Archive for the
‘Taxation’ Category
Recently started a new job or considering a career change? You may be wondering what this means for your retirement savings under your current employer’s plan. Or maybe it hasn’t crossed your mind. If that’s the case, then here is a sign that you should at least consider the alternatives before deciding to do nothing with [...]
Stimulus checks are still front page headlines. Did you know you may qualify for more through the Child Tax Credit Program? According to current law, a person must be a U.S. citizen with a social security number and not dependent on another taxpayer to receive a stimulus check. Individuals are also subject to the following [...]
While many people are familiar with the benefits of traditional 401(k) plans, others are not as acquainted with Roth 401(k)s.Since January 1, 2006, employers have been allowed to offer workers access to Roth 401(k) plans.1 And some have rolled out offerings as part of their retirement programs.As the name implies, Roth 401(k) plans combine features of [...]
Every year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases its list of tax scams, spotlighting the myriad ways that people try to separate you from your money. 12 Tax Scams to Watch For Identity Theft Using your personal information, an identity thief can file a fraudulent tax return and claim a refund. If you’ve been a [...]
You might wonder what you get in return for your tax dollars. The question isn’t so far-fetched; after all, the government collects those taxes—theoretically, at least—in order to give you back a comparable value in services like police protection, education, infrastructure and a social safety net. Are we getting what we pay for? A recent [...]
Chances are that you know that the Social Security trust fund is due to run out of money or “deplete its reserves” by the year 2035. Fixing social security depends on some forecasts, including economic growth, number of workers who remain in the workforce and the number who retire. The clear point is that Congress […]
Rich or Comfortable? What would you have to make to be a one-percenter—that is, to have an income in the upper one percent of the population—in the U.S., Singapore, China, Brazil, England or Australia? The answer, of course, differs in every country. At the bottom of the scale, someone earning $81,000 a year in […]
Tax Opportunities Before Year-End Every year, U.S. taxpayers face a number of year-end deadlines which, if ignored, can be costly and even punitive. In the latter category, consider people over age 70 1/2 who forget to take the full required minimum distribution from their IRA or 401(k). If they get the calculation wrong, or […]
Withholding Tempest in a Teapot Chances are, you’ve read an article recently telling you to be careful about the withholding in your paycheck, to make sure your employer (assuming you have one) is taking out enough money so that you won’t have a big tax obligation come April. This is the result of a big […]
No End Run By now, you probably know all about the so-called SALT (state and local tax) deduction limitations imposed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If your property, local and state taxes exceed $10,000 (couples) or $5,000 (singles), well, too bad. That’s all you can deduct on your federal tax returns. Some of […]