With tax filing season out of the way, paying off those tax bills that weren’t paid by April 18th is the next major concern for people. While there are a few options for payment agreements if you can’t afford to write a check for the full amount immediately, there’s also the option of paying your tax bill with a credit card. It can be less confusing than navigating IRS payment plans, and if your credit card has a nice rewards program, then it’s something to think about.

Depending on how much you owe in taxes and what terms your credit card offers, it may or may not be worth putting your tax bill on your credit card. Here are some of the pros and cons of using a credit card to pay your taxes and why you would or wouldn’t want to pursue this option.

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If you are an employee (i.e., a W-2 wage earner) with substantial work-related business expenses, the Act was not kind to you. It suspended (and effectively repealed), for 2018 through 2025, all miscellaneous itemized deductions, which were previously only subject to a floor of 2% of adjusted gross income (AGI). Employee business expenses are included in that category of miscellaneous itemized deductions.  Read More

David Southwell

There are a number of viable alternative plans for equity stripping and for protecting your home and other assets. We recognize that everybody’s financial situation is unique and work with everybody individually to tailor a plan that best protects their properties.

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Who controls the funds held in a Section 529 qualified tuition account? These accounts can become quite large, as they are limited only by the projected cost of a college education, and those costs will vary between state plans. Some states base their maximums on the cost of an in-state, four-year education, but others use the cost of the most expensive schools in the U.S.—including graduate studies. Most have limits in excess of $200,000, and some can reach $475,000 or more. Thus, it is only natural that those who fund an account would be concerned about who controls the account’s distributions. Read More

David Southwell

Understanding the fundamental concepts through which a strategist approaches his or her work is vital to your selection of a strategist and to consideration of proposed strategies. We have developed these concepts through our many years of working with clients and planning professionals in different disciplines.

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David Southwell

A prospective client called a few weeks ago to discuss his tax situation. He sold his business in 2016 and was very unhappy with his income tax bill. He asked, “Can you lower my taxes? Did the return preparer calculate my taxes correctly?” After a brief review of his sales contract and the return prepared for him, the answer was clear. The return was prepared correctly. However, wise tax planning when he started his business about ten years ago, or even a few years back, would have saved him a very large sum of money when he sold his business.

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