Future retirees have long grappled with whether to opt for a traditional or Roth IRA. Those who have a traditional IRA and have seen a decline in the value of their investments may want to consider a conversion to a Roth. This article reviews how these accounts work and the strategy in question.
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.
About a year ago, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was launched in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Business owners who took out such a loan are likely curious about the tax consequences, particularly for forgiven loans. This article provides pertinent information. A sidebar announces the launch of “second-draw” PPP loans.
The federal child tax credit is available to help many taxpayers with children under the age of 17, and there’s a dependent credit for those who are eligible with older children. This article explores the details. A sidebar explains that a qualifying child must have an SSN for parents to claim the tax credit.
The Act provides that if a taxpayer’s earned income for 2020 is less than the earned income for 2019, the taxpayer may elect to use their 2019 earned income to compute the 2020 federal earned income tax credit (see sec. 211 of Division EE of Public Law 116-260). Taxpayers must use their 2020 income to compute the Wisconsin earned income tax credit. Therefore, if a taxpayer elects to use their 2019 earned income to compute their 2020 federal earned income tax credit, they must recompute the federal earned income tax credit using their 2020 earned income amount for Wisconsin purposes.
Now’s a good time for taxpayers to familiarize themselves with pertinent tax-related amounts that may or may not be changing in 2021 because of inflation. This article poses six key questions about such amounts, including those related to retirement planning and the itemized deduction.
Late in the day on December 20, 2020, leaders in Congress announced that they had reached an agreement on a new round of relief for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic stimulus. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 finally took shape after several days of negotiations between the Democrats and GOP on Capitol Hill.
For many, December 31 means a New Year’s celebration. From a tax perspective, however, it should mean thinking about which filing status you will use for that year’s tax return. This article reviews the five statuses. A sidebar looks at whether a married person can file as a “head of household.”
Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts are tax-free accounts that can be used for expenses of disabled individuals. They can be created by a disabled person or his or her family members or guardians. This article explains eligibility factors and other pertinent details. A sidebar notes an ABLE account’s impact on Supplemental Security Income.
Nonqualified deferred compensation plans allow participants to set aside large amounts of tax-deferred compensation, but also pose substantial risks. This article distinguishes NQCD plans from qualified defined contribution plans and discusses the pros and cons.
