There’s Still Time to Contribute to an IRA for 2012
There’s still time to make a regular IRA contribution for 2012! You have until your tax return due date (not including extensions) to contribute up to $5,000 for 2012 ($6,000 if you were age 50 by December 31, 2012). For most taxpayers, the contribution deadline for 2012 is April 15, 2013.
You can contribute to a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or both, as long as your total contributions don’t exceed the annual limit. You may also be able to contribute to an IRA for your spouse for 2012, even if your spouse didn’t have any 2012 income.
Traditional IRA
You can contribute to a traditional IRA for 2012 if you had taxable compensation and you were not age 70½ by December 31, 2012. However, if you or your spouse was covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan in 2012, then your ability to deduct your contributions may be limited or eliminated depending on your filing status and your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) (see table below). Even if you can’t deduct your traditional IRA contribution, you can always make nondeductible (after-tax) contributions to a traditional IRA, regardless of your income level. However, in most cases, if you’re eligible, you’ll be better off contributing to a Roth IRA instead of making nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA.
2012 income phaseout ranges for determining deductibility of traditional IRA contributions:
1. Covered by an employer-sponsored plan and filing as:
a. Your IRA deduction is reduced if your MAGI is:
Single/Head of household: $58,000 to $68,000
Married filing jointly: $92,000 to $112,000
Married filing separately: $0 to $10,000
b. Your IRA deduction is eliminated if your MAGI is:
Single/Head of household: $68,000 or more
Married filing jointly$112,000 or more
Married filing separately: $10,000 or more
2. Not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan, but filing joint return with a spouse who is covered by a plan
a. Your IRA deduction is reduced if your MAGI is: $173,000 to $183,000
b. Your IRA deduction is eliminated if your MAGI is: $183,000 or more
Roth IRA
You can contribute to a Roth IRA if your MAGI is within certain dollar limits (even if you’re 70½ or older).
For 2012, if you file your federal tax return as single or head of household, you can make a full Roth contribution if your income is $110,000 or less. Your maximum contribution is phased out if your income is between $110,000 and $125,000, and you can’t contribute at all if your income is $125,000 or more.
Similarly, if you’re married and file a joint federal tax return, you can make a full Roth contribution if your income is $173,000 or less. Your contribution is phased out if your income is between $173,000 and $183,000, and you can’t contribute at all if your income is $183,000 or more. And if you’re married filing separately, your contribution phases out with any income over $0, and you can’t contribute at all if your income is $10,000 or more.
Even if you can’t make an annual contribution to a Roth IRA because of the income limits, there’s an easy workaround. If you haven’t yet reached age 70½, you can simply make a nondeductible contribution to a traditional IRA, and then immediately convert that traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to aggregate all traditional IRAs and SEP/SIMPLE IRAs you own–other than IRAs you’ve inherited–when you calculate the taxable portion of your conversion.
Finally, keep in mind that if you make a contribution to a Roth IRA for 2012–no matter how small–by your tax return due date, and this is your first Roth IRA contribution, your five-year holding period for identifying qualified distributions from all your Roth IRAs (other than inherited accounts) will start on January 1, 2012.
A financial plan is essential for you to know how to invest your money.
To over simplify, financial planning is how you manage your finances and establish a path to reaching your goals. Investment management is one part of managing your finances. It is the part that determines how your savings will be invested.
Financial planning starts with your goals. The amount and timing are critical. Prioritizing your financial goals is necessary. You can assign a priority of 1 to 10 or categorize your goals by what is needed, what is wanted and what is wished for. This will be essential as you monitor your progress. Life and unanticipated events are not controllable and may require adjustments. Adjustments may result in changes to your goals, the timing of your goals, or your spending.
