Bankruptcy Law, Credit, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Don’t Leave these Important Tax Deductions on the Table

Tax time is almost here and with the new tax rules taking effect January 1, it is easy to get confused on what tax deductions you can and cannot include when filing your return. There are several tax breaks the tax reform eliminated for the 2018 tax year, but are still available to claim on your 2017 tax return.  Here are some of the most popular ones and the last year to take advantage of these tax benefits before they disappear.

Personal exemptions. One of the biggest tax breaks to disappear is the personal exemption. Starting in 2018, higher standard deductions, a larger child tax credit, and a new credit for non-child dependents will take the place of the personal exemption. However, for 2017 you can claim a $4,050 reduction in taxable income for every qualifying dependent. This generally includes yourself, your spouse, and children for whom you provide financial support.

State and local income tax deductions.  Some had initially hoped to prepay 2018 income taxes in 2017 to get further use of the deduction, but lawmakers specifically prohibited this.

Property tax deductions. This year will be the final tax year for which property taxes are deductible in full. Starting in 2018, property taxes will be subject to the same comprehensive $10,000 limit on all state and local taxes.

Mortgage interest deduction on home equity loans. The tax reform eliminated the deduction on home equity loan interest. Therefore, 2017 will be the last year that taxpayers can deduct interest on up to $100,000 in home equity debt as an itemized deduction.

Moving expenses. Tax reform took away the right to deduct your moving expenses. In 2018, to qualify, your new workplace must be at least 50 miles further away from your former home than your old workplace was, and you have to work full time at your new location for at least 39 weeks out of the 12 months following the move.

Miscellaneous deductions. These include unreimbursed employee expenses, tax-preparation fees, investment-related legal and accounting fees, and job-search costs.  These expenses are deductible only to the extent that they exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income.

Click here to read more on this story.

If you have any questions on this topic or are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade Garcia McMaken has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade Garcia McMaken website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Bankruptcy Law, Debt Relief, Timothy Kingcade Posts

Important Tax Deductions You Probably Don’t Know About

It’s that time of year, again.  With tax season officially upon us, do not miss out on some of these money-saving deductions.  The most recent numbers show that more than 45 million of us itemized deductions on our 1040s—claiming $1.2 trillion dollars’ worth of tax deductions.

Most taxpayers know about mortgage expense, student loans, medical expenses, and investment expense deductions, but itemized deductions do not stop there.

Here are some of the most overlooked tax deductions:

  • Subscriptions. You can deduct the cost of subscriptions when it comes to professional (as long as it is related to your job in some way) or investment-type publications.  This covers newspapers, magazines, newsletters, journals and do not forget your online subscriptions.  Keep in mind, this deduction is subject to the 2% floor, which means that you subtract 2% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the year from your deduction (and all other itemized deductions with the same floor).  The remainder is the amount you can claim for those deductions.
  • IRA Custodial Fees. You can deduct the administrative fees you pay for your IRA if these fees are billed as a separate transaction. This deduction applies to traditional and Roth IRA’s and is subject to the 2% AGI floor.
  • Job Search Expenses. If you looked for a new job last year, you can deduct your expenses related to job hunting (whether or not you actually got the job). This can include things like employment agency fees, preparing and sending out resumes, transportation expenses, even long-distance travel if your primary purpose in traveling was to look for a job.
  • Tax Expenses. You can deduct certain taxes you have paid from your taxable income. First, you can deduct any state and local taxes you pay, including real estate taxes and other property taxes, on your federal tax return. **Note that you can deduct state income taxes or state sales taxes, but not both.** You are allowed to deduct the full amount here, this is not subject to the 2% AGI floor limitation. Foreign income taxes and real estate taxes are also fully deductible. You can deduct any fees you pay to have your tax return professionally prepared. If you prepare your own taxes, you can deduct the cost of the software you use and any tax publications you purchased to help determine your return. These deductions are subject to the 2% AGI floor, and you can only deduct the expenses related to the return’s tax year. For example, in 2017 you would deduct tax preparation fees related to your 2016 tax return.

If you are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com

Related Resources:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/30/4-types-tax-deductions-probably-dont-know-about.html

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/The-10-Most-Overlooked-Tax-Deductions/INF12062.html