stanley spokesman tells the Journal.

It is always a good idea to check the accuracy of the statements you receive from your custodian.  There may be erroneous or missing information.  In many cases where securities were purchased years ago, the custodian does not have the cost basis of stocks or bonds that were sold.  In those cases the investor is responsible for providing that information.  If you do not provide that information, the IRS may assume that the cost basis is zero and tax you on the full amount of the proceeds of sale.

On a final note, many clients have asked us how long they need to keep records for tax purposes.  The primary IRS statute of limitations was three years. But there are many exceptions that give the IRS six years or longer. Several of those exceptions are more prevalent today, and one of them has gotten bigger.  The three years is doubled to six if you omitted more than 25% of your income. “Omitted” can mean to not report at all, or it can mean that the amount of income was under-reported by 25% or more.

If you have questions about your tax forms, or wonder where you can get assistance to determine the cost basis of securities bought or gifted long ago, give us a call.

What’s the Difference Between an IRA and a Roth IRA

A questioner on Investopedia.com asks:

I contribute about 10% to my 401k. I want to know more about Roth IRAs. I have one with my company, but haven’t contributed any percentage yet as I am not sure how much I should contribute. What exactly is a Roth IRA? Additionally, what is the ideal contribution to a 401k for someone making $48K a year?

Here was my reply:

A Roth IRA is a retirement account.  It differs from a regular IRA in two important aspects.  First the negative: you do not get a tax deduction for contributing to a Roth IRA.  But there is a big positive: you do not have to pay taxes on money you take out during retirement.  And, like a regular IRA, your money grows sheltered from taxes.  There’s also another bonus to Roth IRAs: unlike regular IRAs, there are no rules requiring you to take annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your Roth IRA, even after you reach age 70 1/2.

In general, the tax benefits of being able to get money out of a Roth IRA outweigh the advantages of the immediate tax deduction you get from making a contribution to a regular IRA.  The younger you are and the lower your tax bracket, the bigger the benefit of a Roth IRA.

There is no “ideal” contribution to a 401k plan unless there is a company match.  You should always take full advantage of a company match because it is  essentially “free money” that the company gives you.

The Ten Best States for Retirement

From Wealth Management:

  1. Wyoming – It has among the lowest tax burdens in the country; well below the national average for crime rates.  Good weather; cool climate, summer nights are mild, few cold waves during the winter, humidity is also super low, making it the perfect place for retirees who don’t like stuffy summers.
  2. South Dakota – It has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country tying with Wyoming.  It also scored well for overall happiness, particularly when it comes to social well-being.
  3. Colorado – It has great weather, ample sunshine and little humidity.  It scores high for well-being in the Gallup-Healthways index and has a relatively low tax burden.
  4. Utah – It ranks sixth best in the nation for weather, lots of sunshine and low humidity.  The cost of living is below the national average.
  5. Virginia – It has a low cost of living, and a low crime rate. The state also received above-average marks for health care quality and weather.
  6. Montana – The weather ranks above the national average.  Montana ranks high for well-being; residents fell good about their community.  Cost of living and taxes are below the national average.
  7. Idaho – It’s a safe place for retirees to settle down; cost of living and crime rate both ranked among the lowest on the list.  Housing in Idaho is extremely affordable.  Weather and recreational resources add to its appeal.
  8. Iowa – Quality health care is a big feature here along with a low crime rate and an affordable cost of living.
  9. Arizona – It’s warm with great weather; rarely a a cloud in the sky.  It ranked in the top 10 in the Gallup-Healthways Index for overall wellness combined with a fairly low tax burden on its residents.
  10. Nebraska – It has a relatively low cost of living and a low crime rates. Residents here report being slightly happier than people in other states, based on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

We’re fans of Virginia, our home state, but the others also sound interesting.

Avoid These Common Retirement Account Rollover Mistakes

If you are one of the people who are uncertain of the basic financial steps to take when you retire, you are not alone. Author and public speaker Ed Slott recently recounted how little most people really know about what to do with their 401(k)s, IRAs and other retirement assets when it comes time to leave work.

Most people do not know what to do with their retirement plans (commonly referred to with obscure names like 401(k), 403(b), 457, and TSP) once they retire. Many people simply leave the plan with their former employer because they don’t know what else to do. But that could end up being a mistake. Others know they can roll their plan into a Rollover IRA, but are not aware that if they don’t do it exactly right, they could be faced with a big tax bill.

