Ramsay and Associates News and Updates

SALT Deduction Limit Means More Taxpayers Will Benefit from Itemizing This Year

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:33:33 GMT

Claiming the Standard Deduction vs. Itemizing

An important decision to make when filing your individual income tax return is whether to claim the standard deduction or itemize deductions. A change under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will make it beneficial for more taxpayers to itemize deductions on their 2025 returns. Specifically, if you paid more than $10,000 in state and local taxes (SALT) last year, you might save tax by itemizing on your 2025 return even if claiming the standard deduction has saved you more tax in recent years.

Taxpayers can choose to itemize certain deductions on Schedule A or instead take the standard deduction based on their filing status. Itemizing deductions saves tax when the total will be larger than the standard deduction, but it makes filing more complicated.

The OBBBA made permanent and, for 2025, slightly increased the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s (TCJA’s) nearly doubled standard deduction for each filing status:

$15,750 for single and separate filers,
$23,625 for heads of household,
and $31,500 for married couples filing jointly.

(The new amounts have been adjusted for inflation for 2026 and will continue to be adjusted annually going forward.)

Because of the higher standard deduction and the TCJA’s reduction or elimination of many itemized deductions (mostly made permanent by the OBBBA), many taxpayers who once benefited from itemizing have been better off taking the standard deduction for the last several years. If you’re among those taxpayers and you have significant SALT expenses, OBBBA changes could increase your SALT itemized deduction for 2025 enough that your total itemized deductions may exceed your standard deduction, causing itemizing to make sense for you once again.

Increased Limit on the SALT Deduction

Deductible SALT expenses include property taxes (for homes and land), personal property taxes (for vehicles and boats), and either income tax or sales tax, but not both. Historically, eligible SALT expenses were generally 100 percent deductible on federal income tax returns if an individual itemized his or her deductions. This provided substantial tax savings to many taxpayers in locations with higher income or property tax rates (or higher home values), as well as those who owned both a primary residence and one or more vacation homes.

For 2018 through 2025, the TCJA limited the deduction to $10,000 ($5,000 for married couples filing separately). This SALT cap was scheduled to expire after 2025.

Rather than letting the $10,000 cap expire or immediately making it permanent, the OBBBA temporarily quadrupled the limit. Beginning in 2025, taxpayers can deduct up to $40,000 ($20,000 for married couples filing separately), with a 1 percent increase each subsequent year. The $10,000 cap is scheduled to return in 2030.

The increased SALT cap could lead to major tax savings compared with the $10,000 cap. For example, a married couple filing jointly in the 32 percent tax bracket with $40,000 in SALT expenses and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) below the threshold for the income-based reduction (see below) could save an additional $9,600 in taxes [32 percent × ($40,000 − $10,000)].

Reduced Limit for Higher-Income Taxpayers

While the higher SALT limit is in place, the allowable deduction drops by 30 percent of the amount by which MAGI exceeds a threshold amount. For 2025, the threshold is $500,000; when MAGI reaches $600,000, the previous $10,000 cap applies. (These amounts are halved for separate filers.) The MAGI threshold will also increase 1 percent each year through 2029.

Here’s how the earlier example would be different if the taxpayer’s MAGI exceeded the threshold by $20,000: The cap would be reduced by $6,000 (30 percent × $20,000), leaving a maximum SALT deduction of $34,000 ($40,000 − $6,000). Even reduced, that’s more than three times what would be permitted under the $10,000 cap. The reduced deduction would still save an additional $7,680 in taxes compared to when the $10,000 cap applied [32 percent × ($34,000 − $10,000)].

Factoring in Other Itemized Deductions

Depending on your 2025 SALT expenses, MAGI, and filing status, your SALT deduction alone might be enough for your itemized deductions to exceed your standard deduction. If it isn’t, you’ll need to review your other potential itemized deductions and see if all of them, in aggregate, will exceed your standard deduction. Other possible itemized deductions include:

Medical expenses. This deduction is limited to the amount of eligible medical expenses that, in aggregate, exceeds 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI).

Home mortgage interest. This deduction is available for acquisition debt of up to $750,000. (A $1 million limit still applies to indebtedness incurred on or before December 15, 2017.)

Charitable donations. For 2025, cash donations to qualified charities are generally deductible up to 60 percent of AGI. (Beginning in 2026, the deduction will also be limited to the amount of eligible donations that, in aggregate, exceeds 0.5 percent of AGI.) Noncash donations may also be deductible, but additional requirements and limits apply.

Casualty and theft losses. For 2025, these losses are generally deductible only if they’re due to a disaster declared by the President. (Beginning in 2026, losses due to certain state-declared disasters also will be deductible.) The deduction is limited to the amount of eligible losses that, in aggregate, exceeds 10 percent of AGI.

Keep in mind that additional rules and limits apply to these deductions.

A Return to Itemizing?

If you have high SALT expenses but have been claiming the standard deduction in recent years, it’s time to revisit itemizing. A return to itemizing on your 2025 return might save you tax. If you’ve already been itemizing, a larger SALT deduction could also increase your tax savings, perhaps significantly, depending on your SALT expenses, MAGI, filing status, and tax bracket.

The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can assess the impact of the SALT limit increase — and other OBBBA changes — on your tax situation and help ensure you claim all the tax breaks you’re entitled to on your 2025 return . Contact us to set up an appointment.

Are Medical Expenses Tax Deductible?

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:37:11 GMT

If you had significant medical expenses last year, you may be wondering what you can deduct on your 2025 income tax return. Income-based thresholds and other rules can make it hard to claim the medical expense deduction. At the same time, more types of expenses may be eligible than you might expect. Keep reading to learn which medical expenses are tax deductible and how to take advantage of those deductions when filing your return this year.

Limits on the Deduction

Medical expenses are deductible only if they weren’t reimbursable by insurance or paid via tax-advantaged accounts (such as Flexible Spending Accounts or Health Savings Accounts ). In addition, they’re deductible only to the extent that, in aggregate, they exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

For example, if your 2025 AGI was $100,000, your eligible medical expenses during the year would have to total more than $7,500 for you to claim the deduction — and only the amount that exceeds that floor would be deductible. If you had $10,000 in eligible expenses, your potential deduction would be $2,500.

In addition, medical expenses are deductible only if you itemize deductions. For itemizing to be beneficial, your itemized deductions must exceed your standard deduction. Due to changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that were made permanent by last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), many taxpayers no longer itemize.

However, some taxpayers who hadn’t been itemizing recently may benefit from itemizing for 2025 because of the OBBBA’s quadrupling of the state and local tax deduction limit. If you fall into that category, you should also revisit whether you can benefit from the medical expense deduction on your 2025 income tax return.

What Expenses Are Eligible?

If you do expect to itemize deductions on your 2025 income tax return, now is a good time to review your medical expenses for the year and see if you had enough to exceed the 7.5 percent of AGI floor. Eligible expenses include many costs besides hospital and doctor bills. Here are some other types of expenses you may have had in 2025 that could be deductible:

Transportation. The cost of getting to and from medical treatment is an eligible expense. This includes taxi fares, public transportation, or using your own vehicle. Your vehicle costs can be calculated at 21 cents per mile for medical miles driven in 2025, plus tolls and parking. Alternatively, you can deduct certain actual vehicle-related costs, including gas and oil, but not general costs such as insurance, depreciation, and maintenance.

Insurance premiums. The cost of health insurance is a medical expense that can total thousands of dollars a year. Even if your employer provides you with coverage, you can deduct the portion of the premiums you paid — as long as it wasn’t paid pretax out of your paychecks.

Long-term care insurance premiums also qualify, subject to dollar limits based on age. Here are the 2025 limits:

40 and younger: $480
41 to 50: $900
51 to 60: $1,800
61 to 70: $4,810
Over 70: $6,020

Therapists and Nurses. Services provided by individuals other than physicians can qualify if they relate to medical conditions and aren’t for general health. For example, the cost of physical therapy after knee surgery qualifies, but the cost of a personal trainer to help you get in shape doesn’t. Amounts paid for acupuncture and those paid to a psychologist for medical care also qualify. In addition, certain long-term care services required by chronically ill individuals are eligible.

Eyeglasses, Hearing Aids, Dental Work, and Prescriptions. Deductible expenses include the cost of glasses, contacts, hearing aids, dentures, and most dental work. Purely cosmetic expenses (such as teeth whitening) don’t qualify, but certain medically necessary cosmetic surgeries are deductible. Prescription drugs qualify, but nonprescription drugs such as aspirin don’t, even if a physician recommends them.

Smoking-Cessation Programs. Amounts paid to participate in a smoking-cessation program and for prescribed drugs designed to alleviate nicotine withdrawal are deductible expenses. However, nonprescription gum and certain nicotine patches aren’t.

