Check the tax savings of combining business and pleasure on the same trip this summer. Within theU.S., if the primary purpose of the trip is business and you add on a side trip or an extra few days for pleasure, you can deduct all the travel costs to and from your business destination and all other business-related costs. You can’t deduct costs related to the pleasure portion.

Three important birthdays affect your retirement plan:

* At age 50, you can make extra “catch-up” contributions to your IRA and 401(k) savings. For 2013, these are $1,000 and $5,500, respectively.

* After age 59½, you’re eligible to make penalty-free withdrawals from your IRAs.

* Beginning no later than the year after you reach age 70½, you’re required to take minimum distributions from your traditional IRAs each year.

Need more details? Contact our office.

Whether you’re a stock market bull or bear, you have investment expenses – and you may be wondering if they’re deductible on your federal income tax return.

Here’s a quick review.

* What are investment expenses? Investment expenses are amounts you pay to produce or collect taxable income, or to manage, conserve, or maintain your investments.

Professional investment advice or financial newspaper subscriptions are examples of deductible items, as is safe deposit box rent when you use the box to store investment papers. You can also claim fees you incur for replacing stock certificates.

* How much is deductible? Investment expenses are miscellaneous itemized deductions, meaning your total costs generally have to be greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income before you benefit. Other limits may also apply.

* What isn’t deductible? Some investment costs, such as broker’s commissions for buying and selling stocks, are considered part of your basis and affect your gain or loss when you sell the investment instead of being currently deductible.

Travel and fees you pay to attend seminars, conventions, or other meetings – including stockholder meetings – are not deductible, nor are expenses related to tax-exempt income.

Other rules govern certain costs related to your investments, such as interest paid on money you borrow to buy stocks.

Please give us a call to discuss investment-related expenses. We’ll be happy to help you get the greatest benefit.

Planning to change employers this year? As you look forward to starting your new job, you’re probably not thinking about taxes. But actions you take now can have an impact next April – and beyond.

Here are three tax-smart tips:

* Roll your retirement plan. You may be tempted to cash out the balance in your employer-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k). But remember that distributions from these plans are generally taxable.

Instead, ask your plan administrator to make a direct rollover to your IRA or another qualified plan. If you’re under age 59½, this decision also avoids the additional 10% penalty on early distributions. Bonus: Your retirement money will continue to grow tax-deferred.

* Adjust your withholding. Assess your overall tax situation before you complete Form W-4 for your new employer. Did you receive severance pay, unemployment compensation, or other taxable income? You might need to increase your withholding to avoid an unexpected tax bill when you file your return.

* Keep track of your job-related expenses. Unreimbursed employment agency fees, résumé preparation costs, and certain travel expenses can be claimed as itemized deductions.

Are you moving at least 50 miles to your new job? You may be able to reduce your income even if you don’t itemize. Eligible moving expenses are an above-the-line deduction.

More tax issues to consider when you change jobs include stock options, employment-related educational expenses, and the sale of your home. Give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you implement tax-saving strategies.

It’s midyear 2013, and if you haven’t thought about your 2013 tax situation yet, it’s time to do so. By now, you should have a good idea of what your 2013 income and deductions will be. There are several very significant tax changes this year, and you need to start planning now if any of them will affect you. Don’t procrastinate or you could end up paying more tax for 2013 than necessary. Contact us to schedule your midyear review.

The IRS recently announced the inflation-adjusted contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) for 2014. HSAs allow taxpayers with high-deductible health insurance plans to set aside pretax dollars that can be withdrawn tax-free to pay unreimbursed medical expenses. The 2014 contribution limit for individuals is $3,300; the limit for family coverage is $6,550. A catch-up contribution of an additional $1,000 is permitted for individuals who are 55 or older.

If you have assets in a foreign account and the total value exceeded $10,000 at any time, you must file the “Foreign Bank Account Report” (commonly called FBAR) by June 28, 2013. The FBAR is an annual information form, filed separately from your federal income tax return. The 2012 FBAR must be received by the Treasury Department by the deadline, not just postmarked by that date. No filing extension is available, and penalties for failing to file are steep. You may choose to file electronically. For details or filing assistance, please contact our office.

The IRS will close all of its operations on June 14, July 5, July 22, and August 30, 2013. The current budget situation, including the sequester, has made these closures necessary; IRS employees will be furloughed without pay on these days. Taxpayers should continue to file returns and pay any taxes due as usual, though on these days the IRS will not answer toll-free hotlines or accept or acknowledge receipt of electronically filed returns. Electronic deposits of employment and excise taxes must be made as usual.

Are you looking for a way to help your child with buying a home? Some strategies you might consider include lending your child money, gifting under the annual gift tax exclusion, pledging securities, and equity sharing.

Assuming you have enough liquid assets, you can effectively act as the mortgage lender to your child by lending money to pay for the house.

Another option is to give the child money for a down payment on a house. Making a gift to your child for the down payment is an ideal situation for parents who are primarily concerned with decreasing the size of their estate and the taxes on it after their death. Current tax law lets individuals make annual gifts of up to $14,000 per person. If both parents join in the gift, they can give the child $28,000 without any gift tax liability.

With some planning, even larger gifts can be made. For instance, if the child is married, his or her spouse is also eligible to receive gifts. Collectively, a married couple could receive $56,000 in gift-tax-free cash for a home purchase. If the gift is spread over a new year, it can be increased to double the amount, giving the child and his or her spouse $112,000 toward the cost of the home.

Another possibility is pledging securities to secure a child’s home loan at a financial institution. By pledging securities instead of selling them, the parents can be saved from a potentially taxable event.

Finally, another alternative is equity sharing where the ownership of the home is shared. Typically, the parent makes the down payment, and the child pays the mortgage payment, utilities, taxes, and other ongoing expenses. The home is jointly owned, and the family can agree on a split of any appreciation in value if the home is later sold.

For details on these and other options available to parents who want to help their child buy a home, give us a call.

Once you’ve filed your 2012 tax return, you may wonder what records you can toss and what you should keep. Here are some suggestions.

Keep records that directly support income or expense items on your tax return. For income, this includes W-2s, 1099s, and Form K-1s. Also keep records of any other income you might have received from other sources. It’s also a good idea to save your bank statements and investment statements from brokers.

For expense items, keep your cancelled checks as well as support for any itemized deductions you claimed. This includes acknowledgments from charitable organizations and backup for taxes paid, mortgage interest, medical deductions, work expenses, and miscellaneous deductions. Even if you don’t itemize, keep records of expenses for child care, medical insurance if you’re self-employed, and any other expenses that appear on your return.

The IRS can audit you routinely for three years after you file your return. But in cases where income is underreported, they can audit for up to six years. To be safe, keep your records for seven years.

Keep certain other records longer. These include records relating to your house purchase and any improvements you make. Also keep records of investment purchases, dividends reinvested, retirement plan contributions, and any major gifts you make or receive. And finally, keep copies of all your tax returns and W-2s in case you ever need to prove your earnings for social security purposes.

Please call our office if you have specific questions about recordkeeping.