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Category: Individual Tax

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October 29, 2019
IRA Charitable Donations: An Alternative to Taxable Required Distributions

Are you charitably minded and have a significant amount of money in an IRA? If you’re age 70½ or older, and don’t need the money from required minimum distributions, you may benefit by giving these amounts to charity....

October 15, 2019
Use a Coverdell ESA to Help Pay College, Elementary and Secondary School Costs

There are several ways to save for your child’s or grandchild’s education, including with a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA). Although for federal tax purposes there’s no upfront deduction for contributions made to an ESA, the earnings on the contributions gro...

September 18, 2019
Higher Education Tax Credits

We all know the cost of college is expensive. The latest figures from the College Board show that the average annual cost of tuition and fees was $10,230 for in-state students at public four-year universities — and $35,830 for students at private not-for-profit four-year i...

September 13, 2019
MN Tax Law Conformity Bill – What You Need to Know

The Minnesota Legislature recently passed a tax bill that conforms or partially conforms several Minnesota tax laws to changes made under prior Federal tax bills. Below is a link to a listing provided by the Minnesota Society of CPAs (MNCPA) of the items that now conform or...

September 10, 2019
Tax Issues in a Divorce Process

In addition to the difficult personal issues that divorce entails, several tax concerns need to be addressed to ensure that taxes are kept to a minimum and that important tax-related decisions are properly made. Here are four issues to understand if you are in the process of...

August 28, 2019
2019-2020 Tax Planning Guide

To help you identify strategies that might work for you in 2019, we're pleased to present the 2019-2020 Tax Planning Guide.  It provides a refresher on some of the most significant changes that generally went into effect last year under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) - an...

August 16, 2019
“Innocent Spouse” Relief from Tax Liability

In some cases, spouses are eligible for “innocent spouse relief.” This generally involves individuals who were unaware of a tax understatement that was attributable to the other spouse. To qualify, you must show not only that you didn’t know about the understatement, ...

July 23, 2019
What is the Nanny Tax?

You may have heard of the “nanny tax.” But even if you don’t employ a nanny, it may apply to you. Hiring a housekeeper, gardener or other household employee (who isn’t an independent contractor) may make you liable for federal income and other taxes. You may also hav...

July 17, 2019
Summer is a Good Time to Review Your Investments

You may have heard about a proposal in Washington to cut the taxes paid on investments by indexing capital gains to inflation. Under the proposal, the purchase price of assets would be adjusted so that no tax is paid on the appreciation due to inflation....

July 11, 2019
Do You Get a Tax Break for Volunteering for Charity?

If you’re a volunteer who works for charity, you may be entitled to some tax breaks if you itemize deductions on your tax return. Unfortunately, they may not amount to as much as you think your generosity is worth.  Because donations to charity of cash or property general...

July 3, 2019
You May Have to Pay Tax on Social Security Benefits

During your working days, you pay Social Security tax in the form of withholding from your salary or self-employment tax. And when you start receiving Social Security benefits, you may be surprised to learn that some of the payments may be taxed....

June 11, 2019
Is Donating Your Vehicle to Charity a Taxwise Decision?

You’ve probably seen or heard ads urging you to donate your car to charity. “Make a difference and receive tax savings,” one organization states. But donating a vehicle may not result in a big tax deduction — or any deduction at all....