CLE Presentation by Shamsey Oloko
Interest on Home Equity Loans Often Still Deductible Under new Law
Interest on Home Equity Loans Still Deductible Under New Law
The Internal Revenue Service today advised taxpayers that in many cases they can continue to deduct interest paid on home equity loans.
Responding to many questions received from taxpayers and tax professionals, the IRS said that despite newly-enacted restrictions on home mortgages, taxpayers can often still deduct interest on a home equity loan, home equity line of credit (HELOC) or second mortgage, regardless of how the loan is labelled. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, enacted Dec. 22, suspends from 2018 until 2026 the deduction for interest paid on home equity loans and lines of credit, unless they are used to buy, build or substantially improve the taxpayer’s home that secures the loan.
The $10,000 SALT Limit and the Rental Real Estate
The $10,000 SALT Limit and the Rental Real Estate
Under the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, State And Local Tax (SALT) deductions are limited to $10,000. How does this affect the individual taxpayer?
QUESTION: Are SALT payments made on my rental real estate subject to the $10,000 cap?
ANSWER: Generally, under the old law, all SALT payments were deductible. However, the new law caps deductible SALT at an aggregate of $10,000 for individual taxpayers.
OF SALT, TAXES & MORTGAGES…
OF SALT, TAXES AND MORTGAGES…
Do you pay State and Local Taxes (SALT)? If you live in any of New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, or any other of the so-called high-tax states, you likely pay more than the national average in SALT. Prior to 2018, you were allowed to itemize all of your SALT payments on your federal tax returns. However, the recently passed law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, curbs the deductibility and otherwise affects you disproportionately, compared with the rest of the country. The changes to the deduction of State and Local Taxes (SALT) on federal tax returns are generally as follows
AN ANALYSIS OF THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
January 2018
AN ANALYSIS OF THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
On December 22, 2017, after much, well-publicized legislative skirmishes, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1, otherwise known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” Provisions affecting individuals are generally effective beginning December 31, 2017 and expire on December 31, 2025. Most business-related provisions are permanent and are effective beginning December 31, 2017.
This new law is, by all accounts, the most significant revisions to the U.S. tax code since 1986, affecting almost all individual and business taxpayers. Our firm’s general assessment of the new law will therefore be a two-part series: this first part covers changes to individual taxpayers, and the second part will cover changes to business taxpayers.
How Will The Trump Tax Plan Affect You?
How will incoming President Donald Trump’s tax plan affect individual and corporate taxpayers alike? Trump has promised on several occasions that his new tax scheme will help most individual, business and corporate taxpayers save taxes. Some of the plan’s provisions will lower the business tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. He says that he will reduce the seven individual tax brackets that are currently used to only three. His plan adapts the current rates for qualified capital gains and dividends to these three new brackets. Also of significance is that the new tax plan will eliminate the net investment income tax and the individual and corporate alternative minimum taxes.
Most Confusing Parts Of The Income Tax Code, Part 3: Retirement Accounts
Many provisions of the Internal Revenue Code are complicated. Proper interpretation of the rules and regulations contained in these provisions requires the assistance of an experienced and knowledgeable tax professional. The third part of our series about the most confusing provisions of the Internal Revenue Code addresses retirement accounts.
There are over a dozen different tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts, each with its own set of rules governing contributions, distributions and when money may be withdrawn without incurring any penalties.
Why Is It Confusing?
- There are a large list of incentives from which to choose
The Effects Of Trump’s Tax Plan On Individuals And Businesses
Donald Trump’s most current tax plan promises to save taxes for most individual taxpayers. One way is the elimination of the alternative minimum tax. What are some other ways? Trump’s tax plan:
- Adapts the current rates for qualified capital gains and dividends to the new brackets.
- Eliminates the head of household filing status.
- Eliminates the Net Investment Income Tax.
- Increases the standard deduction from $6,300 to $15,000 for singles and from $12,600 to $30,000 for married couples filing jointly.
Taxes And Medical Expenses
Taxpayers that itemize personal deductions instead of claiming the standard deduction may deduct qualifying medical expenses to the extent that such expenses exceed 10 percent of adjusted gross income (“AGI”). Taxpayers that are 65 years or older, or turned 65 during the tax year, may deduct unreimbursed medical care expenses that exceed 7.5% of AGI. This threshold amount remains at 7.5% of adjusted gross income for these taxpayers until Dec. 31, 2016. I.R.C. §213(f).
Deductions And Long-Term Care Insurance
A long-term care insurance premium, or a part thereof, may be deductible from federal income taxes as a medical expense. Acknowledging that it can’t assume the primary role in paying for Americans’ long-term health care, the federal government offers tax incentives to encourage middle-aged and older taxpayers to assume responsibility for their future health care needs. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) included provisions for favorable tax treatment of Long-Term Care insurance (LTCi) contracts that meet statutory qualifications.