Handling IRAs is often fraught with danger. There is a big difference between a rollover and a direct transfer. Rollovers are distributions from a retirement plan. Sometimes they are paid directly to you via check. You then have 60 days to move the assets into a new IRA or you will be taxed. If the rollover is paid directly to you, it is customary to have 20% automatically withheld for taxes. Counter-intuitively, you have to replace the 20% withholding when you fund the new IRA or that amount will be considered a taxable distribution and you will owe tax on the amount withheld. You can only make one rollover per 12 month period. If you make more than one rollover per year, you will be taxed.

A direct transfer is one where your IRA assets are moved from one custodian to another without passing through your hands. Under current law you can make as many direct transfers per year without triggering a tax penalty and there is no withholding.

When you are retired and reach the age of 70 ½, you will encounter Required Minimum Distributions. If these are not handled correctly, they can trigger huge tax consequences. If an individual fails to take out the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from a retirement plan, there is a 50 percent penalty tax on the shortfall.

Even many people in the investment industry do not understand the rules well. Slott notes that many financial companies do not provide advice on these topics because they are so focused on accumulating assets that they do not train their advisors on “decumulation.” Decumulation is a term that applies to retirees once they begin to take money from their retirement plans to supplement their other income sources.

“Every time the IRA or 401(k) money is touched, it’s like an eggshell; you break it and it’s over…. You mess up with a rollover and you can lose an IRA.”

Retirement is a time when people want to relax and pursue their leisure activities. Unfortunately, the rules actually get even more complicated. Make sure that you take time to learn the rules, or find a professional that does, before you move money from a retirement account.

Finding financial guidance for the middle aged executive

Let’s imagine that you’re now firmly on your career track. You’re an expert in your field and have a team of experts to manage some of the complexities of life outside of work.

  • You doctor gives you regular medical check-ups.
  • Your attorney to reviews your estate plans regularly.
  • Your CPA prepares your taxes and suggests ways to reduce them.
  • But there’s something missing ….

You are putting away some serious money and you are getting nervous about market risk so you want to find a good financial advisor. You don’t want a broker who will call you to sell stocks and bonds on commission. You want someone who will create a plan and give you unbiased financial advice. Someone who will manage your portfolio for you – commission free – so that your retirement plans won’t blow up just as you get ready to enjoy independence.

But there’s a dilemma. Just as you feel more comfortable knowing that the pilot on your next flight has spent thousands of hours flying your plane, you want to find a seasoned financial pro who has experience in all kinds of markets. But those years of experience could well mean that he’ll retire before you do! What’s the solution?

Recognizing that continuity is important in a relationship as personal as financial guidance, many advisors have set up teams.

Korving & Company is a good example. Arie Korving has nearly 30 years of experience as a financial advisor. A Certified Financial Planner, he is the author of numerous articles and books on finance and estate planning, he has experience that includes both Bull and Bear markets. He’s seen the investment world from both sides and knows that honesty and experience is what people want in their advisor.

Stephen Korving received his degree in finance from Virginia Tech with a focus on risk management. After graduation he joined Cambridge Associates, one of the country’s leading investment management consulting firms. Cambridge provides guidance to major institutions and the super-rich. A Certified Financial Planner, he teamed up with Arie ten years ago and in 2010 they founded Korving & Company, a boutique RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) focused on providing holistic financial guidance to executives and retirees.

Together they provide decades of experience and a plan to continue to do so for decades into the future.  Check them out.

401k Distribution after Death

People who leave an employer frequently leave their 401(k) behind.  Usually, the wise thing to do is to roll that 401(k) into a rollover IRA.  But with so many other things to do when changing jobs, deciding what to do with the old 401(k) is often low on the list of priorities.

But there is another way of leaving an employer other than changing jobs.  Some people die while still employed.  And here is where the issue can get tricky.

When funds are left in a 401k after death, those must be distributed to the benefactor chosen by the participant. The way they are distributed depends on the choices of the company administering the 401k along with personal choices of the benefactor.
There are two rules that apply to an after-death distribution. One of the two must be used in all cases. The first allows for payments to be made within 5 years of the death of the participant. The second option allows a benefactor to received payments through his or her lifetime on a regular basis. The company administering the 401k may limit the option it will provide. Or, the benefactor may choose the preferred option. In any case, the election must be made by December 31 in the year of the death of the participant.

