Federal, State, Local and International Taxes - A deferral strategy shifts income to a following year if tax rates in that subsequent year will be lower overall than in the current year. If you'll be in a lower tax bracket next year, you may wish to accelerate your deductions into this year and postpone your income into the following year. Here are some of the ways you can do this:
- Pay a state estimated tax installment in December instead of at the January due date. However, make sure the payment is based on a reasonable estimate of your state tax.
- Pay your entire property tax bill, including installments due in year 2013, by year-end. This does not apply to mortgage escrow accounts.
- Try to bunch "threshold" expenses, such as medical expenses and miscellaneous itemized deductions. Threshold expenses are deductible only to the extent they exceed a certain percentage of adjusted gross income (AGI). By bunching these expenses into one year, rather than spreading them out over two years, you have a better chance of exceeding the thresholds, thereby maximizing your deduction.
Ø Tip: If you know you have a set amount of income coming in this year that is not covered by withholding taxes, increasing your withholding before year-end can avoid or reduce any estimated tax penalty that might otherwise be due.
On the other hand, the penalty could be avoided by covering the extra tax in your final estimated tax payment and computing the penalty using the annualized income method.
If you have any questions about estimated taxes, please call us.
Ø Caution: The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) no longer just impacts the wealthy! Do not overlook the effect of any year-end planning moves on the AMT for 2012.
Due to tax changes in recent years, AMT impacts many more taxpayers than ever before and, the tax is not indexed to inflation. As a result, growing numbers of middle-income taxpayers have been finding themselves subject to this higher tax.
Items that may affect AMT include deductions for state property taxes and state income taxes, miscellaneous itemized deductions, and personal exemptions.
Note: Thanks to the "AMT Patch" AMT exemption amounts for 2012 remain the same as 2011 (see below), but are set to drop in 2013. For example, the AMT exemption amount in 2013 drops from $74,450 in 2012 to $45,000 for married filing jointly taxpayers. Here are the 2012 exemption amounts:
Please call us if you'd like more information or if you're not sure whether AMT applies to you. We're happy to assist you.
CALL US FIRST – This is just one of the year-end planning tax moves that could make a substantial difference in your tax bill for 2012. But the best advice we can give you is to give us a call. We'll sit down with you, discuss your specific tax and financial needs, and develop a plan that works for your business.
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