Deducting Medicare Premiums

Americans who are 65 and older qualify for basic Medicare insurance.  However, to get the level of coverage they desire, they may need to pay additional premiums. The premiums can be expensive, especially if you’re married and both you and your spouse are paying them. But one aspect of paying premiums might be positive. If you qualify, deducting Medicare premiums may help lower your tax bill. Medicare premium tax deductions Premiums for Medicare health insurance can be combined with other qualifying health care expenses.  Collectively, they allow you to claim an itemized deduction for medical expenses on your individual tax return. This includes amounts for “Medigap” insurance and Medicare Advantage plans. Some people buy Medigap policies because Medicare Parts A and B don’t cover all their health...

Questions

Alright . . . you've successfully filed your 2018 return with the IRS.  But now, you find that you've may still have some 1040 questions after you've filed. Here are brief answers to three questions that we’re frequently asked at this time of year. 1040 Questions #1: What tax records can I throw away now? At a minimum, keep tax records related to your return for as long as the IRS can audit your return or assess additional taxes. In general, the statute of limitations is three years after you file your return. So you can generally get rid of most records related to tax returns for 2015 and earlier years. (If you filed an extension for your 2015 return, hold on to your records until...

Divorcing Business Owners

Taxation of divorcing business owners add complications to an already stressful time. Your marital property will include all or part of your business ownership interest . . . one of your biggest personal assets. Transferring property tax-free You and your ex-spouse can generally divide most assets, without any federal income or gift tax consequences.  When an asset falls under this tax-free transfer rule, the spouse who receives the asset takes over its existing tax basis (for tax gain or loss purposes).  The receiving spouse also takes over the asset's existing holding period (for short-term or long-term holding period purposes). Example Under the terms of your divorce agreement, you give your house to your spouse in exchange for keeping 100% of the stock in your business. That asset swap would...

401k Hackers

News of commercial database hackings may seem commonplace in 2019. But while many of these stories focus on hacked bank and credit card accounts, 401k plan sponsors and participants probably don’t realize that their plan assets also are at risk from 401k Hackers. Employers who offer 401k plans to their employees need to take precautions against identity theft. Part of this is educating participants. Role of sponsors If your organization sponsors a 401k plan, it’s essential that you assess plan service providers’ protection systems and policies. Most providers carry cyberfraud insurance that they extend to plan participants. But there may be limits to this protection if, for example, the provider determines that you (the sponsor) or employees (participants) opened the door to a security breach. Your plan’s documents may...

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has been brisk in recent years. Is your business is considering merging with or acquiring another business?  If so, it’s important to understand how the transaction will be taxed under current law. Stocks vs. assets From a tax standpoint, there are basically two ways to structure a transaction: 1. Stock (or ownership interest). A buyer can directly purchase a seller’s ownership interest if the target business is operated as a C or S corporation, a partnership, or a limited liability company (LLC) that’s treated as a partnership for tax purposes. The now-permanent 21% corporate federal income tax rate under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) makes buying the stock of a C corporation somewhat more attractive.  Why? The corporation will pay less tax...

It should come as no surprise that cash is the most popular target of fraud perpetrators. After all, once stolen, cash itself is virtually untraceable. But that doesn’t mean forensic accounting professionals can’t unearth cash fraud schemes — and the crooks behind them. 3 Categories of Cash Fraud According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, there are three main categories of cash fraud (which includes checks because they’re easily converted to cash): Theft of cash on hand, Theft of cash receipts, and Fraudulent disbursements. The last category comprises many of the most frequently executed schemes, such as overbilling and “ghost” vendor or employee schemes. For example, overbilling vendors usually submit inflated invoices by overstating the price per unit or the quantity delivered. A dishonest vendor also might...

If your estate plan includes a revocable trust — also known as a “living” trust — it’s critical to ensure that the trust is properly funded. Revocable trusts offer significant benefits, including asset management (in the event you become incapacitated) and probate avoidance. But these benefits aren’t available if you don’t fund the trust. Funding the trust Funding a living trust is a simple matter of transferring ownership of assets to the trust or, in some cases, designating the trust as beneficiary. Assets you should consider transferring include real estate, bank accounts, certificates of deposit, stocks and other investments, partnership and business interests, vehicles, and personal property (such as furniture and collectibles). Be aware that moving an IRA or qualified retirement plan to a revocable trust can trigger...

As posted to the Be Inspired YouTube Channel on 3/5/19 from original content appearing on the London Real YouTube Channel In this eye-opening interview clip, Robert Kiyosaki explains how you will never learn about money in school.  Rather, school was designed to teach you to be an employee or a self-employed person . . . both of which are trading-time-for-dollars endeavors.  "The moment I pay you, you think like an employee". With perspectives on money and investing that often contradict conventional wisdom, Robert has earned an international reputation for straight talk, irreverence, and courage and has become a passionate and outspoken advocate for financial education. Robert Kiyosaki is best known as the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad—the #1 personal finance book of all time—Robert Kiyosaki has challenged...

If you participate in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), you must generally begin taking required minimum withdrawals (RMDs) from the plan no later than April 1 of the year after which you turn age 70½. However, there’s an exception that applies to certain plan participants who are still working for the entire year in which they turn 70½. The basics of RMDs RMDs are the amounts you’re legally required to withdraw from your qualified retirement plans and traditional IRAs after reaching age 70½. Essentially, the tax law requires you to tap into your retirement assets — and begin paying taxes on them — whether you want to or not. Under the tax code, RMDs must begin to be taken from qualified pension, profit sharing and...