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Senior tax-saving alert: Make charitable donations from your IRA
December 18, 2024
Categories: AGI, charitable giving, IRA, QCD, RMD, Secure2.0
If you’ve reached age 70½, you can make cash donations directly from your IRA to IRS-approved charities. These qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) may help you gain tax advantages. QCD basics QCDs can be made from your traditional IRA(s) free of federal income tax. In contrast, other traditional IRA distributions are wholly or partially taxable, depending on whether you’ve made nondeductible contributions over the years. Unlike regular charitable donations, you can’t
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The amount you and your employees can save for retirement is going up slightly in 2025
November 12, 2024
Categories: 401(k), 403(b), 457 plan, inflation, IRA, Retirement, Secure2.0, SEP-IRA, Simple IRA, thrift savings plan
How much can you and your employees contribute to your 401(k)s or other retirement plans next year? In Notice 2024-80, the IRS recently announced cost-of-living adjustments that apply to the dollar limitations for retirement plans, as well as other qualified plans, for 2025. With inflation easing, the amounts aren’t increasing as much as in recent years. 401(k) plans The 2025 contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k) plans will increase to $23,500 (up from $23,000 in
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Certain charitable donations allow you to avoid taxable IRA withdrawals
August 8, 2024
Categories: AGI, charitable giving, IRA, QCD, RMD
If you’re a philanthropic individual who is also obligated to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from a traditional IRA, you may want to consider a tax-saving strategy. It involves making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). How it works To reap the possible tax advantages of a QCD, you make a cash donation to an IRS-approved charity out of your IRA. This method of transferring IRA assets to charity leverages the QCD provision that allows IRA owners who are age 70½
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IRAs: Build a tax-favored retirement nest egg
January 30, 2024
Categories: #hh, Investments, IRA, Retirement, Roth, Secure2.0
Although traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs have been around for decades, the rules involved have changed many times. The Secure 2.0 law, which was enacted at the end of 2022, brought even more changes that made IRAs more advantageous for many taxpayers. What hasn’t changed is that they can help you save for retirement on a tax-favored basis. Here’s an overview of the basic rules and some of the recent changes. Rules for traditional IRAs You can make an annual deductible contribution
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11 Exceptions to the 10% penalty tax on early IRA withdrawals
November 14, 2023
Categories: #hh, Early Withdrawal, IRA, Secure2.0, SEP-IRA, SEPP, Simple IRA
If you’re facing a serious cash shortfall, one possible solution is to take an early withdrawal from your traditional IRA. That means one before you’ve reached age 59½. For this purpose, traditional IRAs include simplified employee pension (SEP-IRA) and SIMPLE-IRA accounts. Here’s what you need to know about the tax implications, including when the 10% early withdrawal penalty tax might apply. Penalty may be avoided In almost all cases, all or part of a withdrawal
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Contributing to your employer’s 401(k) plan: How it works
November 7, 2023
Categories: 401(k), IRA, Retirement, Roth
If you’re fortunate to have an employer that offers a 401(k) plan, and you don’t contribute to it, you may wonder if you should participate. In general, it’s a great tax and retirement saving deal! These plans help an employee accumulate a retirement nest egg on a tax-advantaged basis. If you’re thinking about contributing to a plan at work, here are some of the advantages. With a 401(k) plan, you can opt to set aside a certain amount of your wages in a qualified retirement
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2023 Q4 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and other employers
September 26, 2023
Categories: #hh, C Corp, Deadlines, Extension, FICA tax, IRA
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. Note: Certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines may be postponed for taxpayers who reside in or have businesses in federally declared disaster areas. Monday,
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Investment swings: What’s the tax impact?
September 12, 2023
Categories: 401(k), Capital Loss, Investments, IRA, NIIT, Roth
Investment swings: What’s the tax impact? If your investments have fluctuated wildly this year, you may have already recognized some significant gains and losses. But nothing is decided tax-wise until year end when the final results of your trades will reveal your 2023 tax situation. Here’s what you need to know to avoid tax surprises. Tax-favored retirement accounts and taxable accounts If you’ve had wild swings in the value of investments held in a tax-favored 401(k),
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4 tax challenges you may encounter if you’re retiring soon
May 16, 2023
Categories: #hh, IRA, Retirement, Savings, Social Security, Tax
Are you getting ready to retire? If so, you’ll soon experience changes in your lifestyle and income sources that may have numerous tax implications. Here’s a brief rundown of four tax and financial issues you may contend with when you retire: Taking required minimum distributions. These are the minimum amounts you must withdraw from your retirement accounts. You generally must start taking withdrawals from your IRA, SEP, SIMPLE and other retirement plan accounts when you reach age
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Retirement saving options for your small business: Keep it simple
April 13, 2023
Categories: #hh, Business, Income, IRA, Retirement, Savings
If you’re thinking about setting up a retirement plan for yourself and your employees, but you’re worried about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved, there are a couple of options to consider. Let’s take a look at a “simplified employee pension” (SEP) or a “savings incentive match plan for employees” (SIMPLE). SEPs are intended as an attractive alternative to “qualified” retirement plans, particularly for small businesses.