July 24, 2018 — BY Joshua Bondy
Taxes are not generally at the forefront of people’s minds when entering a casino or a racetrack. However, gambling winnings or losses can carry significant tax implications. Any money you win gambling is considered taxable income by the IRS.
Gambling income has its own set of rules, and is subject to strict recordkeeping requirements.
Here are 4 key tips about gambling and taxes: (more…)
July 23, 2018
Recently, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law various tax bills that will have an immediate and significant impact on taxpayers in New Jersey. The new tax laws make sweeping changes to the state’s Corporation Business Tax (CBT) Act and results in possibly the most significant overhaul of the CBT since it was first enacted in 1945.
They new tax laws are intended to increase revenue, and to raise the highest rate for individual gross income tax purposes. Below is a summary of these changes. (more…)
May 15, 2018 — BY Michael Rabinowitsch
January 10, 2018
Although the drop of the corporate tax rate from a top rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21% may be one of the most talked about provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), C corporations aren’t the only type of entity significantly benefiting from the new law. Owners of noncorporate “pass-through” entities may see some major — albeit temporary — relief in the form of a new deduction for a portion of qualified business income (QBI).
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January 03, 2018
The recently passed tax reform bill, commonly referred to as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA), is the most expansive federal tax legislation since 1986. It includes a multitude of provisions that will have a major impact on businesses.
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January 02, 2018
On December 20, Congress completed passage of the largest federal tax reform law in more than 30 years. Commonly called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA), the new law means substantial changes for individual taxpayers.
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December 21, 2017
Charitable giving can be a powerful tax-saving strategy: Donations to qualified charities are generally fully deductible, and you have complete control over when and how much you give. Here are some important considerations to keep in mind this year to ensure you receive the tax benefits you desire.
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December 20, 2017
The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday afternoon to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by a vote of 227–203 and it passed in the Senate by a vote of 51-48. Due to technicalities, The House re-voted on the bill this morning, once again passing it, by a vote of 224-201, and it is now going to President Donald Trump for his signature. The president is expected to sign the bill, but the White House has not announced when he will sign. (more…)
December 17, 2017
One way to reduce your 2017 tax bill is to buy a business vehicle before year end. But don’t make a purchase without first looking at what your 2017 deduction would be and whether tax reform legislation could affect the tax benefit of a 2017 vs. 2018 purchase.
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December 14, 2017
The year is quickly drawing to a close, but there’s still time to take steps to reduce your 2017 tax liability — you just must act by December 31:
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December 13, 2017 — BY Yosef Z Klein
Tax laws for businesses are constantly changing, and they seem to get more complicated every year. Join Roth&Co expert Yosef Klein, CPA to learn the most important tax moves to make before the calendar flips—so you can keep more of your hard earned money and feel confident going into 2018.
November 22, 2017
On November 16th , the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, sending the bill to the full Senate for debate and a vote. The Senate is expected to take up the bill after it returns from its Thanksgiving recess. Once it is approved by the Senate, these two bills will need to be reconciled and approved by Congress before it is sent to President Trump to be signed. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bill, H.R. 1, by a vote of 227–205, on Thursday afternoon, November 16th with all Democrats and 13 Republicans voting no. The legislation as passed had not been amended since its approval by the House Ways and Means Committee last week.
The following extensive, but not exhaustive list compares the major differences between the House and Senate tax reform bills and current tax law.
What’s Next?
The House and Senate must then reconcile the two bills. After reconciliation, the House and the Senate must vote on the final bill and send it to the president before the end of the year. If it doesn’t add more than $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years, it can pass the Senate with a 51-vote majority. Otherwise, it would require a 60-vote majority to pass, which would be unlikely given the Democratic opposition to the plan.
We will keep you updated as the legislative process moves forward.
November 10, 2017
With Veterans Day on November 11, it’s an especially good time to think about the sacrifices veterans have made for us and how we can support them. One way businesses can support veterans is to hire them. The Work Opportunity tax credit (WOTC) can help businesses do just that, but it may not be available for hires made after this year. (more…)
November 09, 2017
On November 2nd, the Republicans in Congress released a proposed tax reform bill that is designed to cut taxes and simplify the tax code. The bill, titled the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” has yet to pass the House of Representatives and be reconciled with a tax reform bill that is expected to be introduced by Senate Republicans. Also, the final version must be signed by President Trump to become law. However, the bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and is considered to be a framework for the tax reform that is championed by the president.
