Tax Planning

Third quarter 2018 tax planning letter

October 16, 2018 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in July, August, and September that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

IRS shoots down states’ SALT limitation workaround. For 2018 through 2025, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) limits an individual taxpayer’s annual SALT (state and local tax) deductions to a maximum of $10,000, with no carryover for taxes paid in excess of that amount. (The SALT deduction limit doesn’t apply to property taxes paid by a trade or business or in connection with the production of income.) As a result of this change, many taxpayers will not get a full federal income tax deduction for their payments of state and local taxes. Following the TCJA’s passage, some high-tax states implemented workarounds to mitigate the effect of the SALT deduction limit for their residents. One method used was the establishment of charitable funds to which taxpayers can contribute and receive a tax credit in exchange. The IRS has issued proposed regulations, which would apply to contributions after Aug. 27, 2018, that effectively kill this workaround. The regulations would provide that a taxpayer who makes payments to or transfers property to an entity eligible to receive tax deductible contributions must reduce his or her charitable deduction by the amount of any state or local tax credit the taxpayer receives or expects to receive.

Client tax planning letter – Q2 2018

July 16, 2018 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Clients:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in April, May, and June of 2018 that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

The IRS released a new draft version of the 2018 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The new Form is markedly different from the 2017 version of the form and would replace the current Form 1040, as well as the Form 1040A and the Form 1040EZ. In addition to reflecting a number of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA; P.L. 115-97, 12/22/2017), the “postcard” draft form is about half the size of the current version and contains far fewer lines than its predecessor. However, this reduction in length is countered by the fact that the draft form has six new accompanying schedules.

Client letter – Q1 2018 tax matter

April 17, 2018 | Mike Habib, EA

CLIENT LETTER EXPLAINS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR TAX SITUATION

Dear Clients:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in the first three months of 2018 that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

2017 year-end tax planning letter

November 20, 2017 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

Congress appears poised to enact a major tax reform law that could potentially make fundamental changes in the way you and your family calculate your federal income tax bill, and the amount of federal tax you will pay. This letter is designed to help you cope with the changes Congress is hammering into shape right now—to take advantage of tax breaks that may be heading your way, and to soften the impact of any crackdowns. Keep in mind, however, that while most experts expect a major tax law to be enacted this year, it’s by no means a sure bet. So keep a close eye on the news and don’t swing into action until the ink is dry on the President’s signature of the tax reform bill.

Client tax planning letter – fall 2017

October 17, 2017 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in the past three months that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

The Trump Administration and select members of Congress have released a “unified framework” for tax reform. The document provides more detail than a number of other tax reform documents that have emerged from the Administration over the past few months, but it still leaves many specifics to be worked out by the tax-writing committees (i.e. the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee).

Client tax update letter – summer 2017 back taxes collection

July 17, 2017 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in the past three months that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

Healthcare bill moves through Congress. On May 4, the House of Representatives passed along party lines the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), as amended. The House-passed bill would need to be reconciled with the Senate’s version of health reform legislation.

The AHCA would repeal virtually all of the ACA tax provisions, including the following. (Except as otherwise provided, the repeal would go into effect in 2017).

Tax letter – spring 2017 – tax settlements, employment IRS lien, 941 levy help

April 12, 2017 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

The following is a summary of important tax developments that have occurred in the past three months that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments and to minimize the impact of those that are unfavorable.

2015 Year-end tax planning letter

October 15, 2015 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client:

As the end of the year approaches, it is a good time to think of planning moves that will help lower your tax bill for this year and possibly the next. Factors that compound the challenge include turbulence in the stock market, overall economic uncertainty, and Congress’s failure to act on a number of important tax breaks that expired at the end of 2014. Some of these tax breaks ultimately may be retroactively reinstated and extended, as they were last year, but Congress may not decide the fate of these tax breaks until the very end of 2015 (or later). These breaks include, for individuals: the option to deduct state and local sales and use taxes instead of state and local income taxes; the above-the-line-deduction for qualified higher education expenses; tax-free IRA distributions for charitable purposes by those age 70- 1/2 or older; and the exclusion for up-to-$2 million of mortgage debt forgiveness on a principal residence. For businesses, tax breaks that expired at the end of last year and may be retroactively reinstated and extended include: 50% bonus first-year depreciation for most new machinery, equipment and software; the $500,000 annual expensing limitation; the research tax credit; and the 15-year writeoff for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant buildings and improvements, and qualified retail improvements.

Tax planning letter 2014-2015 tax year Los Angeles, Whittier, Orange California Tax Service

October 3, 2014 | Mike Habib, EA

Dear Client & Perspective Client:

Year-end tax planning is especially challenging this year because Congress has yet to act on a host of tax breaks that expired at the end of 2013. Some of these tax breaks may be retroactively reinstated and extended, but Congress may not decide the fate of these tax breaks until the very end of this year (and, possibly, not until next year). These breaks include, for individuals: the option to deduct state and local sales and use taxes instead of state and local income taxes; the above-the-line-deduction for qualified higher education expenses; tax-free IRA distributions for charitable purposes by those age 70-1/2 or older; and the exclusion for up-to-$2 million of mortgage debt forgiveness on a principal residence. For businesses, tax breaks that expired at the end of last year and may be retroactively reinstated and extended include: 50% bonus first year depreciation for most new machinery, equipment and software; the $500,000 annual expensing limitation; the research tax credit; and the 15-year write-off for qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant buildings and improvements and qualified retail improvements.

Should you Seek Professional Help for Tax Preparation?

April 10, 2014 | Mike Habib, EA

Tax preparation can be a very difficult task, especially when you are not good with numbers. Many people try their hands in doing their own taxes but end up in even more confusion and frustration. Seeking professional help is a better idea when it comes to tax preparation. Mike Habib EA, a tax professional, can help save you money and time, all the while relieving you from stress.