What Is a 1035 Exchange?

What Is a 1035 Exchange?

Dear Friend,

I hope you’ll forgive me for being blunt.

I realize that you may not be used to seeing a tax professional talk like this. It’s not my intention to offend (I’m actually being very careful with my words–I am a tax professional, after all).

But I think you’ll agree that the times we’re currently facing require a little straight talk.

Here’s a certain truth: the State and Federal Government would love to have more of your hard-earned money in their accounts. Sure, even though it’s painful, none of us begrudge paying our legal and fair share of taxes. But the problem is that regular taxpayers, like you, are missing out on legal and safe deductions, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in unclaimed refunds every year!

As a tax professional, it truly breaks my heart, knowing that just a few thousand, or even a few hundred bucks for us “regular guys” out of that vast pool of overcharging could make a world of difference–and they are just sitting there, unclaimed! And with the economy we’re facing now…it’s essential that the “right” professional handles your taxes and other financial matters.

You see, all tax professionals are not the same. From the “discount” chains (notice the quotes) to classic accounting firms, most fly through tax season in a disorganized mess–bleary-eyed and hopped-up on caffeine. It’s no wonder that they treat you like a number and lapse into excuses and tax-talk. (I told you that I would be blunt.)

I’ve put more of my thoughts on these matters in a Free Report for Individuals: “The New Tax Code: 9 Simple Tax Secrets Easily Overlooked by Taxpayers.”

Feel free to poke around our site and discover why I’ve been called “The Most Trusted Tax Professional in the Jackson county, MO Area.”

Mike Mead, EA, CTC
Alliance Financial & Income Tax 
807 NW Vesper Street
Blue Springs, MO. 64015 
P - 816-220-2001 x201  
F - 816-220-2012 
AFITOnline.com

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Surprise! The Mutual Fund Tax Trap

Too often taxpayers receive tax surprises at year-end due to actions taken by mutual funds they own. What can add insult to injury is the unsuspecting taxpayer who recently purchases the shares in a mutual fund only to be taxed on their recent investment. How does this happen and what can you do about it?

Tax surprises

Towards the end of each year, many mutual funds pay a dividend to the holders on record as of a set date. The fund might also distribute funds deemed as capital gains based upon buying and selling activity that takes place in the fund throughout the year. This can create many problems:

• Taxable paybacks. If you purchase shares in a mutual fund just before a distribution of dividends, part of your purchase includes the dividends that are effectively paid right back to you. Not only will the asset value of your recently purchased shares in the mutual fund go down after the distribution, but you will owe tax on a distribution that is effectively your own money!
• Kiddie tax surprise. Many taxpayers purchase mutual funds in their children's names to take advantage of their lower-tax rates. By keeping their child’s unearned income below $2,100 the tax is low or non-existent. A surprise dividend or capital gain could expose much of this unearned income to higher tax rates.
• The $3,000 loss strategy. Each year, you may take a net of up to $3,000 in investment losses. Your losses can offset high rates of income tax with correct tax planning. But first, these losses need to offset capital gains. If you receive a surprise capital gain, you could be reducing the effectiveness of this tax strategy.

What to do

Here are some ideas to help reduce this mutual fund tax surprise provided by your Blue Springs financial advisers office of Alliance Financial & Income Tax.

• Limit year-end activity. Plan your mutual fund moves with this year-end surprise in mind. Consider reviewing and re-balancing your funds at the beginning of the year to avoid fund purchases just prior to dividend distributions.
• Research your mutual funds. If you wish to avoid a year-end surprise, do a little research on your mutual funds to anticipate what will happen with the fund. Check out the historic trends of your funds to determine which are most likely to issue a surprise Form 1099 DIV or Form 1099 B (capital gain/loss).
• Use the knowledge to your benefit. If you like a fund and it has a practice of creating taxable events each year, consider investing in these funds within a retirement account. That way the tax implications can be part of your retirement planning.

No one likes a surprise at tax time. The best course of action regarding your mutual funds is to consult with an tax expert who can help you navigate the options that are best for you.

Five Reasons Why the IRS Will Audit You

Each year, the IRS audits over 1 million tax returns. With agency resources shrinking, the IRS is more selective when choosing tax returns to audit. Knowing what the IRS is looking for can help you understand and reduce your audit risk. Here are five of the biggest reasons the IRS may choose to audit your return, provided by your Blue Springs income tax services firm of Alliance Financial & Income Tax.

1. Your income is high or low. The reasoning is simple – higher earnings may lead to bigger errors and lower earnings may mean incorrect deductions. The adjusted gross income (AGI) range with the least audit risk is $25,000 - $200,000. As your income moves toward the extremes in either direction, the chance of audit increases.
   
