ira - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Putting Your Child on Your Business’s Payroll for the Summer May Make More Tax Sense Than Ever

If you own a business and have a child in high school or college, hiring him or her for the summer can provide a multitude of benefits, including tax savings. And hiring your child may make more sense than ever due to changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

How it works

By shifting some of your business earnings to a child as wages for services performed, you can turn some of your high-taxed income into tax-free or low-taxed income. For your business to deduct the wages as a business expense, the work done must be legitimate and the child’s wages must be reasonable.

Here’s an example: A sole proprietor is in the 37% tax bracket. He hires his 20-year-old daughter, who’s majoring in marketing, to work as a marketing coordinator full-time during the summer. She earns $12,000 and doesn’t have any other earnings.

The father saves $4,440 (37% […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:40+00:00June 1st, 2018|act, business, child, ira, tax|0 Comments

Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2016

Available in one form or another since the mid-1970s, individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) are designed to enable employees and the self-employed to save for retirement. Contributions to traditional IRAs are often deductible, but distributions, usually after age 59½, are generally taxable. Though contributions to Roth IRAs are not deductible, qualified distributions, usually after age 59½, are tax-free. Those with traditional IRAs must begin receiving distributions by April 1 of the year following the year they turn 70½, but there is no similar requirement for Roth IRAs.

Most taxpayers with qualifying income are either eligible to set up a traditional or Roth IRA or add money to an existing account. To count for a 2016 tax return, contributions must be made by April 18, 2017. In addition, low- and moderate-income taxpayers making these contributions may also qualify for the saver’s credit when they complete their 2016 tax returns.

Generally, eligible taxpayers can contribute up to $5,500 to an IRA. For someone who was at least age 50 at the end of 2016, the limit is increased to $6,500. There’s no age limit for those contributing to a Roth IRA, but anyone who was at […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:57+00:00March 20th, 2017|ira, irs|0 Comments

Deadline for Receiving First 2016 IRA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Is April 1

Individuals who turned 70 1/2 in 2016, but opted to wait until 2017 to begin taking their RMD for 2016 must receive their 2016 RMD by 4/1/17, even though that date falls on a Saturday. IRS Pub. 590-B, Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), does not offer an alternative date, such as the following Monday, 4/3/17, to receive the distribution, so please keep that in mind. If you have any questions, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:58+00:00March 3rd, 2017|ira, irs|0 Comments

April 1 Required Minimum Distributions Deadline Approaching

Individuals who attained age 70 1/2 in 2015 must begin taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from their traditional IRAs by 4/1/16. Qualified retirement plan participants (e.g., 401(k) participants) also must begin taking RMDs if they reached age 70 1/2 or retired in 2015, whichever came later (except for 5% owners, who are subject to the IRA rules). Note that a qualified plan may require all employees (including non-5% owners) to take RMDs by April 1 of the year following the year the employee attains age 70 1/2. If you have any questions about the deadlines or RMDs, please contact your Linkenheimer CPA.

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:14+00:00March 29th, 2016|ira, retirement|0 Comments

Charitable contributions from IRAs

Eligible taxpayers have until Wednesday, 12/31/14, to make Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from their IRAs. QCDs of up to $100,000 per year from IRAs are available to taxpayers who are age 70.5 or older. QCDs are not taxable, and they can be can’t be deducted as a charitable contribution. However, they can be counted as 2014 Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) if made by the 12/31/14 deadline. Although this break was set to expire on 12/31/13, it was extended through 2014 by the recently enacted TIPA (Tax Increase Prevention Act).

Written by Mike Musson, CPA, Partner

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:36+00:00December 30th, 2014|charity, ira|0 Comments