Weight-Loss Programs. A weight-loss program is a deductible expense if undertaken as treatment for a disease diagnosed by a physician. This could be obesity or another disease, such as hypertension, for which a doctor directs you to lose weight. It’s a good idea to get a written diagnosis. In these cases, deductible expenses include fees paid to join a weight-loss program and attend meetings. However, food for a weight-loss program generally is not deductible.

Dependents and Others. You can deduct the medical expenses you pay for dependents, such as your children. Additionally, you may be able to deduct medical expenses you pay for an individual, such as a parent or grandparent, who would qualify as your dependent except that he or she has too much gross income or files jointly. In most cases, the medical expenses of a child of divorced parents can be claimed by the parent who pays them.

Determining If You Can Benefit

After reviewing this list of eligible expenses, do you think you had enough expenses in 2025 to exceed the 7.5 percent of AGI floor? Or do you have questions about whether specific expenses qualify? Contact the tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates . We can determine if your medical expenses are tax deductible and discover other tax breaks for your 2025 income tax return.

Estate Planning Tips: 4 Reasons Why Avoiding Probate Is a Smart Move

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:58:00 GMT

When planning your estate, one of the smartest strategies you can adopt is to minimize or avoid probate. Probate is a legal procedure in which a court establishes the validity of your will, determines the value of your estate, resolves creditors’ claims, provides for the payment of taxes and other debts, and transfers assets to your heirs.

While it may sound straightforward, probate can come with several drawbacks that make it worthwhile to avoid when possible. Here are four reasons why avoiding probate is a smart move when it comes to estate planning.

Probate proceedings often take months—and sometimes more than a year—to resolve. During this period, your beneficiaries may not have access to much-needed funds or property.

The timeline can be extended even further if disputes arise among heirs or if the estate includes complex assets. Avoiding probate allows your loved ones to receive their inheritances much more quickly.

Court costs, executor’s and attorneys’ fees, appraisals, and other administrative expenses can consume a portion of your estate, sometimes 5 percent or more of its total value. By using probate-avoidance tools—a living trust, for example—more of your assets can go directly to your heirs instead of being eaten up by fees.

Indeed, for larger, more complicated estates, a living trust (also commonly called a “revocable” trust ) generally is the most effective tool for avoiding probate. A living trust involves some setup costs, but it allows you to manage the disposition of all your wealth in one document while retaining control and reserving the right to modify your plan.

To avoid probate, it’s critical to transfer title to all your assets, now and in the future, to the trust. Assets outside the trust at your death will be subject to probate—unless you’ve otherwise titled them in such a way as to avoid it (or, in the case of life insurance, annuities and retirement plans, you’ve properly designated beneficiaries).

Bear in mind that anything filed in probate court becomes part of the public record. This means that anyone can discover the details of your estate, including the nature and value of your assets and who has inherited them. Avoiding probate can protect your family’s privacy and shield sensitive information from public view.

Probate can sometimes create or exacerbate conflict among heirs. Disputes over asset distribution or the validity of a will can lead to lengthy and expensive litigation. Clear estate planning can prevent misunderstandings and ensure your wishes are carried out smoothly.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough without the added burden of navigating the legal complexities of probate. When you structure your estate to bypass the probate process, you ease the administrative burden on your family and give them peace of mind during a difficult time.

However, avoiding probate is just one part of a complete estate plan. The estate planning professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help you develop a strategy that minimizes probate while reducing taxes and achieving your other goals. Contact us today to learn more or to get started.

Probate Can Be Time-Consuming

Probate Can Be Expensive

Probate Is a Public Process

Probate May Result in Family Disputes

Not Your Estate Plan’s Sole Focus

Reporting Digital Assets: What You Need to Know

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 21:08:00 GMT

As the use of digital assets like cryptocurrencies continues to grow, so does the IRS’s scrutiny of how taxpayers report these transactions on their federal income tax returns. The IRS has flagged this area as a key focus. To help you stay compliant and avoid tax-related complications, here are the basics of what you need to know about reporting digital assets.

Digital assets are defined by the IRS as any digital representation of value that’s recorded on a cryptographically secured distributed ledger (also known as blockchain) or any similar technology. Common examples include:

Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum,

Stablecoins, which are digital currencies tied to the value of a fiat currency like the U.S. dollar, and

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which represent ownership of unique digital or physical items.

If an asset meets any of these criteria, the IRS classifies it as a digital asset.

Near the top of your federal income tax return, there’s a question asking whether you received or disposed of any digital assets during the year. You must answer either “yes” or “no.”

When we prepare your return , we’ll check “yes” if, during the year, you:

Received digital assets as compensation, rewards or awards,

Acquired new digital assets through mining, staking, or a blockchain fork,

Sold or exchanged digital assets for other digital assets, property, or services, or

Disposed of digital assets in any way, including converting them to U.S. dollars.

We’ll answer “no” if you:

Held digital assets in a wallet or exchange,

Transferred digital assets between wallets or accounts you own, or

Purchased digital assets with U.S. dollars.

To determine the tax impact of your digital asset activity, you need to calculate the fair market value (FMV) of the asset in U.S. dollars at the time of each transaction. For example, if you purchased one Bitcoin at $93,429 on May 21, 2025, your cost basis for that Bitcoin would be $93,429.

Any transaction involving the sale or exchange of a digital asset may result in a taxable gain or loss. A gain occurs when the asset’s FMV at the time of sale exceeds your cost basis. A loss occurs when the FMV is lower than your basis. Gains are classified as either short-term or long-term, depending on whether you held the asset for more than a year.

For instance, if you accepted one Bitcoin worth $80,000 plus $10,000 in cash for a car with a basis of $55,000, you’d report a taxable gain of $35,000. The holding period of the car determines whether this gain is short-term or long-term.

Digital asset transactions have their own tax rules for businesses. If you’re an employee and are paid in crypto, the FMV at the time of payment is treated as wages and subject to standard payroll taxes. These wages must be reported on Form W-2 .

If you’re an independent contractor compensated with crypto, the FMV is reported as non-employee compensation on Form 1099-NEC if payments exceed $600 for the year.

Currently, the IRS treats digital assets as property, not securities. This distinction means the wash sale rule doesn’t apply to cryptocurrencies. If you sell a digital asset at a loss and buy it back soon after, you can still claim the loss on your taxes.

However, this rule does apply to crypto-related securities, such as stocks of cryptocurrency exchanges, which fall under the wash sale provisions.

Depending on how you interact with a digital asset, you may receive a:

Form 1099-MISC,

Form 1099-K,

Form 1099-B, or

Form 1099-DA.

These forms are also sent to the IRS, so it’s crucial that your reported figures match those on the form.

Digital asset tax rules can be complex and are quickly evolving. If you engage in digital asset transactions, you should maintain all related records—transaction dates, FMV data, and cost basis. If you have questions about reporting digital assets, contact the tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates . We can help ensure accurate and compliant reporting to minimize your risk of IRS penalties.

Digital Assets Definition

Reporting the Tax Consequences of Digital Asset Transactions

How Businesses Handle Crypto Payments

Crypto Losses and the Wash Sale Rule

Form 1099 for Crypto Transactions

Evolving Landscape for Digital Assets

Why Choosing the Right Trustee Matters

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

It’s not uncommon for an estate plan to contain multiple trusts. They can enable you to hold assets for and transfer them to beneficiaries, avoid probate, and possibly reduce estate tax exposure. When drafting a trust, you must appoint a trustee. While this can be an individual or a financial institution, choosing the right trustee matters. Here are some things to keep in mind as you weigh your options.

Before choosing a trustee , know that the job comes with many responsibilities — from keeping careful records and making smart investment choices to staying fair and keeping beneficiaries informed. A trustee must always put the beneficiaries’ interests first and handle everything with care, honesty, and good judgment.

Trustees have significant legal responsibilities, primarily related to administering the trust on behalf of beneficiaries according to the terms of the trust document. However, the role can require many different types of tasks. For example, even if a tax professional is engaged to prepare tax returns, the trustee is responsible for ensuring that they’re completed correctly and filed on time.

One of the more challenging trustee duties is to accurately account for investments and distributions. When funds are distributed to cover a beneficiary’s education expenses, for example, the trustee should record both the distribution and the expenses covered. Beneficiaries are allowed to request an accounting of the transactions at any time.

The trustee needs to invest assets within the trust reasonably, prudently, and for the long-term sake of beneficiaries. And trustees must avoid conflicts of interest — that is, they can’t act for personal gain when managing the trust. For instance, trustees typically can’t purchase assets from the trust. The trustee probably would prefer a lower purchase price, which would run counter to the best interests of the trust’s beneficiaries.

Finally, trustees must be impartial. They may need to decide between competing interests while still acting within the terms of the trust document. An example of competing interests might be when a trust is designed to provide current income to a first beneficiary during his or her lifetime, after which the assets pass to a second beneficiary. Although the first beneficiary would probably prefer that the trust’s assets be invested in income-producing securities, the second would likely prefer growth investments.

