tax - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Selling a Home: Will You Owe Tax on the Profit?

Many homeowners across the country have seen their home values increase recently. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median price of homes sold in July of 2021 rose 17.8% over July of 2020. The median home price was $411,200 in the Northeast, $275,300 in the Midwest, $305,200 in the South and $508,300 in the West.

Be aware of the tax implications if you’re selling your home or you sold one in 2021. You may owe capital gains tax and net investment income tax (NIIT).

Gain exclusion

If you’re selling your principal residence, and meet certain requirements, you can exclude from tax up to $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers) of gain.

To qualify for the exclusion, you must meet these tests:

You must have owned the property for at least two years during the five-year period ending on the sale date.
You must have used the property as a principal residence for at least two years during the five-year period. (Periods of ownership and use don’t need to overlap.)

In addition, you can’t use the exclusion more than once every two years.

Gain above the exclusion amount

What if you have more than $250,000/$500,000 of profit? Any gain that […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2021-09-14T17:48:00+00:00September 14th, 2021|capital gains, tax|0 Comments

Still Have Questions After You File Your Tax Return?

Even after your 2020 tax return has been successfully filed with the IRS, you may still have some questions about the return. Here are brief answers to three questions that we’re frequently asked at this time of year.

Are you wondering when you will receive your refund?

The IRS has an online tool that can tell you the status of your refund. Go to irs.gov and click on “Get Your Refund Status.” You’ll need your Social Security number, filing status and the exact refund amount.

Which tax records can you throw away now?

At a minimum, keep tax records related to your return for as long as the IRS can audit your return or assess additional taxes. In general, the statute of limitations is three years after you file your return. So you can generally get rid of most records related to tax returns for 2017 and earlier years. (If you filed an extension for your […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2021-05-19T23:37:38+00:00May 19th, 2021|tax, tax time|0 Comments

2021 Individual Taxes: Answers To Your Questions About Limits

Many people are more concerned about their 2020 tax bills right now than they are about their 2021 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2020 individual tax return is due to be filed in less than three months (unless you file an extension).

However, it’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with tax amounts that may have changed for 2021. Below are some Q&As about tax amounts for this year.

Be aware that not all tax figures are adjusted annually for inflation and even if they are, they may be unchanged or change only slightly due to low inflation. In addition, some amounts only change with new legislation.

How much can I contribute to an IRA for 2021?

If you’re eligible, you can contribute $6,000 a year to a traditional or Roth IRA, up to 100% of your earned income. If you’re 50 or older, you can make another $1,000 “catch up” contribution. (These amounts were […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2021-02-10T22:54:28+00:00February 10th, 2021|individuals, New Tax Laws, social security, tax|0 Comments

New Things Taxpayers Should Consider As They Get Ready To File Taxes In 2021

When people get ready to file their federal tax return there are new things to consider when it comes to which credits to claim and what deductions to take. These things can affect the size of any refund the taxpayer may receive.

Here are some new key things people should consider when filing their 2020 tax return.

Recovery rebate credit
Taxpayers may be able to claim the recovery rebate credit if they met the eligibility requirements in 2020 and one of the following applies to them:
• They didn’t receive an Economic Impact Payment in 2020.
• They are single and their payment was less than $1,200.
• They are married, filed jointly for 2018 or 2019 and their payment was less than $2,400.
• They didn’t receive $500 for each qualifying child.

Refund interest payment
People who received a federal tax refund in 2020 may have been paid interest. The IRS sent interest payments to individual taxpayers who timely filed their 2019 federal income tax returns and received refunds. Most interest payments were received separately from tax refunds. Interest payments are taxable and must be reported on 2020 federal income tax returns. In January 2021, the […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-12-17T21:48:38+00:00December 17th, 2020|irs, tax, tax planning|0 Comments

Do You Want To Withdraw Cash From Your Closely Held Corporation At A Low Tax Cost?

Owners of closely held corporations are often interested in easily withdrawing money from their businesses at the lowest possible tax cost. The simplest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient, since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” And it’s not deductible by the corporation.

Other strategies

Fortunately, there are several alternative methods that may allow you to withdraw cash from a corporation while avoiding dividend treatment. Here are five strategies to consider:

Capital repayments. To the extent that you’ve capitalized the corporation with debt, including amounts that you’ve advanced to the business, the corporation can repay the debt without the repayment being treated as a dividend. Additionally, interest paid on the debt can be deducted by the corporation. This assumes that the debt has been properly documented with terms that characterize debt and that the corporation doesn’t have an excessively high debt-to-equity ratio. If not, the “debt” repayment may be taxed as a dividend. If you make future cash contributions to the corporation, consider structuring them as debt to facilitate later withdrawals on a tax-advantaged basis.
Compensation. Reasonable compensation that […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-11-10T16:51:20+00:00November 10th, 2020|business, small business, tax, tax implications, tax planning|0 Comments