taxes - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Thinking About Moving to Another State in Retirement? Don’t Forget About Taxes

When you retire, you may consider moving to another state — say, for the weather or to be closer to your loved ones. Don’t forget to factor state and local taxes into the equation. Establishing residency for state tax purposes may be more complicated than it initially appears to be.

Identify all applicable taxes

It may seem like a no-brainer to simply move to a state with no personal income tax. But, to make a good decision, you must consider all taxes that can potentially apply to a state resident. In addition to income taxes, these may include property taxes, sales taxes and estate taxes.

If the states you’re considering have an income tax, look at what types of income they tax. Some states, for example, don’t tax wages but do tax interest and dividends. And some states offer tax breaks for pension payments, retirement plan distributions and Social Security payments.

Watch out for state estate tax

The federal estate tax currently doesn’t apply to many people. For 2019, the federal estate tax exemption is $11.4 million ($22.8 million for a married couple). But some states levy estate tax with a much lower exemption and […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:55+00:00June 6th, 2019|property tax, retirement, sales tax, tax planning, taxes|0 Comments

Check on Your Refund — and Find Out Why the IRS Might Not Send It

It’s that time of year when many people who filed their tax returns in April are checking their mail or bank accounts to see if their refunds have landed. According to the IRS, most refunds are issued in less than 21 calendar days. However, it may take longer — and in rare cases, refunds might not come at all.

Your refund status

If you’re curious about when your refund will arrive, you can use the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool. Go to https://bit.ly/2cl5MZo and click “Check My Refund Status.” You’ll need your Social Security number, your filing status (single, married joint filer, etc.) and your exact refund amount.

In some cases, taxpayers who are expecting a refund may be notified that all or part of their refunds aren’t going to be paid. A number of situations can cause this to happen.

Refunds settle debts

The Treasury Offset Program can use all, or part, of a refund to settle certain debts, including:

Past-due federal tax debts,
State income tax obligations,
Past-due child and spousal support,
Federal agency debts such as a delinquent student loan, and
Certain unemployment compensation owed to a state.

If the federal government is going to “offset” a refund […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:03:58+00:00May 9th, 2019|irs, refunds, taxes|0 Comments

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to File Your 2018 Income Tax Return

The IRS opened the 2018 income tax return filing season on January 28. Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15 deadline, this year consider filing as soon as you can. Why? You can potentially protect yourself from tax identity theft — and reap other benefits, too.

What is tax identity theft?

In a tax identity theft scheme, a thief uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return early in the filing season and claim a bogus refund.

You discover the fraud when you file your return and are informed by the IRS that the return has been rejected because one with your Social Security number has already been filed for the same tax year. While you should ultimately be able to prove that your return is the legitimate one, tax identity theft can cause major headaches to straighten out and significantly delay your refund.

Filing early may be […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:04:18+00:00February 6th, 2019|fraud, New Tax Laws, taxes, w2|0 Comments

2012 Year-End Tax Planning Takes a Different Direction

Each year we meet with our clients to review their projected taxes for the year and see what actions can be taken to minimize their tax liability. The usual actions are to defer income to the following year, accelerate deductions into the current year, and take advantage of tax credits. This year, the year-end tax planning process is turning in a different direction.

With the looming expiration of many tax deductions and increase in tax rates that begin in 2013, some clients are considering taking a reverse course by accelerating income and deferring deductions as a plan to minimize taxes. In addition to changes in the income tax code, unless Congress passes new legislation, the estate taxes are dramatically changing in 2013. Until December 31, 2012 each person can make gifts during their lifetime of up to $5,120,000 without incurring a gift tax. Starting in 2013, unless new legislation is passed, the lifetime exemption drops back to $1,000,000. This exemption is in addition to the annual exemption on gifts of $13,000 or less.

As year-end is quickly approaching, now is the time to review […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2020-09-03T20:05:58+00:00October 4th, 2012|2012, CPA, credit, filing deadline, gift tax, liability, Linkenheimer, planning, Santa Rosa, taxes, year-end|0 Comments