October 16, 2017
Various limits apply to most tax deductions, and one type of limit is a “floor,” which means expenses are deductible only if they exceed that floor (typically a specific percentage of your income). One example is the medical expense deduction. (more…)
September 27, 2017
With kids back in school, it’s a good time for parents (and grandparents) to think about college funding. One option, which can be especially beneficial if the children in question still have many years until they’ll be starting their higher education, is a Section 529 plan.
September 13, 2017
If you acquire a company, your to-do list will be long, which means you can’t devote all of your time to the deal’s potential tax implications. However, if you neglect tax issues during the negotiation process, the negative consequences can be serious. To improve the odds of a successful acquisition, it’s important to devote resources to tax planning before your deal closes.
September 07, 2017
At back-to-school time, much of the focus is on the students returning to the classroom — and on their parents buying them school supplies, backpacks, clothes, etc., for the new school year. But let’s not forget about the teachers. It’s common for teachers to pay for some classroom supplies out of pocket, and the tax code provides a special break that makes it a little easier for these educators to deduct some of their expenses.
July 03, 2017
Summer is a popular time to move, whether it’s so the kids don’t have to change schools mid-school-year, to avoid having to move in bad weather or simply because it can be an easier time to sell a home. Unfortunately, moving can be expensive. The good news is that you might be eligible for a federal tax deduction for your moving costs.
Pass the tests
The first requirement is that the move be work-related. You don’t have to be an employee; the self-employed can also be eligible for the moving expense deduction.
The second is a distance test. The new main job location must be at least 50 miles farther from your former home than your former main job location was from that home. So a work-related move from city to suburb or from town to neighboring town probably won’t qualify, even if not moving would increase your commute significantly.
Finally, there’s a time test. You must work full time at the new job location for at least 39 weeks during the first year. If you’re self-employed, you must meet that test plus work full time for at least 78 weeks during the first 24 months at the new job location. (Certain limited exceptions apply.)
What’s deductible
So which expenses can be written off? Generally, you can deduct transportation and lodging expenses for yourself and household members while moving.
In addition, you can likely deduct the cost of packing and transporting your household goods and other personal property. And you may be able to deduct the expense of storing and insuring these items while in transit. Costs related to connecting or disconnecting utilities are usually deductible, too.
But don’t expect to write off everything. Meal costs during move-related travel aren’t deductible. Nor is any part of the purchase price of a new home or expenses incurred selling your old one. And, if your employer later reimburses you for any of the moving costs you’ve deducted, you may have to include the reimbursement as income on your tax return.
Questions about whether your moving expenses are deductible? Or what you can deduct? Contact us.
June 20, 2017
Mortgage interest rates are still at low levels, but they likely will increase as the Fed continues to raise rates. So if you’ve been thinking about helping your child — or grandchild — buy a home, consider acting soon. There also are some favorable tax factors that will help:
0% capital gains rate. If the child is in the 10% or 15% income tax bracket, instead of giving cash to help fund a down payment, consider giving long-term appreciated assets such as stock or mutual fund shares. The child can sell the assets without incurring any federal income taxes on the gain, and you can save the taxes you’d owe if you sold the assets yourself.
As long as the assets are worth $14,000 or less (when combined with any other 2017 gifts to the child), there will be no federal gift tax consequences — thanks to the annual gift tax exclusion. Married couples can give twice that amount tax-free if they split the gift. And if you don’t mind using up some of your lifetime exemption ($5.49 million for 2017), you can give even more. Plus, there’s the possibility that the gift and estate taxes could be repealed. If that were to happen, there’d be no limit on how much you could give tax-free (for federal purposes).
Low federal interest rates. Another tax-friendly option is lending funds to the child. Now is a good time for taking this step, too. Currently, Applicable Federal Rates — the rates that can be charged on intrafamily loans without causing unwanted tax consequences — are still quite low by historical standards. But these rates have begun to rise and are also expected to continue to increase this year. So lending money to a loved one for a home purchase sooner rather than later might be a good idea.
If you choose the loan option, it’s important to put a loan agreement in writing and actually collect payment (including interest) on the loan. Otherwise the IRS could deem the loan to actually be a taxable gift. Keep in mind that you’ll have to report the interest as income. But if the interest rate is low, the tax impact should be minimal.
If you have questions about these or other tax-efficient ways to help your child or grandchild buy a home, please contact us.
© 2017
