Tax planning for investments gets more complicated

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For investors, fall is a good time to review year-to-date gains and losses. Not only can it help you assess your financial health, but it also can help you determine whether to buy or sell investments before year end to save taxes. This year, you also need to keep in mind the impact of the […]

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Consider the tax advantages of investing in qualified small business stock

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While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduced most ordinary-income tax rates for individuals, it didn’t change long-term capital gains rates. They remain at 0%, 15% and 20%.                     The 0% rate generally applies to taxpayers in the bottom two ordinary-income tax brackets (now 10% […]

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Improving a struggling employee’s performance is a two-way street

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It’s easy to get frustrated when an employee is failing to produce the volume or quality of work you’re looking for. A business owner or department manager may even give in to the temptation to play the blame game, pointing a finger at the struggling worker and only exacerbating the situation. In truth, performance improvement […]

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The tax impact of the TCJA on estate planning

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The massive changes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made to income taxes have garnered the most attention. But the new law also made major changes to gift and estate taxes. While the TCJA didn’t repeal these taxes, it did significantly reduce the number of taxpayers who’ll be subject to them, at least for […]

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Fringe benefits: Don’t overlook disability coverage

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In many ways, the days of employers offering only “traditional” employee benefits are history. Now, novel perks such as on-site gyms, free snacks and pet insurance are all the rage. But it’s often the more traditional benefits that provide the most value to employees in the long run. Case in point: disability coverage. A common […]

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Sending your kids to day camp may provide a tax break

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  When school lets out, kids participate in a wide variety of summer activities. If one of the activities your child is involved with is day camp, you might be eligible for a tax credit! Dollar-for-dollar savings Day camp (but not overnight camp) is a qualified expense under the child and dependent care credit, which […]

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Do your employees a favor and remind them about their W-4s

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Employees don’t always fill out their W-4 forms accurately. For example, some may wrongly write “exempt” on the withholding portion of the form to ensure that no federal or state tax is withheld. Others may be inadvertently underwithholding because of recent tax law changes. Although the employees themselves are liable for improperly completing their W-4s, […]

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Be aware of the tax consequences before selling your home

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In many parts of the country, summer is peak season for selling a home. If you’re planning to put your home on the market soon, you’re probably thinking about things like how quickly it will sell and how much you’ll get for it. But don’t neglect to consider the tax consequences. Home sale gain exclusion […]

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May 2018 Tax & Business Alert

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DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN WEALTH MANAGEMENT PLAN? Everyone should have a wealth management plan. But taking a boilerplate approach could prevent you from achieving your specific goals. This article raises some key points to consider when devising a truly customized plan. CHOOSING BETWEEN A CALENDAR TAX YEAR AND A FISCAL TAX YEAR Many business […]

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April 2018 Tax & Business Alert

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS A BIT BETTER Virtually everyone has a credit and debit card these days. But many of us still live in fear of these plastic necessities because we’re not terribly familiar with the fine print of the arrangements under which they operate. Let’s get to know them a […]

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