Several qualities help make someone an effective trustee, including:

A solid understanding of tax and trust law,

Investment management experience,

Bookkeeping skills,

Integrity and honesty, and

The ability to work with all beneficiaries objectively and impartially.

And because some trusts continue for generations, trustees may need to be available for an extended period. For this reason, many people name a financial institution or professional advisor, rather than a friend or family member, as trustee.

Choosing the right trustee is an important decision, as this person or institution will be responsible for carrying out the terms outlined in the trust documents. If you have questions about the process or need further guidance, the estate planning professionals at Ramsay & Associates are here to assist. Contact us today, and we can help you weigh the options available to you.

Before You Decide on a Trustee

What Are a Trustee’s Responsibilities?

Qualities of an Effective Trustee

We Can Answer Your Estate Planning Questions

Tax Benefits When You Hire Your Child for a Summer Job

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:34:00 GMT

With summer fast approaching, you might be considering hiring young people at your small business. If your children are also looking to earn some extra money, why not put them on the payroll? This move can help you save on family income and payroll taxes, making it a win-win situation for everyone. Keep reading to learn about three tax benefits when you hire your child for a summer job.

Your business also may be able to provide your child with retirement savings, depending on your plan and how it defines qualifying employees. For example, if you have an SEP plan , a contribution can be made for up to 25 percent of your child’s earnings (not to exceed $70,000 for 2025).

Your child can also contribute some or all of his or her wages to a traditional or Roth IRA . For the 2025 tax year, your child can contribute the lesser of:

His or her earned income, or
$7,000.

Keep in mind that traditional IRA withdrawals taken before age 59½ may be hit with a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty tax unless an exception applies. (Several exceptions exist, including to pay for qualified higher-education expenses and up to $10,000 in qualified first-time homebuyer costs.)

In addition to the tax benefits of hiring your child for a summer job, there are nontax advantages. Your son or daughter will better understand your business, earn extra spending money, and learn responsibility.

If you have any questions about the tax rules in your situation, contact the business tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates . Keep in mind that some of the rules about employing children may change from year to year and may require your income-shifting strategies to change, too.

You Can Transfer Business Earnings

You May Be Able to Save Social Security Tax

Your Child Can Save for Retirement

Benefits Beyond Taxes

If your business isn’t incorporated, you can also save some Social Security tax by shifting some of your earnings to your child. That’s because services performed by a child under age 18 while employed by a parent aren’t considered employment for FICA tax purposes.

A similar but more liberal exemption applies for FUTA (unemployment) tax , which exempts earnings paid to a child under age 21 employed by a parent. The FICA and FUTA exemptions also apply if a child is employed by a partnership consisting only of his or her parents.

Note: There’s no FICA or FUTA exemption for employing a child if your business is incorporated or is a partnership that includes non-parent partners. However, there’s no extra cost to your business if you’re paying a child for work you’d pay someone else to do.

Turn some of your high-taxed income into tax-free or low-taxed income by shifting some business earnings to a child as wages for services performed. For your business to deduct the wages as a business expense, the work done by the child must be legitimate. In addition, the child’s salary must be reasonable. (Keep detailed records to substantiate the hours worked and the duties performed.)

For example, suppose you’re a sole proprietor in the 37 percent tax bracket. You hire your 17-year-old daughter to help with office work full-time in the summer and part-time in the fall. She earns $10,000 during the year (and doesn’t have other earnings). You can save $3,700 (37 percent of $10,000) in income taxes at no tax cost to your daughter, who can use her $15,000 standard deduction for 2025 (for single filers) to shelter her earnings.

Family taxes are cut even if your daughter’s earnings exceed her standard deduction. That’s because the unsheltered earnings will be taxed to her beginning at a 10 percent rate instead of being taxed at your higher rate.

If You’re Single with No Kids, Estate Planning is Still Important

Tue, 06 May 2025 16:32:00 GMT

Estate planning isn’t solely about passing assets on to direct descendants; it’s about taking control of your future. Even if you’re single and have no children, having an estate plan helps ensure your final wishes are clearly documented and respected.

Without a formal estate plan, state laws will determine how your assets are distributed, and those default decisions might not align with your values or desires. Whether they’re your financial investments or personal assets, a comprehensive estate plan allows you to specify exactly who should receive what, be they close friends, extended family, or even charitable organizations. So, if you’re single with no kids, estate planning is still important. Keep reading to find out why.

For single people, it’s critical to execute a will that specifies how and to whom their assets should be distributed when they die. Although certain types of assets can pass to your intended recipient(s) through beneficiary designations, absent a will, many types of assets will pass through the laws of intestate succession .

Those laws vary from state to state but generally provide for assets to go to the deceased person’s spouse or children. For example, the law might provide that if someone dies intestate, half of the estate goes to his or her spouse and half goes to the children. However, if you’re single with no children, these laws set out rules for distributing your assets to your closest relatives, such as your parents or siblings. Or, if you have no living relatives, your assets may go to the state.

By preparing a will, you can ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes, whether that’s to family, friends, or charitable organizations.

Consider signing a durable power of attorney that appoints someone you trust to manage your investments, pay bills, file tax returns, and otherwise make financial decisions should you become incapacitated. Although the law varies from state to state, typically, without a power of attorney, a court will appoint someone to make those decisions on your behalf. Not only will you have no say in who the court appoints, but the process can be costly and time consuming.

You should prepare a living will, a health care directive (also known as a medical power of attorney), or both. This will ensure your wishes regarding medical care—particularly resuscitation and other lifesaving measures—will be carried out in the event that you’re incapacitated. These documents can also appoint someone you trust to make medical decisions that aren’t expressly addressed.

Without such instructions, the laws in some states allow a spouse, children, or other “surrogates” to make those decisions. In the absence of a suitable surrogate, or in states without such a law, medical decisions are generally left to the judgment of health care professionals or court-appointed guardians.

When it comes to taxes, married couples have some big advantages. For example, they can use both of their federal gift and estate tax exemptions (currently, $13.99 million per person) to transfer assets to their loved ones tax-free. Also, the marital deduction allows spouses to transfer an unlimited amount of property to each other—either during life or at death—without triggering immediate gift or estate tax liabilities.

For single people with substantial estates, it’s important to consider employing trusts and other estate planning techniques to avoid, or at least defer, gift and estate taxes.

Finally, planning ahead can help avoid potential complications in the future. Unexpected events can lead to family disputes if there’s no clear guidance on how your affairs should be handled.

That’s why estate planning is important. With a plan in place, your personal wishes are followed precisely, ensuring that your legacy—whether it includes contributions to a cause you believe in or support for a family member—is preserved exactly as you intend.

Need help creating an estate plan? The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help. Contact us if you’re single, have no children, and have no estate plan. We can help draft one that’s best suited for you.

Without a Will, Who Will Receive Your Assets?

Who Will Handle Your Finances If You Become Incapacitated?

Who Will Make Medical Decisions on Your Behalf?

Strategies to Reduce Gift and Estate Taxes

Creating an Estate Plan

How to Manage the Limit on the Business Interest Expense Deduction

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:58:00 GMT

Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), businesses were able to claim a tax deduction for most business-related interest expense. The TCJA created Section 163(j), which generally limits deductions of business interest, with certain exceptions.

If your business has significant interest expense, it’s important to understand the impact of the deduction limit on your tax bill. The good news is there may be ways to soften the tax bite in 2025. Keep reading for tips on how to manage the limit on the business interest expense deduction.

Unless your company is exempt from Sec. 163(j) , your maximum business interest deduction for the tax year equals the sum of:

30 percent of your company’s adjusted taxable income (ATI),
Your company’s business interest income, if any, and
Your company’s floor plan financing interest, if any.

Assuming your company doesn’t have significant business interest income or floor plan financing interest expense, the deduction limitation is roughly equal to 30 percent of ATI.

Your company’s ATI is its taxable income, excluding:

Nonbusiness income, gain, deduction or loss,
Business interest income or expense,
Net operating loss deductions, and
The 20 percent qualified business income deduction for pass-through entities.

When Sec. 163(j) first became law, ATI was computed without regard to depreciation, amortization, or depletion. But for tax years beginning after 2021, those items are subtracted in calculating ATI, shrinking business interest deductions for companies with significant depreciable assets.

Deductions disallowed under Sec. 163(j) may be carried forward indefinitely and treated as business interest expense paid or accrued in future tax years. In subsequent tax years, the carryforward amount is applied as if it were incurred in that year, and the limitation for that year will determine how much of the disallowed interest can be deducted. There are special rules for applying the deduction limit to pass-through entities, such as partnerships, S corporations, and limited liability companies that are treated as partnerships for tax purposes.

