by Boris Benic | Mar 7, 2015 | Blog
March 10, 2015
Investment interest — interest on debt used to buy assets held for investment, such as margin debt used to buy securities — generally is deductible for both regular tax and alternative minimum tax purposes. But special rules apply that can make the deduction less beneficial than you might think.
Your investment interest deduction is limited to your net investment income, which, for the purposes of this deduction, generally includes taxable interest, nonqualified dividends and net short-term capital gains, reduced by other investment expenses. In other words, long-term capital gains and qualified dividends aren’t included. However, any disallowed interest is carried forward, and you can deduct it in a later year if you have excess net investment income.
You may elect to treat net long-term capital gains or qualified dividends as investment income in order to deduct more of your investment interest. But if you do, that portion of the long-term capital gain or dividend will be taxed at ordinary-income rates.
If you’re wondering whether you can claim the investment interest expense deduction on your 2014 return, please contact us. We can run the numbers to calculate your potential deduction — or to determine whether you could benefit from treating gains or dividends differently to maximize your deduction.
© 2015 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting
by Boris Benic | Dec 4, 2014 | Blog
December 4, 2014
Want to Save on Your 2014 Taxes? Work With Your CPA and FA.
Appreciating investments that don’t generate current income aren’t taxed until sold, deferring tax and perhaps allowing you to time the sale to your tax advantage. Review your year-to-date gains and losses now to see if selling any additional investments by Dec. 31 can reduce your 2014 tax liability.
For example, if you’ve cashed in some big gains during the year, look for unrealized losses in your portfolio and consider selling them to offset your gains. Or if you have net losses, consider selling some appreciated investments, because the losses can absorb the gain. If net losses exceed net gains, you can deduct only $3,000 ($1,500 for married filing separately) of the net losses against ordinary income, though you can carry forward excess losses indefinitely.
If you bought the same investment at different times and prices and want to sell high-tax-basis shares to reduce gain or increase a loss to offset other gains, be sure to specifically identify which block of shares is being sold.
For more ideas on how to reduce taxes on your investments, contact us. We can provide strategies that are right for your situation. But don’t wait — most strategies must be implemented by Dec. 31 to reduce your 2014 tax liability.
© 2014 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting
by Boris Benic | Nov 5, 2014 | Blog
The long-term capital gains rate is 0% for gain that would be taxed at 10% or 15% based on the taxpayer’s ordinary-income rate. If you have loved ones in the 0% bracket, you may be able to take advantage of it by transferring appreciated assets to them. The recipients can then sell the assets at no federal tax cost.
Before acting, make sure the recipients you’re considering won’t be subject to the “kiddie tax.” This tax applies to children under age 19 as well as to full-time students under age 24 (unless the students provide more than half of their own support from earned income).
For children subject to the kiddie tax, any unearned income beyond $2,000 (for 2014) is taxed at their parents’ marginal rate rather than their own, likely lower, rate. So transferring appreciated assets to them will provide only minimal tax benefits.
It’s also important to consider any gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax consequences. For more information on transfer taxes, the kiddie tax or capital gains planning, please contact us. We can help you find the strategies that will best achieve your goals.
© 2014 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting
by Boris Benic | Oct 26, 2014 | Blog
A fundamental tax planning strategy is to accelerate deductible expenses into the current year. This typically will defer — and in some cases permanently reduce — your taxes. But there are exceptions. One is if the additional deductions this year trigger the alternative minimum tax (AMT). This is a separate tax system that limits some deductions and doesn’t permit others. Here are some deductions that can be AMT triggers:
- State and local income tax deductions,
- Property tax deductions, and
- Miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% of adjusted gross income floor, such as investment expenses and unreimbursed employee business expenses.
But deductions aren’t the only things that can trigger the AMT. So can certain income-related items, such as:
Fortunately, with proper planning, you may be able to avoid the AMT, reduce its impact or even take advantage of its lower maximum rate. If you’re concerned about any of these triggers or would like to know what else might trigger the AMT, please contact us. We can help you determine the best strategies for your situation.
© 2014 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting
by Boris Benic | Aug 11, 2014 | Blog
A taxable sale of a business might be structured as an installment sale if the buyer lacks sufficient cash or pays a contingent amount based on the business’s performance. An installment sale also may make sense if the seller wishes to spread the gain over a number of years — which could be especially beneficial if it would allow the seller to stay under the thresholds for triggering the 3.8% net investment income tax or the 20% long-term capital gains rate. But an installment sale can backfire on the seller. For example:
- Depreciation recapture must be reported as gain in the year of sale, no matter how much cash the seller receives.
- If tax rates increase, the overall tax could wind up being more.
Please let us know if you’d like more information on installment sales — or other aspects of tax planning in mergers and acquisitions. Of course, tax consequences are only one of many important considerations.
© 2014 Thomson Reuters/Tax & Accounting
