Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

This year you can give up to $14,000 to as many persons as you want without any gift tax liability. If you’re married and your spouse joins in the gift, you can, as a couple, elect to give $28,000 to each person with no gift tax liability. Once December 31st, has come and gone, your 2015 gift tax exclusion is also gone. If you plan to make gifts this year, remember that your gifts must be completed by then.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
When you’re short of cash, raiding your 401(k) plan is NOT a good idea. Here are two reasons why.

Penalties and taxes. If you’re under 59½ years old, you’ll be hit with a 10% early withdrawal penalty. There are some exceptions to the rule, but the money you take out will be taxed at your regular tax rate.

Lost opportunity. If your 401(k) earns an annual return of 5% over the next 30 years, an account balance with $50,000 could grow to over $215,000. A withdrawal taken and spent today will cost you that growth.

Bottom line: You got to find other ways to pay your bills, even if that means contributing less to your 401(k) in the short term. While it’s wise to take advantage of the company 401-K matching, you might consider reducing contributions that exceed the matching amount.

You might be thinking, what about 401-K loans? A 401(k) loan also has drawbacks. Again, money that’s not in your account won’t grow. So if you lose your job, you’ll have to repay the the loan balance or you’ll have to report it as taxable distribution with 10% tax penalty.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
Can your wage income tax withholding cover your income taxes liability before the end of the year? If not, here are your 3 options:

1. Make estimated tax payments. The only downside is that you might be subject to penalties for underpayment of quarterly estimated taxes – meaning you may owe a penalty when your quarterly estimated tax payments (plus withholding) total less than 25% of your required annual payment.
2. The better option is, you can increase your wage income tax withholding before the end of the year. What is the advantage of doing that? You are not subject to any underpayment penalties because IRS looks at wage income tax withholding as paid equally throughout the year.
3. And lastly, here’s the best option, look if you can either maximize your 401-K deductions, company pre-tax benefits or prepay some expenses that is deductible for this year. That way, your taxes will be reduced and will hopefully result in a tax refund next year.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
Whether you should take social security retirement benefits at the earliest possible date or defer benefits until reaching normal retirement age (or even age 70), depends on several factors. For example, you’ll want to consider your overall health and life expectancy, your plans to earn income before reaching normal retirement age, anticipated returns on your other investments, and, surprisingly, your guess about the future of the social security program. As you can tell, the decision isn’t one-size-fits-all.
For instance, say your savings won’t cover ongoing expenses and you need to rely on social security income to make ends meet. In that case, deferring social security benefits may not be an option for you.
But if your financial circumstances offer more financial flexibility, deferring your benefits can be an advantage. For each year you delay (up to age 70), the payouts increase. In addition, if you plan to earn significant income between age 62 and your normal retirement age (65-67, depending on the year you were born), putting off your social security benefits may make sense. That’s because any benefits in excess of specified limits ($15,720 in 2015) will be reduced. You’ll lose $1 of benefits for every $2 in earnings above the limits. Note that you won’t lose any social security benefits (regardless of earnings) once you reach full retirement age.
On the other hand, let’s say you’ve accumulated a healthy balance in your 401(k) and expect that account to generate a good annual return. Under this scenario, you might be better off leaving your retirement savings alone and taking your social security benefits early to cover living expenses.
Or perhaps your family has a history of health problems and you don’t realistically expect to live into your 80s. Again, taking social security benefits at age 62 might be a good choice.
If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
Today, we’re going to talk about carryovers on your prior return that can affect year-end planning.