Small businesses are exempt from the business interest deduction limit. These are businesses whose average annual gross receipts for the preceding three tax years don’t exceed a certain threshold. (There’s an exception if the business is treated as a “tax shelter.”) To prevent larger businesses from splitting themselves into small entities to qualify for the exemption, certain related businesses must aggregate their gross receipts for purposes of the threshold.

Some real estate and farming businesses can opt out of the business interest deduction limit and therefore avoid it or at least reduce its impact. Real estate businesses include those that engage in real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operation, management, leasing, or brokerage.

Remember that opting out of the interest deduction limit comes at a cost. If you do so, you must reduce depreciation deductions for certain business property by using longer recovery periods. To determine whether opting out will benefit your business, you’ll need to weigh the tax benefit of unlimited interest deductions against the tax cost of lower depreciation deductions. We can help with that.

Another tax-reduction strategy is capitalizing interest expense. Capitalized interest isn’t treated as interest for purposes of the Sec. 163(j) deduction limit. The tax code allows businesses to capitalize certain overhead costs, including interest, related to the acquisition or production of property.

Interest capitalized to equipment or other fixed assets can be recovered over time through depreciation, while interest capitalized to inventory can be deducted as part of the cost of goods sold. We can crunch the numbers to determine which strategy would provide a better tax advantage for your business.

You may also be able to mitigate the impact of the deduction limit by reducing your interest expense. For example, you might rely more on equity than debt to finance your business or pay down debts when possible. Or you could generate interest income (for example, by extending credit to customers) to offset some interest expense.

Unfortunately, the business interest deduction limitation isn’t one of the many provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. But it’s possible that Congress could act to repeal the limitation or alleviate its impact. If your company is affected by the business interest deduction limitation, contact us to discuss the impact on your tax bill. The business tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help assess what’s right for your situation.

Details on Business Interest Deductions

Ways to Avoid the Limit

Weigh Your Tax Options

Smart Strategies for a Secure Retirement

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:30:00 GMT

Saving for retirement is a crucial financial goal, and a 401(k) plan is one of the most effective tools for achieving it. If your employer offers a 401(k) or Roth 401(k), contributing as much as possible to the plan in 2025 is a good way to build a considerable nest egg. Keep reading as we discuss these options and smart strategies for a secure retirement.

If you’re not already contributing the maximum allowed, consider increasing your contribution in 2025. Because of tax-deferred compounding (tax-free in the case of Roth accounts), boosting contributions can have a significant impact on the amount of money you’ll have in retirement.

With a 401(k) , an employee elects to have a certain amount of pay deferred and contributed to the plan by an employer on his or her behalf. The amounts are indexed for inflation each year, and they’re increasing a modest amount. The contribution limit in 2025 is $23,500 (up from $23,000 in 2024). Employees who are 50 or older by year end are also generally permitted to make additional “catch-up” contributions of $7,500 in 2025 (unchanged from 2024). This means those 50 or older can generally save up to $31,000 in 2025 (up from $30,500 in 2024).

However, under a law change that goes into effect this year, 401(k) plan participants of certain ages can save more. The catch-up contribution amount for those who are 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2025 is $11,250.

Note: The contribution amounts for 401(k)s also apply to 403(b)s and 457 plans.

A traditional 401(k) offers many benefits, including:

Pretax contributions, which reduce your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and can help you reduce or avoid exposure to the 3.8 percent net investment income tax.
Plan assets that can grow tax-deferred — meaning you pay no income tax until you take distributions.
The option for your employer to match some or all of your contributions pretax.

If you already have a 401(k) plan, look at your contributions. In 2025, try to increase your contribution rate to get as close to the $23,500 limit (with any extra eligible catch-up amount) as you can afford. Of course, the taxes on your paycheck will be reduced because the contributions are pretax.

Your employer may also offer a Roth option in its 401(k) plans. If so, you can designate some or all of your contributions as Roth contributions. While such amounts don’t reduce your current MAGI, qualified distributions will be tax-free.

Roth 401(k) contributions may be especially beneficial for higher-income earners because they can’t contribute to a Roth IRA. That’s because the ability to make a Roth IRA contribution is reduced or eliminated if adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds specific amounts.

If you have questions about smart strategies for a secure retirement, feel free to contact us . The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help you determine how much to contribute or the best mix between traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions. We can also discuss other tax and retirement-saving strategies for your situation.

Contribute More, Save More

Traditional 401(k)

Roth 401(k)

Planning for the Future

How Tax-Smart HSAs Can Benefit Your Small Business and Employees

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:15:00 GMT

As a small business owner, managing health care costs for yourself and your employees can be challenging. One effective tool to consider adding is a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs offer a range of benefits that can help you save on health care expenses while providing valuable tax advantages. You may already have an HSA. Now is a good time to review how these accounts work because the IRS has announced the relevant inflation-adjusted amounts for 2025. Keep reading to learn more about those amounts and how tax-smart HSAs can benefit your small business and employees.

For eligible individuals, HSAs offer a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. Employees can’t be enrolled in Medicare or claimed on someone else’s tax return.

Here are the key tax benefits:

Contributions that participants make to an HSA are deductible, within limits.
Contributions that employers make aren’t taxed to participants.
Earnings on the funds within an HSA aren’t taxed, so the money can accumulate tax-free year after year.
HSA distributions to cover qualified medical expenses aren’t taxed.
Employers don’t have to pay payroll taxes on HSA contributions made by employees through payroll deductions.

To be eligible for an HSA, an individual must be covered by a “ high-deductible health plan .” For 2025, a high-deductible health plan has an annual deductible of at least $1,650 for self-only coverage or at least $3,300 for family coverage.

For self-only coverage, the 2025 limit on deductible contributions is $4,300. For family coverage, the 2025 limit on deductible contributions is $8,550. Additionally, annual out-of-pocket expenses for covered benefits can’t exceed $8,300 for self-only coverage or $16,600 for family coverage.

An individual (and the individual’s covered spouse, as well) who has reached age 55 before the close of the tax year (and is an eligible HSA contributor) may make additional “catch-up” contributions for 2025 of up to $1,000.

If an employer contributes to the HSA of an eligible individual, the employer’s contribution is treated as employer-provided coverage for medical expenses under an accident or health plan. It is excludable from an employee’s gross income up to the deduction limitation. There’s no “use-it-or-lose-it” provision, so funds can build for years.

An employer that decides to make contributions on its employees’ behalf must generally make similar contributions to the HSAs of all comparable participating employees for that calendar year. If the employer doesn’t make similar contributions, the employer is subject to a 35 percent tax on the aggregate amount contributed by the employer to HSAs for that period.

Your employees can take HSA distributions to pay for qualified medical expenses. This generally means expenses that would qualify for the medical expense itemized deduction. They include costs for doctors’ visits, prescriptions, chiropractic care, and premiums for long-term care insurance.

The withdrawal is taxable if funds are withdrawn from the HSA for any other reason. Additionally, an extra 20 percent tax will apply to the withdrawal unless it’s made after age 65 or in the case of death or disability.

As you can see, tax-smart HSAs can benefit your small business and employees by offering a flexible option for providing health care coverage. But the rules are somewhat complex. If you have questions, the business tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates are here to help. Contact us if you’d like to discuss offering this benefit to your employees.

Basic HSA Tax Benefits

Key 2024 and 2025 Amounts

Making Contributions for Your Employees

Using HSA Funds for Medical Expenses

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What Household Employers Should Know About the Nanny Tax

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 21:53:00 GMT

Whether you employ a nanny, housekeeper, or gardener, hiring household help can significantly ease the burden of childcare and daily chores. However, as a household employer, it’s critical to understand your tax obligations, commonly called the “nanny tax.” Keep reading to find out what household employers should know about the nanny tax.

If you hire a household employee who isn’t an independent contractor, you may be liable for federal income tax and other taxes (including state tax obligations).

If you employ a household worker, you aren’t required to withhold federal income taxes from pay. But you can choose to withhold if the worker requests it. In that case, ask the worker to fill out a Form W-4. However, you may be required to withhold Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes and to pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax.

In 2024, you must withhold and pay FICA taxes if your household worker earns cash wages of $2,700 or more (excluding the value of food and lodging). The Social Security Administration recently announced that this amount will increase to $2,800 in 2025. If you reach the threshold, all the wages (not just the excess) are subject to FICA.

However, if a nanny is under age 18 and childcare isn’t his or her principal occupation, you don’t have to withhold FICA taxes. So, if you have a part-time student babysitter, there’s no FICA tax liability.

Both an employer and a household worker may have FICA tax obligations. As an employer, you’re responsible for withholding your worker’s FICA share. In addition, you must pay a matching amount. FICA tax is divided between Social Security and Medicare. The Social Security tax rate is 6.2 percent for the employer and 6.2 percent for the worker (12.4 percent total). Medicare tax is 1.45 percent each for the employer and the worker (2.9 percent total).

If you want, you can pay your worker’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you do, your payments aren’t counted as additional cash wages for Social Security and Medicare purposes. However, your payments are treated as additional income to the worker for federal tax purposes, so you must include them as wages on the W-2 form that you must provide.