A reserve fund is needed to absorb unexpected events. Reserves should be held so that they are quickly assessable, that is, liquid. Six months of reserve are generally recommended. As you approach each goal, the reserve fund should be increased. This will avoid the impact of fluctuating investment values when the funds are needed. The amount of liquid assets should be increased as you near retirement. This minimizes the need to sell investments when the market is depressed. Two years of liquid funds are generally recommended for retirees. A portion of the funds for living expenses in retirement might be held in short-term bond funds or bonds.
Investments are purchased with the amount of your savings that exceed your reserves. The amount that is used for investments must be sufficient to reach your goals. Education expenses and health care are two categories of expenses that have exceeded what people anticipated. Many people underestimate the amount they will need in retirement. Because life expectancy has increased and people have retired early, many people will not be able meet their retirement goals.
The planning process needs to consider the above events and your ability to withstand losses.
The above has touched on cash planning, investment planning, education planning, risk assessment and retirement planning. All the planning areas need to fit together. How you manage your investments is dependent on the other areas of your financial plan.
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IRS announced a simplified method to claim a Home Office Deduction, starting in 2013
A new optional deduction will reduce the paperwork and recordkeeping burden on small businesses. The deduction is based on $5 a square foot for up to 300 square feet.
Current restrictions on the home office deduction still apply. That includes the requirement to use the home office regularly and exclusively for business and the limit to the income from the business.
This method eliminates the need to file form 8829. A new simplified form will be provided to claim the home office deduction under the new rule.
The deduction for depreciation of the portion of the home used in a trade or business will not be permitted if
the simplified option is used. Allowable mortgage interest, real estate tax and casualty losses on the home can
be claimed as itemized deduction on Schedule A. these deductions need not be allocated between personal
and business use.
Business expenses unrelated to the home such as advertising, supplies and wages paid to employees will still be fully deductible.
READ MORE: http://tinyurl.com/bxa5vce
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New rules for 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) in-plan Roth conversions in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), enacted to avoid the fiscal cliff, includes a provision that may be important to certain retirement plan participants. ATRA makes it easier to make Roth conversions inside your 401(k) plan (if your plan permits).
A 401(k) in-plan Roth conversion (also called an “in-plan Roth rollover”) allows you to transfer the non-Roth portion of your 401(k) plan account (for example, your pretax contributions and company match) into a designated Roth account within the same plan. You’ll have to pay federal income tax now on the amount you convert, but qualified distributions from your Roth account in the future will be entirely income tax free. Also, the 10% early distribution penalty generally doesn’t apply to amounts you convert.
While in-plan conversions have been around since 2010, they haven’t been widely used, because they were available only if you were otherwise entitled to a distribution from your plan–for example, upon terminating employment, turning 59½, becoming disabled, or in other limited circumstances.
ATRA has eliminated the requirement that you be eligible for a distribution from the plan in order to make an in-plan conversion. Beginning in 2013, if your plan permits, you can convert any part of your traditional 401(k) plan account into a designated Roth account. The new law also applies to 403(b) and 457(b) plans that allow Roth contributions.
This provision will not be beneficial to all participates of plans the permit an in-plan Roth conversion. There are many factors to consider in deciding if it could be beneficial to you. Be sure to evaluate your current and future tax situation when making the decision.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
The new year began with some political drama, as last-minute negotiations attempted to avert sending the nation over the “fiscal cliff.” Technically, we actually did go over the cliff, however briefly, as a host of tax provisions and automatic spending cuts took effect at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2012. However, January 1, 2013, saw legislation–retroactively effective–pass the U.S. Senate, and then later the House of Representatives. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) permanently extends a number of major tax provisions and temporarily extends many others. Here are the basics.
Tax rates
For most individuals, the legislation permanently extends the lower federal income tax rates that have existed for the last decade. That means most taxpayers will continue to pay tax according to the same six tax brackets (10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35%) that applied for 2012. The top federal income tax rate, however, will increase to 39.6% beginning in 2013 for individuals with income that exceeds $400,000 ($450,000 for married couples filing joint returns).
