Tax Strategizing Now May Be Wise as New Tax Proposals Loom

• Learn how to maximize education tax credits.
• Find out more about employer Health Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Learn how to maximize Health Savings Account contributions.
• Find out why you may want to convert your traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs.
• Don’t forget to take your 2021 minimum required distributions.
• Learn how to bunch deductions and why.
• Find out how to take advantage of the zero capital gains rate.
• Discover why you may want to defer deductions.
• Find out how increasing IRA distributions could help you.
• Should you defer capital gains by investing in an opportunity zone fund?
• Find out how selling loser stocks could benefit you.
• Learn about underpayment penalties and how to avoid them.
• Discover why you might want to prepay state and local taxes.
• Don’t waste the 2021 annual gift tax exemption!
• Learn how to make not needing to file work in your favor.
• Find out how to utilize IRA-to-charity transfers.
• Discover how to maximize tax-deductible medical expenses.
• How can making business purchases help you?
• Find out how a divorce or separation during the year can affect your taxes.
• Learn how disaster loss planning can benefit you.
• Discover increased charitable giving opportunities.
• Find out why you should take advantage of energy credits.

Tax Planning Strategies for This Fall

Taxes are like vehicles in that they sometimes need a periodic check-up to make sure they are performing as expected. If ignored, they can cost you money. That is especially true for 2021, as the pandemic benefits begin to wane and President Biden’s tax proposals loom.

The following is a list of Fiducial’s potential tax strategies that you might benefit from. Every taxpayer’s situation is unique, and not all the tax strategies suggested here will apply to you. However, opportunities for tax planning exist for all income levels and a variety of tax circumstances. Some of these strategies may apply to your situation. But waiting too late in the year may not give you the time needed to take advantage of them.

Maximize Education Tax Credits

If you qualify for either the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) or Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC), check to see how much you have already paid for qualified tuition and related expenses during the year. Have you reached the maximum allowed for computing the credits? Then you can prepay 2022 tuition (for an academic period beginning in the first three months of 2022) and use the expense for the 2021 credit.

Employer Health Flexible Spending Accounts

If you contributed too little to cover expenses this year, you could increase the amount you set aside for next year. As a reminder, amounts paid after 2019 for over-the-counter medicine (whether or not prescribed) and menstrual care products are considered medical care and are considered a covered expense. The maximum contribution for 2021 is $2,750.

Maximize Health Savings Account Contributions

Did you become eligible to make health savings account (HSA) contributions late this year? Then you can make a full year’s worth of deductible HSA contributions, even if you were not eligible to make HSA contributions for the entire year. This opportunity applies even if you first become eligible in December. In brief, if you qualify for an HSA, contributions to the account are deductible, or nontaxable if made by your employer (within IRS-prescribed limits); earnings on the account are tax-deferred, and distributions are tax-free if made for qualifying medical expenses.

Amounts paid after 2019 for over-the-counter medicine (whether or not prescribed) and menstrual care products are considered medical care and are considered a covered expense. However, only medical expenses you incur after you establish an HSA are eligible for tax-free distribution. It is possible for an HSA to become a supplemental retirement plan if you leave the funds to accumulate.

Convert Traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs

Was your income unusually low this year or even negative? Then you may wish to consider converting your traditional IRA to the more favorable Roth IRA. This provides tax-free accumulation and distributions are tax-free at retirement. The lower-income results in a lower tax rate. This provides you an opportunity to convert to a Roth IRA at a lower tax amount.

Don’t Forget Your 2021 Minimum Required Distributions

If you are age 72 or older, you must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRA, 401(k) plan, and other employer-sponsored retirement plans. However, if you are still working, distributions from your current employer’s plan can be postponed in some circumstances. Failure to take a required withdrawal can result in a 50% penalty of the amount of the RMD not withdrawn.

If you turned age 72 in 2021, you could delay the first required distribution to the first quarter of 2022. However, if you do, you will have to take a double distribution in 2022, the one for 2021 and the 2022 RMD. One needs to carefully consider the tax impact of a double distribution in 2022 versus a distribution in both this year and next year.

Bunching Tax Deductions

If your tax deductions normally fall short of needing to itemize and the standard deduction allowable to you is greater, or even if you can itemize but only marginally, you may benefit from adopting the “bunching” strategy. To be more proactive, you can time the payments of tax-deductible items to maximize your itemized deductions in one year. Then, you can take the standard deduction in the next year.

