You may be able to deduct up to $2,500 each year from your gross income if you’ve paid interest on a qualified education loan for qualified higher education expenses during the year. To be eligible for the deduction, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must fall below a threshold figure. For 2019, the deduction begins…
Gambling takes many forms: casino games, horse racing, sports book betting, lotto tickets, scratchers, bingo, etc. For virtually everyone, gambling is a recreational activity and, as such, is done for fun. For most gamblers, their losses for the year will exceed their winnings, and since losses in excess of winnings are not deductible, most gamblers…
While tax scams are especially prevalent during tax season, they can take place any time during the year. As a result, it’s in your best interest to always be vigilant so you don’t end up becoming the victim of a fraudulent tax scheme. Here are some of the more common scams to watch out for.…
Tax and Business Consultant Jessie Thomas, CPA shares some of the common triggers for audits and some insight as to how the IRS determines who to audit with Chief Investment Officer Troy Harmon, CFA, CVA, and Managing Associate K.C. Smith, CFP®, CEPA.
Individuals with large estates generally want to gift portions of their estate to beneficiaries while they are still living, to avoid or lessen the estate tax when they pass away. That can be done through annual gifts (up to the inflation-adjusted annual limit for each gift recipient each year—$15,000 for 2019) and/or by utilizing the…
Tax reform eliminated the deduction for casualty losses but did retain a deduction for losses within a disaster area. With the wild fires in the west, hurricanes and flooding in the southeast and eastern seaboard we have had a number of presidentially declared disaster areas this year. If you were an unlucky victim and suffered…
As it does annually around the end of the year, the IRS has announced the 2019 optional standard mileage rates. Thus, beginning on Jan. 1, 2019, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (or a van, pickup or panel truck) are: 58 cents per mile for business miles driven (including a 26-cent-per-mile…
The IRS recently announced that the tax credit for purchasing the popular Tesla is being phased out and that the credit will drop to $3,750 after December 31, 2018, and will drop again to $1,875 after June 30, 2019. Then, the credit will no longer be available for a Tesla after December 31, 2019. But…
The tax benefits associated with charitable giving could potentially enhance your ability to give and should be considered as part of your year-end tax planning. Tax Deduction for Charitable Gifts If you itemize deductions on your federal income tax return, you can generally deduct your gifts to qualified charities. This may also help you potentially…
There is no straightforward answer because some deductions are above the line, others must be itemized, some must exceed a threshold amount before being deductible, and certain ones are not deductible for alternative minimum tax purposes, while business deductions can offset both income and self-employment tax. In other words, there are many factors to consider,…