Generally, lower tax rates that applied to long-term capital gain and qualifying dividends have been permanently extended for most individuals as well. If you’re in the 10% or 15% marginal income tax bracket, a special 0% rate generally applies. If you are in the 25%, 28%, 33%, or 35% tax brackets, a 15% maximum rate will generally apply. Beginning in 2013, however, those who pay tax at the higher 39.6% federal income tax rate (i.e., individuals with income that exceeds $400,000, or married couples filing jointly with income that exceeds $450,000) will be subject to a maximum rate of 20% for long-term capital gain and qualifying dividends.
Alternative minimum tax (AMT)
The AMT is essentially a parallel federal income tax system with its own rates and rules. The last temporary AMT “patch” expired at the end of 2011, threatening to dramatically increase the number of individuals subject to the AMT for 2012. The American Taxpayer Relief Act permanently extends AMT relief, retroactively increasing the AMT exemption amounts for 2012, and providing that the exemption amounts will be indexed for inflation in future years. The Act also permanently extends provisions that allowed nonrefundable personal income tax credits to be used to offset AMT liability.
2012 AMT Exemption Amounts
Before Act
After Act
Married filing jointly
$45,000
$78,750
Unmarried individuals
$33,750
$50,600
Married filing separately
$22,500
$39,375
Estate tax
The Act makes permanent the $5 million exemption amounts (indexed for inflation) for the estate tax, the gift tax, and the generation-skipping transfer tax–the same exemptions that were in effect for 2011 and 2012. The top tax rate, however, is increased to 40% (up from 35%) beginning in 2013.
The Act also permanently extends the “portability” provision in effect for 2011 and 2012 that allows the executor of a deceased individual’s estate to transfer any unused exemption amount to the individual’s surviving spouse.
Phaseout or limitation of itemized deductions and personal exemptions
In the past, itemized deductions and personal and dependency exemptions were phased out or limited for high-income individuals. Since 2010, neither itemized deductions nor personal and dependency exemptions have been subject to phaseout or limitation based on income, but those provisions expired at the end of 2012.
The new legislation provides that, beginning in 2013, personal and dependency exemptions will be phased out for those with incomes exceeding specified income thresholds. Similarly, itemized deductions will be limited. For both the personal and dependency exemptions phaseout and the itemized deduction limitation, the threshold is $250,000 for single individuals ($300,000 for married individuals filing joint federal income tax returns).
Other expiring or expired provisions made permanent
“Marriage penalty” relief in the form of an increased standard deduction amount for married couples and expanded 15% federal income tax bracket.
Expanded tax credit provisions relating to the dependent care tax credit, the adoption tax credit, and the child tax credit.
Higher limits and more generous rules of application relating to certain education provisions, including Coverdell education savings accounts, employer-provided education assistance, and the student loan interest deduction.
Temporary extensions
Provisions relating to increased earned income tax credit amounts for families with three or more children are extended through 2017.
American Opportunity credit provisions relating to maximum credit amount, refundability, and phaseout limits are extended through 2017.
The $250 above-the-line tax deduction for educator classroom expenses, the limited ability to deduct mortgage insurance premiums as qualified residence interest, the ability to deduct state and local sales tax in lieu of the itemized deduction for state and local income tax, and the deduction for qualified higher education expenses are all extended through 2013.
Charitable IRA distributions (IRA holders over age 70½ are able to exclude from income up to $100,000 in qualified distributions made to charitable organizations) are extended through 2013; special rules apply for the 2012 tax year.
Exclusion of qualified mortgage debt forgiveness from income provisions extended through 2013.
Exclusion of 100% of the capital gain from the sale of qualified small business stock extended to apply to stock acquired before January 1, 2014.
50% bonus depreciation and expanded Section 179 expense limits extended through 2013.
The above summary provides an outline of key provisions. Congress and or the IRS will provide clarifiication and additional details in the future.