Take Advantage of the Zero Capital Gains Rate

Did you know about the zero long-term capital gains rate for those taxpayers whose taxable income falls below the 15% capital gains tax threshold? This may allow you to sell some appreciated securities you have owned for more than a year. And you will pay no or very little tax on the gain.

Defer Tax Deductions

When you itemize your deductions, you may claim only the deductions you paid during the tax year. (This means the calendar year for most folks). Is your projected taxable income going to be negative and are you planning on itemizing your deductions? Then you might consider putting off some of those year-end deductible payments until after the first of the year. This way, you will preserve the deductions for next year. Such payments might include house of worship tithing, year-end charitable giving, tax payments (but not those incurring late payment penalties), estimated state income tax payments, medical expenses, etc.

Increase IRA Distributions

Depending upon your projected taxable income, you might consider taking an IRA distribution to add income for the year. For instance, if the projected taxable income is negative, you can take a withdrawal of up to the negative amount. You may do this without incurring any income tax. Even if projected taxable income is not negative and your normal taxable income would put you in the 24% or higher bracket, you might want to take out just enough to be taxed at the 10% or even the 12% tax rates.

Of course, those are retirement dollars; consider moving them into a regular financial account set aside for your retirement. Also, be aware that distributions before age 59½ are subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

Defer Capital Gains by Investing in an Opportunity Zone Fund

A unique tax benefit is the ability to defer any capital gain into a qualified opportunity fund (QOF). QOFs are funds that invest in areas in need of development. If you have a capital gain from selling property to an unrelated party, you may elect to defer that gain. You may do this by investing it into a QOF within 180 days of the sale or exchange. The gain won’t be recognized (i.e., you won’t be taxed on the gain) until your return for the earlier of the year of sale of the QOF or 2026. You can get up to 10% of the deferred gain forgiven entirely by holding the investment for the required time period. Additionally, you will pay no tax on any additional gain if you hold the investment for 10 years.

Sell Loser Stocks

Although the stock market has been performing well recently you still may have stocks that have declined in value. If you sell them before the end of the year you can use any losses to offset other gains for the year. The sale may also produce a deductible loss. The net capital loss deductible on a tax return is limited to $3,000 ($1,500 if filing married separately) for the year. However, any excess loss carries over to future years. You can repurchase stock in the same company for which you sold shares at a loss after 30 days and avoid the wash sale rules.

Take Steps to Avoid Underpayment Tax Penalties

If you will owe taxes for 2021, you can take steps before year-end to avoid or minimize the underpayment penalty. The penalty applies quarterly, so making a fourth-quarter estimated payment only reduces the fourth-quarter penalty. However, withholding is treated as paid ratably throughout the year. So, increasing withholding at the end of the year can reduce the penalties for the earlier quarters.

You can accomplish this with cooperative employers or by taking a non-qualified distribution from a pension plan, which will be subject to a 20% withholding, and then returning the gross amount of the distribution to the plan within the 60-day statutory rollover limit. Please consult your Fiducial representative to determine if you will be subject to underpayment penalties (exceptions exist). You should also know the best strategy to avoid or minimize those penalties.

Prepay State and Local Taxes

You probably know that if you are not subject to the alternative minimum tax and you itemize your deductions, you are eligible to deduct both your property taxes and your state income tax. But did you know you can increase the amount that you deduct on your 2021 return by prepaying some taxes? You can ask your employer to boost your state withholding by a reasonable amount. Self-employed? Pay your 4th-quarter state estimate due in January in December and increase your deduction. The same is true for your real estate taxes. Pay your first 2022 installment in 2021, then you can take it as part of your 2021 deduction.

But be careful, the state and local tax deduction for any year is limited to a maximum of $10,000. Therefore, any amount more than $10,000 would be wasted as a tax deduction.

Don’t Waste the 2021 Annual Gift Tax Exemption

Part of President Biden’s tax plan is to reduce the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption. Whether for that reason or you simply want to limit your estate’s exposure to inheritance taxes, you can give $15,000 each to an unlimited number of individuals in 2021. However, you can't carry over unused exclusions from one year to the next. Taxpayers and their spouses can use their gift tax exemptions together to give up to $30,000 per beneficiary.