As the year-end is coming to a close, remember to check your prior tax return for carryover items that can affect your year-end planning. Here are four items to look out for:
1. Capital loss carryover. If your capital losses were more than your capital gains last year, you may be able to carryover any unused loss to future years. You can apply the loss against this year’s capital gains as well as up to $3,000 of other income – a benefit to remember when you’re rebalancing your portfolio over the next few months.
Here’s a tip: Keep track of your capital loss carryforward for alternative minimum tax planning and projections. In some cases, this amount can be different from the carryforward calculated for your regular income tax.
2. Passive loss carryover. If you are selling a rental property, did you know that you can release the suspended rental losses for that particular rental? So make sure your unused rental losses were carried forward correctly every year since this usually happens when you change tax preparers.
3. Charitable contribution carryover. Was your charitable donation deduction limited from prior years due to low income or business losses? If so, you may have a carryover that you can use if you’re going to itemize on this year’s taxes.
Here’s a tip: Take this carryover into account when planning this year’s donations so you don’t lose the benefit of older unused amounts. Why is that important? Because charitable contribution carryforwards only have a five-year life.
And the last one:
4. Net operating loss carryover. If your business had a loss last year, you had to make an election to carry the entire loss forward to the current year. Otherwise, the general rule of carrying the net operating loss back two years applies, with the remainder carried forward 20 years.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
As year-end approaches, remember to check your prior tax return for items that can affect your year-end planning. Here are three items to look out for:
Capital loss carryover. If your capital losses exceeded your capital gains last year, you may be able to carry any unused loss to future years. You can apply the loss against this year’s capital gains as well as up to $3,000 of other income – a benefit to remember when you’re rebalancing your portfolio over the next few months.
Tip: Keep track of your capital loss carryforward for alternative minimum tax planning and projections. In some cases, this amount can be different from the carryforward calculated for your regular income tax.
Passive loss carryover. If you are selling a rental property, did you know that you can release the suspended rental losses for that particular rental? So make sure your unused rental losses were carried forward correctly every year. This happens when you change tax preparers.
Charitable contribution carryover. Was your charitable donation deduction limited from prior years? You may have a carryover that you can use if you’re going to itemize on this year’s taxes.
Tip: Take this carryover into consideration when planning this year’s donations so you don’t lose the benefit of older unused amounts. Charitable contribution carryforwards have a five-year life.
Net operating loss carryover. If your business had a loss last year, you had to make an election to carry the entire loss forward to the current year. Otherwise, the general rule of carrying the net operating loss back two years applies, with the remainder carried forward 20 years.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
Even if you’re covered by a credit monitoring service, you may want to keep an eye on your credit report – and you can still do that for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. That’s the only official website, so don’t be fooled by other “free” claims.
At the site, you can get one free report annually from each of the three major agencies. Why bother? Identity theft is a multi-billion dollar industry, and checking your credit rating is one of the best ways to protect yourself. You might also be surprised at the number of mistakes on credit reports. Relatives or even non-relatives with the same (or similar) last name could have their credit information jumbled with yours. Individual companies could have incorrectly reported a negative credit occurrence (in the form of a delinquent payment or nonpayment) to the reporting agencies. Reviewing your credit report is a way to find and fix those issues.
If you find an error, both the credit reporting company and the company that provided the information about you are responsible for making corrections. You’ll have to submit a written report and you’ll get written results when corrections are made.
If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
October 15 is a final tax deadline

That means, October 15 is the final date for filing your personal tax return; Unfortunately, IRS does not give filing extensions beyond that date.

Also, October 15 is the deadline for undoing a conversion of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. If you converted your traditional IRA to a Roth last year, you can switch it back to a regular IRA without penalty if you do so by October 15.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
Today, we’re going to talk about IRS worker classification criteria
Since independent contractor or 1099 payments are not subject to payroll taxes, there is a temptation to classify some employees as independent contractors when they should not be. The IRS uses certain criteria to help determine who should be classified as an employee subject to payroll taxes and eligible for employee benefits. Here’s a partial list –
* Who controls when, where, and how the work is to be done?
* Who sets the working schedule?
* Is the payment by the hour or by the job?
* Whose tools will be used to accomplish the work?
* Does the contractor provide services to the general public?

Your answers to those questions, will help determine if you are an independent contractor or an employee.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com

Hi guys, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com
The tax topic for today is about: Discussing your finances before you marry
Couples often enter into marriage without ever having had a serious discussion about financial issues. As a result, they find themselves frequently arguing about money. If you are planning a wedding, here are some steps you can take to get your marriage off to a good financial start.
1. Premarital financial discussions. Both of you might enjoy the same movies and the same kinds of food, but are you financially compatible? Take some time to discuss your finances before you tie the knot. Talk about your assets, your debts, your credit ratings, and your financial attitudes, including your spending and saving habits. Do you share the same goals, such as having children, buying a home, or continuing your education? How will you finance your dreams?
How will you handle your finances as a married couple? For example, who will pay the bills? Will you maintain joint or separate checking accounts? If you maintain separate accounts, how will you split your expenses?
2. Premarital financial counseling. Both of you needs to work out your own style for handling money. Call us to assist you in setting up a budget, controlling your taxes, and mapping out a financial plan for your future.
3. Premarital legal counseling. If you are rich, discuss the merits of a prenup agreement with your attorney. Now, if your partner has substantial debt, ask your attorney how you can protect yourself from his or her creditors.
Perhaps you plan on buying a house together or combining financial accounts. Your attorney can advise you on the best way to hold title to your assets.
Discussing your finances before you say “I do” may increase your chances for living happily ever after.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com