IRS updates life expectancy tables that determine RMDs
If you've been saving for retirement, then you likely are as jazzed as I am about a provision of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, or SECURE Act. This law, which took effect this year, gives all us owners of tax-deferred retirement savings accounts an…
Will the IRS be ready for the 2021 tax season?
2020, a year that many of us would just as soon forget, will end in just more than two months. This federal tax filing season, however, will continue for folks who've endured some of the notable natural disasters that have helped make 2020 so terrible. Last week, the Internal Revenue…
Nov. 3 ballot initiatives/ Taxes
In addition to selecting who gets to go to, or stay in, Washington, D.C., voters across the country on Nov. 3 will decide on a variety of ballot measures. This coming Election Day, citizens in 32 states will decide the fate of 120 statewide initiatives. There also are measures on…
Standard & itemized tax deductions for 2021
Tax year in and tax year out, most folks claim the standard deduction instead of itemizing. The option has always been appealing because it's easy. There are no receipts to save. Even better, the Internal Revenue Service provides the standard amount you can claim, based on your filing status, right there…
Work from home pros, cons and home office tax tip
Not that calendars matter so much anymore to many of us — including me — who are still coronavirus quarantining. But time measurement and management are still important if you're working, or trying to, from home. States are in various degrees of reopening, meaning more of us have or will be heading…
Higher earners face more payroll taxes in 2021 as Social Security wage base goes to $142,800
The Social Security Administration (SSA) just gave retirees and other recipients of the program's payments some good news with the announcement of a small hike in their benefits year. Some higher earners, however, aren't so happy. In the same benefits raise announcement, the SSA noted that the amount of income subject to the…
IRS provides tax relief for victims of September wildfires in California; Oct. 15 deadline, other dates extended to Jan. 15
WASHINGTON — Victims of the California wildfires that began on Sept. 4 now have until Jan. 15, 2021, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service announced today. The IRS is offering this relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency…
10 ways FSA/HSA funds can help you cope with COVID-19
Life is stressful in the best of times. We definitely are not in the best of times. We're dealing with a contentious presidential election during a deadly pandemic. Plus, flu season is almost here. Mother Nature keeps whacking us with disasters. Kids are going back to school or not, both…
6 tax moves to make this October
Hello, October! You're always welcome at my house. I love your cooler temperatures that let me open windows and doors and put an end to exorbitant air conditioning costs. I love the color changes of trees and shrubs. And I love the candy that I accidentally (really!) over-buy in preparation…
How to Maximize Your Tax Return for a Bigger Refund
1. Don’t Leave Money on the Table If you forget to use all of your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) dollars or don’t make contributions to your individual retirement and 529 accounts, you could leave money on the table. You have until December 31 to use money in your FSA or…