For example, if you are married, have four children and four grandchildren, you can remove $240,000 from your estate tax-free this year. The transfers also may save family income taxes when you gift income-earning property to family members in the lower income tax brackets and not subject to the kiddie tax.

Not Needing to File May Be an Opportunity

Is your income and tax situation such that you do not need to file for 2021? Don’t overlook the opportunity to bring in some additional income, to the extent it will be tax-free. For instance, if you have appreciated stock that you can sell without incurring any tax, consider selling it. You may also take a tax-free IRA distribution if you are 59½ or older or if you are younger and qualify for an exception to the “early withdrawal” penalty.

Utilize IRA-to-Charity Transfers

If you are age 70½ or over, you can request that your IRA trustee directly transfer funds from your IRA to a charity. Although not deductible as an itemized charitable deduction, the distribution is not taxable. If you are age 72 or over when the IRA to charity direct transfer is made, the distribution can count towards your required minimum distribution for the year.

This also reduces your AGI, which in some circumstances can reduce the amount of taxable Social Security income. No minimum charitable distribution exists, but the maximum amount per individual is limited to $100,000 per year. Complications exist if you are age 72 or older, have earned income and make a contribution to the IRA. Check with your Fiducial representative for the details.

Maximize Tax-Deductible Medical Expenses

For example, if you have outstanding medical or dental bills, paying the balance before year-end may benefit you, but only if you already meet the 7.5% of the AGI floor for deducting medical expenses, or if adding the payments would put you over the 7.5% threshold and you are itemizing your deductions. You can even use a credit card to pay the expenses. However, you would only want to do so if the interest expenses you’d incur if you don’t pay off the card right away would equal less than the tax savings.

Make Business Purchases

You can reduce taxable income if you make last-minute business purchases. Such purchases may include: office equipment, tools, machinery, and vehicles. Then you can write them off using the 100% bonus depreciation or Sec. 179 expensing, provided you place the item(s) into business service by the end of the year. However, you must consider the impact that expensing the items will have on your taxable income and the Sec. 199A 20% pass-through deduction. You need to contact your Fiducial representative in advance of any last-minute business acquisition.

Divorced or Separated During the Year

A divorce or separation can have a significant impact on a couple’s tax filings. Filing joint or separate returns, who claims the children, the tax rules related to whether to take the standard deduction or itemize, how income and tax prepayments are allocated, and more are issues to be considered. Best to figure that all out in advance.

Disaster Loss Planning

2021 has had some significant declared disasters including Hurricane Ida and the wildfires in the West. You may claim any losses incurred because of a federally declared disaster on the current year’s tax return or, at the election of the taxpayer, on the prior year’s return (2020 for 2021 disasters), generally providing quicker access to a tax refund.

However, care must be exercised to ensure a disaster loss is claimed on the return of the year that will provide the greatest benefit. In addition, after insurance reimbursement is accounted for, the result may not be as expected and should be determined before making the decision of which year to claim a loss.

Increased Charitable Giving Opportunities

2021 is the final year that the normal 60% of AGI limit on cash contributions has been increased to 100%, giving those with the means and the desire to increase their normal charitable contributions and deduct them as an itemized deduction. The normal 5-year carryover applies to any excess over 100% of AGI.

Those who don’t itemize (currently about 90% of income tax return filers), are allowed to claim a deduction of up to $300 ($600 on a joint return) for cash charitable contributions made in 2021. Normally, only itemizers can deduct their charitable contributions.

Take Advantage of Energy Credits

Two of the major green credits are the solar tax credit and the electric vehicle credit. The solar credit for 2021 is 26% of the cost of the installed solar system but the system must be complete and functional before year’s end to claim the credit in 2021. The credit is not refundable, and any excess has a limited carryover. The credit for electric vehicles must be determined from the IRS website since credit begins to phase out once 200,000 of the vehicle type by manufacturer has been sold.

If you have obtained your medical insurance through a government marketplace, employing some of the strategies mentioned could impact the amount of your allowable premium tax credit.

Residents of states that have an income tax will also need to consider the impact of some of these strategies on their state return.

Would you like to discuss how these strategies and others not included in this article might provide you tax benefits based upon your tax circumstances? Would you like to schedule a tax planning appointment? Call Fiducial at 1-866-FIDUCIAL or make an appointment at one of our office locations to discuss your situation.

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