You also must pay FUTA tax if you pay $1,000 or more in cash wages (excluding food and lodging) to your worker in any calendar quarter. FUTA tax applies to the first $7,000 of wages paid and is only paid by the employer.

You pay household worker obligations by increasing your quarterly estimated tax payments or increasing withholding from wages, rather than making an annual lump-sum payment.

As an employer of a household worker, you don’t have to file employment tax returns, even if you’re required to withhold or pay tax (unless you own your own business). Instead, employment taxes are reported on your tax return on Schedule H.

When you report the taxes on your return, include your employer identification number (EIN), which is not the same as your Social Security number. You must file Form SS-4 to get one.

However, if you own a business as a sole proprietor, you include the taxes for a household worker on the FUTA and FICA forms (940 and 941) you file for the business. And you use your sole proprietorship EIN to report the taxes.

Keep related tax records for at least four years from the later of the due date of the return or the date the tax was paid. Records should include the worker’s name, address, Social Security number, employment dates, amount of wages paid, taxes withheld, and copies of forms filed.

If you’ve hired or plan to hire a household employee, you may still have questions. Feel free to contact us . The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can further explain what household employers should know about the nanny tax to help ensure compliance with these requirements.

Hiring Household Workers

Wage Thresholds for 2024 and 2025

Making Payments

Maintain Detailed Records

We Can Help with Questions

Think About Year-End Tax Planning for Your Small Business

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:41:00 GMT

With most of 2024 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take proactive steps that may help lower your small business’s taxes for this year and next. The strategy of deferring income and accelerating deductions to minimize taxes can be effective for most businesses, as is the approach of bunching deductible expenses into this year or next to maximize their tax value.

Do you expect to be in a higher tax bracket next year? If so, then opposite strategies may produce better results. For example, you could pull income into 2024 to be taxed at lower rates, and defer deductible expenses until 2025, when they can be claimed to offset higher-taxed income.

As you think about year-end tax planning for your small business, here are some other ideas that may help you save tax dollars if you act soon.

Taxpayers other than corporations may be entitled to a deduction of up to 20 percent of their qualified business income (QBI). For 2024, if taxable income exceeds $383,900 for married couples filing jointly (half that amount for other taxpayers), the deduction may be limited based on whether the taxpayer is engaged in a service-type business (such as law, health, or consulting), the amount of W-2 wages paid by the business, and/or the unadjusted basis of qualified property (such as machinery and equipment) held by the business. The limitations are phased in.

Taxpayers may be able to salvage some or all of the QBI deduction (or be subject to a smaller deduction phaseout) by deferring income or accelerating deductions to keep income under the dollar thresholds. You also may be able to increase the deduction by increasing W-2 wages before the year’s end. The rules are complex, so consult us before acting.

More small businesses can use the cash (rather than the accrual) method of accounting for federal tax purposes than were allowed to do so in previous years. To qualify as a small business under current law, a taxpayer must (among other requirements) satisfy a gross receipts test. For 2024, it’s satisfied if, during the three prior tax years, average annual gross receipts don’t exceed $30 million. Cash method taxpayers may find it easier to defer income by holding off on billing until next year, paying bills early, or making certain prepayments.

Consider making expenditures that qualify for the Section 179 expensing option. For 2024, the expensing limit is $1.22 million, and the investment ceiling limit is $3.05 million. Expensing is generally available for most depreciable property (other than buildings), including equipment, off-the-shelf computer software, interior improvements to a building, HVAC, and security systems.

The high dollar ceilings mean that many small and midsize businesses will be able to currently deduct most or all of their outlays for machinery and equipment. What’s more, the deduction isn’t prorated for the time an asset is in service during the year. Even if you place eligible property in service by the last days of 2024, you can claim a full deduction for the year.

For 2024, businesses also can generally claim a 60 percent bonus first-year depreciation deduction for qualified improvement property as well as machinery and equipment bought new or used, if purchased and placed in service this year. As with the Sec. 179 deduction, the write-off is available even if qualifying assets are only in service for a few days in 2024.

These are just some of the strategies you can apply to year-end tax planning for your small business that may help you in the long run. In addition, it’s important to stay informed about any changes that could affect your business’s taxes. In the next couple years, tax laws will be changing. Many tax breaks, including the QBI deduction, are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Plus, the outcome of recent elections could result in new or repealed tax breaks. Our team at Ramsay & Associates is here to help. Contact us to customize a plan that works for you.

QBI Deduction

Weigh Cash vs. Accrual Accounting

Section 179 Deduction

Bonus Depreciation

We Can Customize Your Plan

Are You Liable for Two Additional Taxes on Your Income?

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:01:00 GMT

Having a gainful income may mean you owe two extra taxes: the 3.8 percent net investment income tax (NIIT) and a 0.9 percent additional Medicare tax on wage and self-employment income. But what exactly are these taxes and how could they affect you? Let’s look at them both and the scenarios in which you may be liable for two additional taxes on your income.

In addition to income tax, the net investment income tax (NIIT) applies to your net investment income. The NIIT only affects taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes (AGIs) exceeding $250,000 for joint filers, $200,000 for single taxpayers and heads of household, and $125,000 for married individuals filing separately.

If your AGI is above the threshold that applies ($250,000, $200,000 or $125,000), the NIIT applies to the lesser of

your net investment income for the tax year, or
the excess of your AGI for the tax year over your threshold amount.

The “net investment income” that’s subject to the NIIT consists of interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, rents, and net gains from property sales. Wage income and income from an active trade or business aren’t included. However, passive business income is subject to the NIIT.

Income that’s exempt from income tax, such as tax-exempt bond interest, is likewise exempt from the NIIT. Thus, switching some taxable investments to tax-exempt bonds can reduce your exposure. Of course, this should be done after taking your income needs and investment considerations into account.

Does the NIIT apply to home sales? Yes, if the gain is high enough. Here’s how the rules work: If you sell your principal residence, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for joint filers) when figuring your income tax. This excluded gain isn’t subject to the NIIT.

However, gain that exceeds the exclusion limit is subject to the tax. Gain from the sale of a vacation home or other secondary residence, which doesn’t qualify for the exclusion, is also subject to the NIIT.

Distributions from qualified retirement plans, such as pension plans and IRAs, aren’t subject to the NIIT. However, those distributions may push your AGI over the threshold that would cause other types of income to be subject to the tax.

In addition to the 1.45 percent Medicare tax that all wage earners pay, some high-wage earners pay an extra 0.9 percent Medicare tax on part of their wage income. The 0.9 percent tax applies to wages in excess of $250,000 for joint filers, $125,000 for married individuals filing separately, and $200,000 for all others. It applies only to employees, not to employers.

Once an employee’s wages reach $200,000 for the year, the employer must begin withholding the additional 0.9 percent tax. However, this withholding may prove insufficient if the employee has additional wage income from another job or if the employee’s spouse also has wage income. To avoid that result, an employee may request extra income tax withholding by filing a new Form W-4 with the employer.

An extra 0.9 percent Medicare tax also applies to self-employment income for the tax year in excess of the same amounts for high-wage earners. This is in addition to the regular 2.9 percent Medicare tax on all self-employment income. The $250,000, $125,000, and $200,000 thresholds are reduced by the taxpayer’s wage income.

As you can see, the NIIT and additional Medicare tax may have significant effects. And depending on your circumstance, you may be liable for two additional taxes on your income. The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates are here to answer your questions and help you understand if and how you may be affected. Contact us to discuss ways to potentially reduce any tax impact.

Net Investment Income Tax

The Additional Medicare Tax

We Can Help You Understand and Mitigate Tax Effects

A Dynasty Trust Provides for Future Generations

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:06:00 GMT

When creating estate plans, people generally take their children and grandchildren into consideration and will organize accordingly. For those who would like to prepare beyond that, a dynasty trust provides for future generations and may be a viable option. Let’s look at some of the specifics of this long-term trust.

A dynasty trust can preserve substantial amounts of wealth—and potentially shelter it from federal gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes —for generations to come. Plus, it can provide various other benefits and protections for families over an extended time period (perhaps forever).

A dynasty trust can be established during your lifetime, as an inter-vivos trust , or part of your will as a testamentary trust. With an inter-vivos transfer, you’ll avoid estate tax on any appreciation in value from the time of the transfer until your death. Generally, though, with an inter-vivos transfer, the assets won’t be eligible for step-up in basis at your death.

Because the emphasis is on protecting appreciated property, consider funding the trust with securities, real estate, life insurance policies, and business interests. Ensure you retain enough assets in your personal accounts to continue to enjoy your lifestyle.

