Investment interest expense is still deductible, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll benefit
Can the investment interest expense deduction save you tax on your 2018 return? It’s for interest on debt used to buy assets held for investment, and you must pass some hurdles to benefit. First, you must itemize, which may no longer benefit you because of the higher standard deduction. Second, interest incurred to produce tax-exempt income, such as from municipal bonds, isn’t deductible. Finally, the deduction is generally limited to your taxable interest income, nonqualifie
Depreciation-related breaks on business real estate: What you need to know when you file your 2018 r
Commercial buildings and improvements generally are depreciated over 39 years, which essentially means you can deduct a portion of the cost every year over the depreciation period. (Land isn’t depreciable.) But special tax breaks that allow deductions to be taken more quickly are available for certain real estate investments. Some of these were enhanced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and may provide a bigger benefit when you file your 2018 tax return. But there’s one bre
Restaurant owners, did your payroll company inform you of the new requirement for calculating Tipped
As of Jan. 1, 2019, Massachusetts employers with tipped employees are required to calculate tipped wages at the end of each shift. In the past, employers could calculate tipped wages at the end of each pay period. The new law was enacted with the intention to ensure employees receive at least minimum wage during slow shifts, instead of averaging the total of all shifts during a pay period. If you need help with compliance or would like more information on this new requirement
There’s still time to get substantiation for 2018 donations
To claim an itemized deduction for a donation of more than $250, generally you need a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity. “Contemporaneous” means the earlier of 1) the date you file your income tax return, or 2) the extended due date of your return. If you made a donation in 2018 but haven’t received substantiation and you’d like to deduct it, consider requesting a written acknowledgment from the charity and waiting to file your 2018 return until you rece
Many tax-related limits affecting businesses increase for 2019
A variety of tax-related limits affecting businesses are annually indexed for inflation, and many have gone up for 2019. Here’s a look at some that may affect you and your business. Deductions Section 179 expensing: Limit: $1.02 million (up from $1 million) Phaseout: $2.55 million (up from $2.5 million) Income-based phase-ins for certain limits on the Sec. 199A qualified business income deduction: Married filing jointly: $321,400-$421,400 (up from $315,000-$415,000) Married f
What will your marginal income tax rate be?
Under the TCJA, unmarried taxpayers could see their taxes go up due to their filing status. To further eliminate the marriage “penalty,” the TCJA changed some of the middle tax brackets, negatively affecting some unmarried filers. For example, single and head of household filers could be pushed into the 32% (33% in 2017) and 35% tax brackets much more quickly than pre-TCJA. It will be hard to tell exactly how specific taxpayers will be affected by TCJA changes until they file
Higher mileage rate may mean larger tax deductions for business miles in 2019
This year, the optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business increased by 3.5 cents, to the highest level since 2008. As a result, you might be able to claim a larger deduction for vehicle-related expense for 2019 than you can for 2018. Actual costs vs. mileage rate Businesses can generally deduct the actual expenses attributable to business use of vehicles. This includes gas, oil, tires, insurance, repairs, lice
2 major tax law changes for individuals in 2019
Most TCJA provisions went into effect in 2018 and apply through 2025 or are permanent, but two major changes affect individuals beginning in 2019: 1) While the TCJA reduced the medical expense deduction threshold from 10% of adjusted gross income to 7.5%, the reduction applies only to 2017 and 2018. So for 2019, the threshold returns to 10%. 2) For divorce agreements executed (or, in some cases, modified) after Dec. 31, 2018, alimony payments won’t be deductible by the payer
Is there still time to pay 2018 bonuses and deduct them on your 2018 return?
There aren’t too many things businesses can do after a year ends to reduce tax liability for that year. However, you might be able to pay employee bonuses for 2018 in 2019 and still deduct them on your 2018 tax return. In certain circumstances, businesses can deduct bonuses employees have earned during a tax year if the bonuses are paid within 2½ months after the end of that year (by March 15 for a calendar-year company). Basic requirements First, only accrual-basis taxpayers
A review of significant TCJA provisions impacting individual taxpayers
Now that 2019 has begun, there isn’t too much you can do to reduce your 2018 income taxes. But it’s smart to begin preparing for filing your 2018 return. Because the TCJA, signed into law at the end of 2017, likely will have a major impact on your 2018 taxes, it’s a good time to review the most significant provisions affecting individual taxpayers. For example, it generally reduces tax rates. And it nearly doubles the standard deduction and expands the child tax credit. But i
