YEAR – END PLANNING FOR 2018 TAKES PLACE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A NEW TAX LAW — THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT (TCJA)— THAT MAKES MAJOR CHANGES IN THE TAX RULES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES. FOR INDIVIDUALS, THERE ARE NEW, LOWER INCOME TAX RATES, A SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED STANDARD DEDUCTION, SEVERELY LIMITED ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS AND NO PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS, AN INCREASED CHILD TAX CREDIT, AND A WATERED-DOWN ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX (AMT), AMONG MANY OTHER CHANGES. FOR BUSINESSES, THE CORPORATE TAX RATE IS CUT TO 21%, THERE ARE NEW LIMITS ON BUSINESS INTEREST DEDUCTIONS, AND SIGNIFICANTLY LIBERALIZED EXPENSING AND DEPRECIATION RULES. AND THERE'S A NEW DEDUCTION FOR NON-CORPORATE TAXPAYERS WITH QUALIFIED BUSINESS INCOME FROM PASS-THROUGH ENTITIES.
POSTPONE INCOME UNTIL 2019 AND ACCELERATE DEDUCTIONS INTO 2018 IF DOING SO WILL ENABLE YOU TO CLAIM LARGER DEDUCTIONS, CREDITS, AND OTHER TAX BREAKS FOR 2018 THAT ARE PHASED OUT OVER VARYING LEVELS OF ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME (AGI).
BEGINNING IN 2018, MANY TAXPAYERS WHO CLAIMED ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS YEAR AFTER YEAR WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO SO. THAT'S BECAUSE THE BASIC STANDARD DEDUCTION NOW INCLUDES YOUR EXEMPTIONS AND HAS BEEN INCREASED (TO $24,000 FOR JOINT FILERS, $12,000 FOR SINGLES, $18,000 FOR HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD, AND $12,000 FOR MARRIEDS FILING SEPARATELY), AND MANY ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS HAVE BEEN CUT BACK OR ABOLISHED. NO MORE THAN $10,000 OF STATE AND LOCAL TAXES MAY BE DEDUCTED; MISCELLANEOUS ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS INCLUDING UNREIMBURSED EMPLOYEE BUSINESS EXPENSES, UNION DUES AND MANAGEMENT FEES ARE NO LONGER DEDUCTIBLE; AND PERSONAL CASUALTY AND THEFT LOSSES ARE DEDUCTIBLE ONLY IF THEY'RE ATTRIBUTABLE TO A FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTER YOU CAN STILL ITEMIZE MEDICAL EXPENSES TO THE EXTENT THEY EXCEED 7.5% OF YOUR ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME, CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS, PLUS INTEREST DEDUCTIONS ON A RESTRICTED AMOUNT OF QUALIFYING RESIDENCE DEBT, BUT PAYMENTS OF THOSE ITEMS WON'T SAVE TAXES IF THEY DON'T CUMULATIVELY EXCEED THE NEW, HIGHER STANDARD DEDUCTION. REVIEW 2018 EXPENDITURES TO DETERMINE IF YOU SHOULD ACCELERATE OF DEFER ALLOWABLE ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS.
IF YOU ARE AGE 70-½ OR OLDER BY THE END OF 2018, HAVE TRADITIONAL IRAS, AND PARTICULARLY IF YOU CAN'T ITEMIZE YOUR DEDUCTIONS, CONSIDER MAKING 2018 CHARITABLE DONATIONS VIA QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM YOUR IRAS. SUCH DISTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO CHARITIES FROM YOUR IRAS, AND THE AMOUNT OF THE CONTRIBUTION IS NEITHER INCLUDED IN YOUR GROSS INCOME NOR DEDUCTIBLE ON SCHEDULE A, FORM 1040. BUT THE AMOUNT OF THE QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF YOUR REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION, RESULTING IN TAX SAVINGS.