Previously, dynasty trusts were primarily used to minimize transfer tax between generations. Without one, if a family patriarch or matriarch leaves assets to adult children, the bequests are subject to federal estate tax at the time of the initial transfer to the second generation. They are then taxed again when the assets pass from the children to the grandchildren, and so on. Although the federal gift and estate tax exemption can shield the bulk of assets from tax for most families, the top federal estate tax rate on the excess is 40 percent—a hefty amount.

Furthermore, the GST tax applies to certain transfers made to grandchildren, thereby discouraging transfers that skip a generation. The GST tax exemption and 40 percent GST tax rate are the same as they are for regular gift and estate tax.

With a dynasty trust, assets are taxed just once, when they’re initially transferred to the trust. There’s no estate or GST tax due on any subsequent appreciation in value. This can save some families millions of tax dollars over the durations of their trusts.

When the assets are subsequently sold, any gain will be taxable. Note that the basis of the assets will be determined at the time of the initial transfer, although depending on the circumstances, the “step-up in basis” rules may help reduce the taxable amount.

Regardless of the tax implications, there are many nontax reasons to set up a dynasty trust.

For example, you can designate the trust’s beneficiaries spanning multiple generations. Typically, you might provide for the assets to follow a line of descendants, such as your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.

You can also impose certain restrictions. For example, you may limit access to funds until a beneficiary graduates from college.

A dynasty trust provides for future generations by creating a legacy that will live on long after you’re gone. Be aware, however, that a dynasty trust is irrevocable. In other words, you can’t undo the arrangement if you have a sudden change of heart. If you’re going to chart the course for future generations, you must have the courage of your convictions. The professional team at Ramsay & Associates is here to answer questions about estate planning and other tax concerns. Contact us for guidance.

Establishing and Funding a Dynasty Trust

Factoring in Taxes

Recognizing Nontax Benefits

We Can Help You Plan for Your Family’s Future

5 Estate Planning Pitfalls to Avoid

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:56:00 GMT

If you’re taking the first steps on your estate planning journey, congratulations. No one likes to contemplate their mortality, but having a plan in place can provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind should you unexpectedly become incapacitated or die. Keep reading to learn five basic estate planning pitfalls you want to avoid.

Typically, there are several moving parts to an estate plan, including a will, a power of attorney , trusts, retirement plan accounts , and life insurance policies. Don’t look at each one in a vacuum. Even though they have different objectives, consider them to be components that should be coordinated within your overall plan. For instance, you may want to arrange to take distributions from investments — including securities, qualified retirement plans, and traditional and Roth IRAs — in a way that preserves more wealth.

Your will spells out who gets what, where, when, and how. But it’s often superseded by other documents, such as beneficiary forms for retirement plans, annuities, life insurance policies, and other accounts. Therefore, much like your will, you must also keep these forms up to date. For example, despite your intentions, retirement plan assets could go to a sibling or parent — or even worse, an ex-spouse — instead of your children or grandchildren. Review beneficiary forms periodically and make any necessary adjustments.

Frequently, an estate plan will include one or more trusts, including a revocable living trust . The main benefit of a living trust is that assets transferred to the trust don’t have to be probated , which will expose them to public inspection and subject them to delays. It’s generally recommended that such a trust be used only as a complement to a will, not as a replacement.

However, the trust must be funded with assets, meaning that legal ownership of the assets must be transferred to the trust. For example, if real estate is being transferred, the deed must be changed to reflect this. If you’re transferring securities or bank accounts, you should follow the directions provided by the financial institutions. Otherwise, the assets must be probated.

Both inside and outside of trusts, the manner in which you own assets can make a big difference. For instance, if you own property as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, the assets will go directly to the other named person, such as your spouse, on your death.

Not only is titling assets critical, but you should review these designations periodically. Major changes in your personal circumstances or the prevailing laws could dictate a change in the ownership method.

It’s critical to consider an estate plan as a “living” entity that must be nourished and sustained. Don’t allow it to gather dust in a safe deposit box or file cabinet. Consider the impact of major life events such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and job changes or relocations, just to name a few.

These five estate planning pitfalls are just some of the dangers to watch for when planning your legacy. To help ensure that your estate plan succeeds at reaching your goals and avoids these pitfalls, turn to the professionals at Ramsay & Associates . We can help ensure that you’ve covered all the estate planning bases.

Pitfall 1: Failing to Coordinate Different Plan Aspects

Pitfall 2: Not Updating Beneficiary Forms

Pitfall 3: Improperly Funding Trusts

Pitfall 4: Mistitling Assets

Pitfall 5: Failing to Regularly Review Your Estate Plan

We Can Help You Avoid Pitfalls

Plan for Assets with Sentimental Value

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:57:00 GMT

As a formal estate planning term, “ tangible personal property ” likely won’t elicit much reaction from you or your loved ones. However, the items that make up tangible personal property, such as jewelry, antiques, photographs, and collectibles, may be the most difficult to plan for because they hold significant emotional worth. We can offer tips to help ensure you have a plan for assets with sentimental value.

Without special planning on your part, squabbling among your family members over these items may lead to emotionally charged disputes and even litigation. Let’s take a closer look at a few steps you can take to ease any tensions surrounding these specific assets.

There’s no reason to guess which personal items mean the most to your children and other family members. Create a dialogue to find out who wants what and to express your feelings about how you’d like to share your prized possessions.

Having these conversations can help you identify potential conflicts. After learning of any disputes, work out acceptable compromises during your lifetime.

Some people have their beneficiaries choose the items they want or authorize their executors to distribute personal property as they see fit. For some families, these approaches may work. But more often than not, they invite conflict.

Generally, the most effective strategy for avoiding costly disputes and litigation over personal property is to make specific bequests — in your will or revocable trust — to specific beneficiaries. For example, your will might leave your art collection to your son and your jewelry to your daughter.

Specific bequests are particularly important if you wish to leave personal property to a nonfamily member, such as a caregiver. The best way to avoid a challenge from family members on grounds of undue influence or lack of testamentary capacity is to express your wishes in a valid will executed when you’re “of sound mind.”

If you use a revocable trust (sometimes referred to as a “living trust”), you must transfer ownership of personal property to the trust to ensure that the property is distributed according to the trust’s terms. The trust controls only the property you put into it. It’s also a good idea to have a “ pour-over will ,” which provides that any property you own at your death is transferred to your trust. Keep in mind, however, that property that passes through your will and pours into your trust generally must go through probate .

Spelling out every gift of personal property in your will or trust can be cumbersome. If you wish to make many small gifts to several different relatives, your will or trust can get long in a hurry.

Plus, anytime you change your mind or decide to add another gift, you’ll have to amend your documents. Often, a more convenient solution is to prepare a personal property memorandum to provide instructions on the distribution of tangible personal property not listed in your will or trust.

In many states, a personal property memorandum is legally binding, provided it’s specifically referred to in your will and meets certain other requirements. You can change it or add to it at any time without the need to formally amend your will. Alternatively, you may want to give items to your loved ones while you’re still alive.

Your major assets, such as real estate and business interests, are top of mind as you prepare your estate plan. But don’t forget about tangible personal property. These lower-monetary-value assets may be more difficult to deal with, and more likely to cause disputes, than big-ticket items. So, make sure you have a plan for assets with sentimental value. Contact the professionals at Ramsay & Associates if you have questions or need help with estate planning .

Communication is Key

Bequeath Assets to Specific Beneficiaries

Create a Personal Property Memorandum

Have a Plan for All Assets

Tax Tips When Buying the Assets of a Business

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:07:00 GMT

After experiencing a downturn in 2023, merger and acquisition activity in several sectors is rebounding in 2024. If you’re buying a business, you want the best results possible after taxes. You can potentially structure the purchase in two ways:

Buy the assets of the business, or
Buy the seller’s entity ownership interest if the target business is operated as a corporation, partnership, or LLC.

Here, we’ll focus on the former. Keep reading to learn useful tax tips when buying the assets of a business.

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You must allocate the total purchase price to the specific assets acquired. The amount allocated to each asset becomes the initial tax basis of that asset.

For depreciable and amortizable assets (such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, buildings, and software and intangibles like customer lists and goodwill), the initial tax basis determines the post-acquisition depreciation and amortization deductions.

When you eventually sell a purchased asset, you’ll have a taxable gain if the sale price exceeds the asset’s tax basis (initial purchase price allocation, plus any post-acquisition improvements, minus any post-acquisition depreciation or amortization).

Let’s say you operate the newly acquired business as a sole proprietorship, a single-member LLC treated as a sole proprietorship for tax purposes, a partnership, a multi-member LLC treated as a partnership for tax purposes, or an S corporation. In those cases, post-acquisition gains, losses, and income are passed through to you and reported on your personal tax return. Various federal income tax rates can apply to income and gains, depending on the type of asset and how long it’s held before being sold.

If you operate the newly acquired business as a C corporation , the corporation pays the tax bills from post-acquisition operations and asset sales. All types of taxable income and gains recognized by a C corporation are taxed at the same federal income tax rate, which is currently 21 percent.