2. You fail to report all your income. The IRS Automated Underreporter Program matches W-2 and 1099 information with the information you report on your tax return. When a mismatch occurs, expect to receive an automated CP2000 notice from the IRS notifying you of the additional amount due.
3. You own a business. Rules regarding business deductions are confusing and constantly changing. The IRS knows this. Incorrectly deducting personal expenses or having your business classified as a hobby, thereby eliminating deductions, can get you in trouble with the IRS. Cash heavy businesses are under increased scrutiny due to higher fraud rates. Solid tracking processes and good records are necessities for income and expense substantiation.
4. You make a math error. The IRS identified over 2.5 million math errors on 2016 returns. The biggest culprits are tax and credit calculations. Math errors can create a two-fold problem for you – additional tax owed and more scrutiny applied to other parts of your tax return.
5. You claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. According to a report by the U.S. Treasury Department, 24 percent or $16.8 billion in EITC payments were issued improperly in Fiscal Year 2016. Numbers that large are sure to get the IRS’s attention. Eligibility confusion and calculation errors are mostly to blame.

While some of the risk factors are out of your control, many can be minimized. If you are chosen for an audit, don’t deal with the IRS alone – please call for help.

Tax reform brings changes to qualified moving expenses

For businesses that have employees, there are changes to fringe benefits that can affect a business’s bottom line and their employee’s tax liabilities. One of these changes is to qualified moving expenses.

Under previous law, payment or reimbursement of an employee’s qualified moving expenses were not subject to income or employment taxes.

Under last year’s tax reform legislation, employers must include all moving expenses, in employees’ wages, subject to income and employment taxes.

Exception
Generally, members of the U.S. Armed Forces can still exclude qualified moving expense reimbursements from their income if:

• They are on active duty
• They move pursuant to a military order and incident to a permanent change of station
• The moving expenses would qualify as a deduction if the employee didn’t get a reimbursement

Transition rule
There is a transition rule under the new law. Under this rule, certain payments or reimbursements aren’t subject to federal income or employment taxes. This includes amounts that:

• An employer pays a third party in 2018 for qualified moving services provided to an employee prior to 2018.
• An employer reimburses an employee in 2018 for qualified moving expenses incurred prior to 2018.

To qualify for the transition rule, the payments or reimbursements must be for qualified expenses which would have been deductible by the employee if the employee had directly paid them before Jan. 1, 2018. The employee must not have deducted them in 2017.

Corrections
Employers who have included amounts covered by the exception or the transition rule in individuals’ wages or compensation can take steps to correct taxable wages and employment taxes.

6 Last-Second Money-Saving Tax Moves

As 2018 winds down, there is still time to reduce your potential tax obligation. Here are some ideas to make your 2018 tax return less of a burden on your wallet from your Blue Springs income tax services firm Alliance Financial & Income Tax.

1. Accelerate expenses. Individual taxpayers are on the cash basis for income tax purposes. This means your income is taxable when you receive it and expenses count when you pay them. Depending on your situation, shifting deductions between years can make a big difference on your tax bill. With this knowledge, making additional deductible payments prior to the end of the year may be a good idea. Examples include property tax payments, mortgage interest payments and charitable donations.
2. Make effective use of capital losses. Up to $3,000 in capital losses can be claimed each year to reduce your ordinary income. This loss limitation is calculated after netting all your capital losses against any capital gains. When you have more losses than gains, up to $3,000 can be used to reduce your other income. With careful planning you can take advantage of this loss amount each year.
3. Fund tax-deferred retirement accounts. An easy way to reduce your taxable income is to fully fund retirement accounts that have tax-deferred status. The most common accounts are 401(k)s, 403(b)s and various IRAs (traditional, SEP and SIMPLE).
4. Take advantage of the annual gift exclusion. For 2018, you may provide gifts up to $15,000 to as many individuals as you wish without tax consequences. This could include gifts of cash or property, including investments. Taking advantage of the annual exclusion is a great way to lower your taxable estate.
5. Give to charities. Consider making end-of-year donations to eligible charities. Donations of property in good or better condition and your charitable mileage are also deductible. Receiving proper documentation that acknowledges your contributions is important to ensure you obtain the full deduction. Have a plan by knowing your total deductions for the year to help you decide how much to donate. Pulling some donations planned for 2019 into 2018 may be a good strategy.
6. Donate appreciated stock. By donating appreciated stock owned one year or longer to a favorite charity, you receive two benefits. First, you will not have to claim the capital gain on the appreciation of your investment. Second, you can claim the higher market value of the stock as your contribution amount. The procedure you need to follow to qualify your donation of appreciated stock is fairly strict. Ask for help from your broker and the charitable organization to ensure it is done correctly.

This is a short list of some of the ideas you can use to lower your tax obligation in 2018. If interested, please call for help with reviewing your situation.

It’s that time of year...

It’s that time of year, advertising by the big box tax franchises, trying to convince you to spend your hard earned dollars with them. They “offer” gimmicks, deals, etc. The millions of dollars spent in advertising has to be recouped somehow, and that’s exorbitant prices and suspect “customer service”.

Alliance Financial & Income Tax has been in business since 2002, we offer no gimmicks, “deals”, etc. We don’t have to recoup millions in advertising dollars and we offer true customer service. If you’re tired of just being a number and want to be truly taken care of, call us at 816-220-2001 or schedule online.

We provide income tax services and financial services in Blue Springs and surrounding areas.