Tag Archive for Peter Flournoy

Tax Reform Cracks Down On IRA Recharacterizations

If you have been or are anticipating converting your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, you should be aware of a tax trap that Congress built into the Act.

Background: There are two types of IRA accounts:

  • Traditional IRA – Is a retirement plan that generally provides a taxpayer with a tax deduction when a contribution is made to the account. Then when distributions are taken from the account they are fully taxable, including earnings.
  • Roth IRA – Is also a retirement plan, but unlike the traditional IRA, a Roth IRA does not provide a tax deduction for the contribution. Thus, once a taxpayer reaches retirement age, all of the distributions are totally tax-free.

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Written by | Posted in IRA

New Tax Law Cracks Down On Home Mortgage Interest

For years, taxpayers have been able to deduct home mortgage interest on their primary and second homes as an itemized deduction, subject to certain limitations. The interest deduction was limited to the interest on up to $1 million of acquisition debt and $100,000 of equity debt.

Acquisition debt is debt incurred to purchase, construct or substantially improve a taxpayer’s principal or second home. So when you purchased your home, that original loan was acquisition debt, and if you later borrowed additional money that you used to add a room, pool, etc., that loan was also acquisition debt. However, if the total of all of your acquisition loans exceeded the $1 million limit, then the interest on the excess debt over $1 million was not deductible as acquisition debt interest.  Read More

Written by | Posted in Mortgages

Tax Time Has Arrived! Are You Ready?

If you’re like most taxpayers, you find yourself with an ominous stack of “homework” around TAX TIME! Pulling together the records for your tax appointment is never easy, but the effort usually pays off in the extra tax you save! When you arrive at your appointment fully prepared, you’ll have more time to:

  • Consider every possible legal deduction;
  • Evaluate which income reporting and deductions are best suited to your situation;
  • Explore current law changes that affect your tax status;
  • Talk about tax-planning alternatives that could reduce your future tax liability.

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Written by | Posted in 2018 Deadlines

Don’t Fall For New Tax Scam Tricks By IRS Posers

Peter Flournoy, Tax Advisor, Tax Blog, TaxConnections

Though the tax season is over, tax scammers work year-round. The IRS advises you to stay alert to protect yourself against new ways criminals pose as the IRS to trick you out of your money or personal information. These scams first tried to sting older Americans, newly arrived immigrants and those who speak English as a second language. The crooks have expanded their net, and now try to swindle virtually anyone. Here are several tips from the IRS to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:

• Scams use scare tactics.  These aggressive and sophisticated scams try to scare people into making a false tax payment that ends up with the criminal. Many phone scams use threats to try to intimidate you so you will pay them your money. They often threaten arrest or deportation, or that they will revoke your license if you don’t pay. They may also Read More

Written by | Posted in IRS • Tax Fraud/Evasion/Crimes

Review Your Taxes This Summer To Prevent A Surprise Next Spring

Income Tax, Tax Planning, IRS, Peter Flournoy, Tax Advisor, Tax Blog, Norwalk, CT, TaxConnections

Each year, many people get a larger refund than they expected. Some find they owe a lot more tax than they thought they would. If this happened to you, review your situation to prevent another tax surprise. Did you marry? Have a child? Have a change in income? Some life events can have a major effect on your taxes. You can bring the tax you pay closer to the amount you owe. Here are some key IRS tips to help you come up with a plan of action:

• New Job.   When you start a new job, you must fill out a Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate and give it to your employer. Your employer will use the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to withhold from your pay. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov to help you fill out the form. This tool is easy to use and Read More

Written by | Posted in Income Tax • IRS • Tax Planning

Still Time To Act To Avoid Surprises At Tax-Time

Even though only a few months remain in 2014, you still have time to act so you aren’t surprised at tax-time next year. You should take steps now to avoid owing more taxes or getting a larger refund than you expect. Here are some actions you can take to bring the taxes you pay in advance closer to what you’ll owe when you file your tax return:

• Adjust your withholding. If you’re an employee and you think that your tax withholding will fall short of your total 2014 tax liability, you may be able to avoid an unexpected tax bill by increasing your withholding. If you are having too much tax withheld, you may get a larger refund than you expect. In either case, you can complete a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate and give it to your employer. Enter the added amount you want withheld from each paycheck until the end of the year on Line 6 of the W-4 form. Read More

Written by | Posted in Individual • Tax Deductions • Tax Tips