With an asset purchase deal, the most important tax opportunity revolves around how you allocate the purchase price to the assets acquired.

To the extent allowed, you want to allocate more of the price to:

Assets that generate higher-taxed ordinary income when converted into cash (such as inventory and receivables),
Assets that can be depreciated relatively quickly (such as furniture and equipment), and
Intangible assets (such as customer lists and goodwill) that can be amortized over 15 years.

You want to allocate less to assets that must be depreciated over long periods (such as buildings) and to land, which can’t be depreciated.

You’ll probably want to get appraised fair market values for the purchased assets to allocate the total purchase price to specific assets. As stated above, you’ll generally want to allocate more of the price to certain assets and less to others to get the best tax results. Because the appraisal process is more of an art than a science, there can potentially be several legitimate appraisals for the same group of assets. The tax results from one appraisal may be better for you than the tax results from another.

Nothing in the tax rules prevents buyers and sellers from agreeing to use legitimate appraisals that result in acceptable tax outcomes for both parties. Settling on appraised values becomes part of the purchase/sale negotiation process. That said, the appraisal that’s finally agreed to must be reasonable.

Remember, when buying the assets of a business, the total purchase price must be allocated to the acquired assets. The allocation process can lead to better or worse post-acquisition tax results. The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help you get the former instead of the latter. Getting your advisor involved early, preferably during the negotiation phase, is beneficial. Contact us today.

Asset Purchase Tax Basics

Asset Purchase Results with a Pass-Through Entity

Asset Purchase Results with a C Corporation

A Tax-Smart Purchase Price Allocation

Plan Ahead

Pros and Cons of Turning Your Home into a Rental

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:31:00 GMT

If you’re buying a new home, you may have thought about keeping your current home and renting it out. But how much have you thought about this? Keep reading to learn some of the pros and cons of turning your home into a rental.

In April, average rents for one- and two-bedroom residences in the Twin Cities area were $1,150 and $1,792, respectively, according to the latest Zumper National Rent Report .

In other parts of the country, though, rents can be much higher or lower than the averages in this area. Becoming a landlord and renting out a residence comes with financial risks and rewards. However, you should also know that it carries potential tax benefits and pitfalls.

You’re generally treated as a real estate landlord once you begin renting your home. That means you must report rental income on your tax return. But you are also entitled to offsetting landlord deductions for the money you spend on utilities, operating expenses, incidental repairs, and maintenance (for example, fixing a leaky roof). Additionally, you can claim depreciation deductions for the home. And you can fully offset rental income with otherwise allowable landlord deductions.

However, under the passive activity loss (PAL) rules , you may not be able to currently claim the rent-related deductions that exceed your rental income unless an exception applies. Under the most widely applicable exception, the PAL rules won’t affect your converted property for a tax year in which your adjusted gross income doesn’t exceed $100,000, you actively participate in running the home-rental business, and your losses from all rental real estate activities in which you actively participate don’t exceed $25,000.

You should also be aware that potential tax pitfalls may arise from renting your residence. Unless your rentals are strictly temporary and are made necessary by adverse market conditions, you could forfeit an important tax break for home sellers if you finally sell the home at a profit. In general, you can escape tax on up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly) of gain on the sale of your principal home. However, this tax-free treatment is conditioned on your having used the residence as your principal residence for at least two of the five years preceding the sale. So, renting your home out for an extended time could jeopardize a big tax break.

Even if you don’t rent out your home long enough to jeopardize the principal residence exclusion, the tax break you would get on the sale (the $250,000/$500,000 exclusion) won’t apply to:

the extent of any depreciation allowable with respect to the rental or business use of the home for periods after May 6, 1997, or
any gain allocable to a period of nonqualified use (any period during which the property isn’t used as the principal residence of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse or former spouse) after December 31, 2008.

A maximum tax rate of 25 percent will apply to this gain (attributable to depreciation deductions).

What if you bought at the height of a market and ultimately sell at a loss? In such situations, the loss is available for tax purposes only if you can establish that the home was, in fact, converted permanently into income-producing property. Here, a longer lease period helps. However, if you’re in this situation, be aware that you may not wind up with much of a loss for tax purposes. That’s because basis (the cost, for tax purposes) is equal to the lesser of actual cost or the property’s fair market value when it’s converted to rental property.

So, if a home was purchased for $300,000, converted to a rental when it was worth $250,000, and ultimately sold for $225,000, the loss would be only $25,000.

As with most things, there’s a lot to consider when weighing the pros and cons of turning your home into a rental. The details can be complicated, but the tax professional s at Ramsay & Associates are here to help. We can answer your questions and explain any tax implications to help you make the best and most informed decision. Contact us today.

Becoming a Landlord

Passive Activity Loss Rules

Selling Your Home at a Loss

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Taking Your Spouse on a Business Trip? Can You Write Off the Costs?

Wed, 08 May 2024 13:48:00 GMT

A recent report shows that post-pandemic global business travel is going strong. The market reached $665.3 billion in 2022 and is estimated to hit $928.4 billion by 2030, according to a report from Research and Markets . If you own your own company and travel for business, you may wonder whether you can deduct the costs of having your spouse accompany you on trips. Let’s look at what you can and cannot write off when taking your spouse on a business trip.

The rules for deducting a spouse’s travel costs are very restrictive. First, to qualify for the deduction, your spouse must be your employee. This means you can’t deduct the travel costs of a spouse, even if their presence has a bona fide business purpose, unless the spouse is an employee of your business. This requirement prevents tax deductibility in most cases.

If your spouse is your employee, you can deduct his or her travel costs if his or her presence on the trip serves a bona fide business purpose. Merely having your spouse perform some incidental business service, such as typing up notes from a meeting, isn’t enough to establish a business purpose. In general, it isn’t enough for their presence to be “helpful” to your business pursuits — it must be necessary.

In most cases, a spouse’s participation in social functions, for example as a host, isn’t enough to establish a business purpose. That is, if their purpose is to establish general goodwill for customers or associates, this is usually insufficient. Further, if there’s a vacation element to the trip (for example, if your spouse spends time sightseeing), it will be more difficult to establish a business purpose for their presence on the trip. On the other hand, a bona fide business purpose exists if your spouse’s presence is necessary to care for a serious medical condition that you have.

If your spouse’s travel satisfies these requirements, the normal deductions for business travel away from home can be claimed. These include the costs of transportation, meals, lodging, and incidental costs such as dry cleaning, phone calls, etc.

Even if your spouse’s travel doesn’t satisfy the requirements, you may still be able to deduct a substantial portion of the trip’s costs. This is because the rules don’t require you to allocate 50 percent of your travel costs to your spouse. You need only allocate any additional costs you incur for them. For example, in many hotels the cost of a single room isn’t that much lower than the cost of a double. If a single would cost you $150 a night and a double would cost you and your spouse $200, the disallowed portion of the cost allocable to your spouse would only be $50. In other words, you can write off the cost of what you would have paid when traveling alone. To prove your deduction, ask the hotel for a room rate schedule showing single rates for the days you’re staying.

And if you drive your own car or rent one, the whole cost will be fully deductible even if your spouse is along. Of course, if public transportation is used, and for meals, any separate costs incurred by your spouse aren’t deductible.

You want to maximize all the tax breaks you can claim for your small business. So, if you’re taking your spouse on a business trip, the tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help iron out the details. Contact us if you have questions or need assistance with this or other tax-related issues.

If Your Spouse is an Employee

If Your Spouse Isn’t an Employee

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4 Reasons to Turn Down an Inheritance

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:05:00 GMT

Most people are happy to receive an inheritance. But there may be situations when you might not want one. You can use a qualified disclaimer to refuse a bequest from a loved one. Doing so will cause the asset to bypass your estate and go to the next beneficiary in line. Let’s take a closer look at why you might want to take this action with four reasons to turn down an inheritance.

This is often cited as the main incentive for using a qualified disclaimer . But make sure you understand the issue. For starters, the unlimited marital deduction shelters all transfers between spouses from gift and estate tax. In addition, transfers to non-spouse beneficiaries, such as your children and grandchildren, may be covered by the gift and estate tax exemption.

The exemption shelters a generous $13.61 million in assets for 2024. By maximizing portability of any unused exemption amount, a married couple can effectively pass up to $27.22 million in 2024 to their heirs, free of gift and estate taxes.

However, despite these lofty amounts, wealthier individuals, including those who aren’t married and can’t benefit from the unlimited marital deduction or portability, still might have estate tax liability concerns. By using a disclaimer, you ensure that the exemption won’t be further eroded by the inherited amount. Assuming you don’t need the money, shifting the funds to the younger generation without them ever touching your hands can save gift and estate taxes for the family as a whole.

Disclaimers may also be useful in planning for the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax . This tax applies to most transfers that skip a generation, such as bequests and gifts from a grandparent to a grandchild or comparable transfers through trusts. Like the gift and estate tax exemption, the GST tax exemption is $13.61 million for 2024.