FOR TAX YEARS BEGINNING AFTER 2017, TAXPAYERS OTHER THAN CORPORATIONS MAY BE ENTITLED TO A DEDUCTION OF UP TO 20% OF THEIR QUALIFIED BUSINESS INCOME FROM AN LLC, SUBCHAPTER S CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP OR SELF - EMPLOYMENT. FOR 2018, IF TAXABLE INCOME EXCEEDS $315,000 FOR A MARRIED COUPLE FILING JOINTLY, OR $157,500 FOR ALL OTHER TAXPAYERS, THE DEDUCTION MAY BE LIMITED BASED ON WHETHER THE TAXPAYER IS ENGAGED IN A SERVICE-TYPE TRADE OR BUSINESS (SUCH AS LAW, ACCOUNTING, HEALTH, OR CONSULTING), THE LIMITATIONS ARE PHASED IN FOR JOINT FILERS WITH TAXABLE INCOME BETWEEN $315,000 AND $415,000 AND FOR ALL OTHER TAXPAYERS WITH TAXABLE INCOME BETWEEN $157,500 AND $207,500.TAXPAYERS MAY BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS BY DEFERRING INCOME OR ACCELERATING DEDUCTIONS SO AS TO COME UNDER THE DOLLAR THRESHOLDS (OR BE SUBJECT TO A SMALLER PHASE - OUT OF THE DEDUCTION) FOR 2018. DEPENDING ON THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, TAXPAYERS ALSO MAY BE ABLE INCREASE THE NEW DEDUCTION BY ADJUSTING W-2 WAGES BEFORE YEAR-END. THE RULES ARE QUITE COMPLEX, SO DON'T MAKE A MOVE IN THIS AREA WITHOUT CONSULTING OUR OFFICE.
BUSINESSES ALSO CAN CLAIM A 100% BONUS FIRST YEAR DEPRECIATION DEDUCTION FOR MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT—BOUGHT USED (WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS) OR NEW—IF PURCHASED AND PLACED IN SERVICE THIS YEAR. THE 100% WRITE - OFF IS PERMITTED WITHOUT ANY PRORATION BASED ON THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT AN ASSET IS IN SERVICE DURING THE TAX YEAR. AS A RESULT, THE 100% BONUS FIRST-YEAR WRITE - OFF IS AVAILABLE EVEN IF QUALIFYING ASSETS ARE IN SERVICE FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS IN 2018.
Under the current rules, an individual who pays alimony or separate maintenance may deduct an amount equal to the alimony or separate maintenance payments paid during the year as an “above-the-line” deduction. (An “above-the-line” deduction, i.e., a deduction that a taxpayer need not itemize deductions to claim, is generally more valuable for the taxpayer than an itemized deduction.) And, under current rules, alimony and separate maintenance payments are taxable to the recipient spouse).
HOWEVER, NEW RULES ARE COMING SOON. UNDER THE TCJA RULES, THERE IS NO DEDUCTION FOR ALIMONY FOR THE PAYER. FURTHERMORE, ALIMONY IS NOT GROSS INCOME TO THE RECIPIENT. SO FOR DIVORCES AND LEGAL SEPARATIONS THAT ARE EXECUTED (I.E., THAT COME INTO LEGAL EXISTENCE DUE TO A COURT ORDER) AFTER 2018, THE ALIMONY-PAYING SPOUSE WON'T BE ABLE TO DEDUCT THE PAYMENTS, AND THE ALIMONY-RECEIVING SPOUSE WON'T INCLUDE THEM IN GROSS INCOME OR PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAX ON THEM.
THESE NEW RULES DON'T APPLY TO EXISTING DIVORCES AND SEPARATIONS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE CURRENT RULES CONTINUE TO APPLY TO ALREADY-EXISTING DIVORCES AND SEPARATIONS, AS WELL AS TO DIVORCES AND SEPARATIONS THAT ARE EXECUTED BEFORE 2019.
SOME TAXPAYERS MAY WANT THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT RULES TO APPLY TO THEIR EXISTING DIVORCE OR SEPARATION. UNDER A SPECIAL PROVISION, IF TAXPAYERS HAVE AN EXISTING (PRE-2019) DIVORCE OR SEPARATION DECREE, AND THEY HAVE THAT AGREEMENT LEGALLY MODIFIED AFTER DEC. 31, 2018, THE NEW RULES APPLY TO THAT MODIFIED DECREE IF THE MODIFICATION EXPRESSLY SO PROVIDES. THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS WHERE APPLYING THESE NEW RULES VOLUNTARILY IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE TAXPAYERS, SUCH AS A CHANGE IN THE INCOME LEVELS OF THE ALIMONY PAYER OR THE ALIMONY RECIPIENT.
If you require further explanations please contact the office.