If the surviving spouse is not aware of this rule and decides to leave the 401(k) with the employer, it’s entirely possible that he or she will receive a check for the entire amount of the 401(k) five years after death, minus 20% federal tax withholding.  If the amount in the 401(k) is substantial the entire amount may be taxed.  It is possible to roll the proceeds into an IRA if it’s done in time, but to avoid paying an income tax on the federal tax that was withheld, the amount of the tax has to be added to the rollover.  This creates a very unpleasant surprise for the surviving spouse.

Dynasty Trusts

“Dynasty trusts,” are designed to avoid the federal estate tax.  It’s a never-ending trust that pays each generation of heirs only what they spend, while the rest of the money grows. In most states that is not possible because of an ancient rule limiting the duration of trusts to the lifetime of a living heir, plus 21 years.  South Dakota repealed that rule in 1983, and in addition it has no income tax.  As a result, a large number of very wealthy people opened offices in South Dakota to create a trust that can shield a big fortune from taxes for centuries, escaping tax bills as it hands out cash to great-great-great-grandchildren and beyond.

There is a long an informative article about the way South Dakota has used this as a way of attracting big money by literally renting out rooms in a former five-and-dime store in Sioux Falls.

As we head into the New Year, we hope that some of our readers are in the same league as the Pritzker family,  the Carlson Family Trust Co., serving the Minnesota family behind Radisson and the TGI Friday’s restaurant chain, and the heirs of hedge fund pioneer Jack Nash.  If not, we hope you get there soon.

9 Tax Breaks Expiring at Year’s End

From ThinkAdvisor

1. Charity Begins at Home

The days of an easy way for seniors to make a tax-free charitable donation are ending. This provision allows those 70 ½ and older to make direct, nontaxable rollovers from IRAs to charities. It is way to keep income low by classifying mandatory withdrawals as donations instead of income.

2. Small Business, Big Break

Small businesses that use tax provisions to depreciate assets will see a big change in the ability to do so in 2014. This year, business owners can accelerate their depreciable assets up to $500,000 on a $2 million purchase. The maximum depreciation is set to drop to $25,000 next year. If a small business client has the taxable income to offset the deduction, it might be a good move to use the provision when paying 2013 taxes.

3. Forgiving Mortgage Debt

Say goodbye to the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act of 2007. Under that law, if debt owed on property was reduced through a loan reduction or a short sale, the amount forgiven was not treated as taxable income as had been the practice in the past. The law is set to expire at the end of the year. Experts say the tax is unfair because the money only existed on paper.

4. Students (and Parents) Beware

After this year, there will no longer be a deduction of up to $4,000 for qualified tuition costs. The tax break was generally available to families with less than $160,000 in income and singles making half as much or less. Payments for the spring semester must be made by the end of 2013 to qualify.

5. Maybe Teacher Will Get an Apple Instead

It wasn’t much, but teachers are losing a $250 deduction for unreimbursed classroom expenses. To be eligible, teachers must be employed in primary or secondary schools.

6. Getting Harder to Be Green

Now is the time to buy that electric vehicle; a tax credit of up to $7,500 on the cars is being dropped at the end of the year. The credit only applies to certain plug-in vehicles based on weight and battery capacity. Make sure the car you purchase qualifies.

7. It Keeps You Warm, for Now

Maybe an electric car isn’t for you. How about making your home more energy efficient? Two tax credits to help defray such costs are set to die at the end of 2013. One is a $500 credit for certain improvements made to a primary residence. Second is the Energy Efficient Home Credit, a $2,000 exemption for home builders.

8. R&D? On Your Own

Congress has repeatedly extended the tax credit for technology research and development since it was enacted in 1981. Those extensions appear to be over, and the law is set to expire at the end of the year.

9. Luxury Has Its Price

For those who pay lots of state sales tax because they buy big-ticket items like cars and luxury items, this is a nice tax break. A federal tax filer could deduct state sales taxes paid if they were higher than state income taxes. The chance to do so ends this year.

 

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