If GST tax liability is a concern, you may want to disclaim an inheritance. For instance, if you disclaim a parent’s assets, the parent’s exemption can shelter the transfer from the GST tax when the inheritance goes directly to your children. The GST tax exemption for your own assets won’t be affected.

A disclaimer may also be used as a means for passing a family-owned business to the younger generation. By disclaiming an interest in the business, you can position stock ownership to your family’s benefit.

In some cases, a charitable contribution may be structured to provide a life estate, with the remainder going to a charitable organization. Without the benefit of a charitable remainder trust, an estate won’t qualify for a charitable deduction in this instance. But using a disclaimer can provide a deduction because the assets will pass directly to the charity.

Every situation is different, and there may be other reasons to turn down an inheritance, too. Additionally, be aware that a disclaimer doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” decision. It’s possible to disclaim only certain assets, or only a portion of a particular asset, which would otherwise be received. In any case, before making a final decision on whether to accept a bequest or use a qualified disclaimer to refuse it, turn to the estate tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates . We can help you better understand the details and answer any questions. Contact us today.

Gift and Estate Tax Savings

Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax

Passing Down a Family Business

Charitable Deductions

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If Your Employees Get Tips, You May Qualify for a Tip Tax Credit

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:56:00 GMT

Are gratuities routine in your industry? If you own a business in which your employees are tipped for providing customers with food and beverages, we have good news. You may qualify for a federal tax credit involving the Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes that you pay on your employees’ tip income. Keep reading to learn about this tip tax credit and how to claim it, should you choose to do so.

The FICA credit applies to tips that your staff members receive from customers when they buy food and beverages. It doesn’t matter if the food and beverages are consumed on or off the premises. Although tips are paid by customers, for FICA purposes, they’re treated as if you paid them to your employees.

As you know, your employees are required to report their tips to you. You must:

Withhold and remit the employee’s share of FICA taxes, and
Pay the employer’s share of those taxes.

You claim the credit as part of the general business credit. It’s equal to the employer’s share of FICA taxes paid on tip income in excess of what’s needed to bring your employee’s wages up to $5.15 per hour. In other words, no credit is available to the extent the tip income just brings the employee up to the $5.15-per-hour level, calculated monthly. If you pay each employee at least $5.15 an hour (excluding tips), you don’t have to be concerned with this calculation.

Note: A 2007 tax law froze the per-hour amount at $5.15, which was the amount of the federal minimum wage at that time. The minimum wage is now $7.25 per hour but the amount for credit computation purposes remains $5.15.

Hypothetically, let’s say a server works at your restaurant and is paid $2.13 an hour plus tips. During the month, she works 160 hours for $340.80 and receives $2,000 in cash tips, which she reports to you.

The server’s $2.13-an-hour rate is below the $5.15 rate by $3.02 per hour. Thus, for the 160 hours worked, she is below the $5.15 rate by $483.20 (160 times $3.02). For the server, therefore, the first $483.20 of tip income just brings her up to the minimum rate. The rest of the tip income is $1,516.80 ($2,000 minus $483.20). As the server’s employer, you pay FICA taxes at the rate of 7.65 percent for her. Therefore, your employer credit is $116.03 for the month: $1,516.80 times 7.65 percent.

While the employer’s share of FICA taxes is generally deductible, the FICA taxes paid with respect to tip income used to determine the credit can’t be deducted, because that would amount to a double benefit. However, you can elect to not take the credit, in which case you can claim the deduction.

If your business pays FICA taxes on tip income paid to your employees, this tip tax credit may be valuable to you. Other rules may apply. The tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates can help determine the best course of action for your business. Contact us with questions.

Credit Fundamentals

How to Claim the Credit

Let’s Look at an Example

Get the Credit You Deserve

Increase to the Standard Business Mileage Rate

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:25:00 GMT

The optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business will be going up by 1.5 cents per mile in 2024. The IRS recently announced that the cents-per-mile rate for the business use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck will be 67 cents (up from 65.5 cents for 2023). Keep reading to learn more about this increase to the standard business mileage rate and what it means for your tax deductions and expenses.

The increased tax deduction partly reflects the price of gasoline, which is about the same as it was a year ago. On December 21, 2023, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas was $3.12, compared with $3.10 a year earlier, according to AAA Gas Prices.

Businesses can generally deduct the actual expenses attributable to business use of vehicles . These include gas, tires, oil, repairs, insurance, licenses, and vehicle registration fees. In addition, you can claim a depreciation allowance for the vehicle. However, in many cases, certain limits apply to depreciation write-offs on vehicles that don’t apply to other types of business assets.

The cents-per-mile rate is helpful if you don’t want to keep track of actual vehicle-related expenses. However, you still must record certain information, such as the mileage for each business trip, the date, and the destination.

The standard rate is also used by businesses that reimburse employees for business use of their personal vehicles. These reimbursements can help attract and retain employees who drive their personal vehicles for business purposes. Why? Under current law, employees can’t deduct unreimbursed employee business expenses, such as business mileage, on their own income tax returns.

If you use the cents-per-mile rate, keep in mind that you must comply with various rules. If you don’t comply, reimbursements to employees could be considered taxable wages to them.

The business cents-per-mile rate is adjusted annually. It’s based on an annual study commissioned by the IRS about the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle, such as gas, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation. Occasionally, if there’s a substantial change in average gas prices, the IRS will change the rate midyear.

There are cases when you can’t use the cents-per-mile rate. In some situations, it depends on how you’ve claimed deductions for the same vehicle in the past. In other situations, it hinges on if the vehicle is new to your business this year or whether you want to take advantage of certain first-year depreciation tax breaks on it.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider in deciding whether to use the standard business mileage rate to deduct company vehicle expenses. If you have questions about tracking and claiming such expenses in 2024 — or claiming 2023 expenses on your 2023 tax return — we can help. Contact the experienced tax professionals at Ramsay & Associates to learn more and get more information as it pertains to your specific situation.

Standard Rate vs. Tracking Expenses

Rate Calculation

Cents-Per-Mile Rate Not Always Allowed

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Company Car Perks and Tax Rules

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:19:00 GMT

One of the most appreciated fringe benefits for owners and employees of small businesses is the use of a company car. This perk results in tax deductions for the employer as well as tax breaks for the owners and employees driving the cars. (And of course, they enjoy the nontax benefit of using a company car.) Even better, current federal tax rules make the benefit more valuable than it was in the past. Keep reading to learn more about company car perks and tax rules.

Let’s look at how the rules work in a typical situation. For example, a corporation decides to supply the owner-employee with a company car. The owner-employee needs the car to visit customers and satellite offices, check on suppliers, and meet with vendors. He or she expects to drive the car 8,500 miles a year for business and also anticipates using the car for about 7,000 miles of personal driving. This includes commuting, running errands, and taking weekend trips. Therefore, the usage of the vehicle will be approximately 55 percent for business and 45 percent for personal purposes. Naturally, the owner-employee wants an attractive car that reflects positively on the business, so the corporation buys a new $57,000 luxury sedan.

The cost for personal use of the vehicle is equal to the tax the owner-employee pays on the fringe benefit value of the 45 percent personal mileage. In contrast, if the owner-employee bought the car to drive the personal miles, he or she would pay out-of-pocket for the entire purchase cost of the car.

Personal use is treated as fringe benefit income. For tax purposes, the corporation treats the car much the same way it would any other business asset, subject to depreciation deduction restrictions if the auto is purchased. Out-of-pocket expenses related to the car (including insurance, gas, oil, and maintenance) are deductible, including the portion that relates to personal use. If the corporation finances the car, the interest it pays on the loan is deductible as a business expense (unless the business is subject to the business interest expense deduction limitation under the tax code).

On the other hand, if the owner-employee buys the auto, he or she isn’t entitled to any deductions. Outlays for the business-related portion of driving are unreimbursed employee business expenses, which are nondeductible from 2018 to 2025 due to the suspension of miscellaneous itemized deductions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act . And if the owner-employee finances the car personally, the interest payments are nondeductible.

One other implication: The purchase of the car by the corporation has no effect on the owner-employee’s credit rating.

Supplying a vehicle for an owner’s or key employee’s business and personal use comes with complications and paperwork. Personal use needs to be tracked and valued under the fringe benefit tax rules and treated as income. This article only explains the basics.

Despite the necessary valuation and paperwork, a company-provided car is still a valuable fringe benefit for business owners and key employees. It can provide them with the use of a vehicle at a low tax cost while generating tax deductions for their businesses. (You may even be able to transfer the vehicle to the employee when you’re ready to dispose of it, but that involves other tax implications.)

Contact the team at Ramsay & Associates with additional questions surrounding company car perks and tax rules. We can help you stay in compliance with the rules and explain more about this fringe benefit.