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TIP 1. Record Keeping
Our tax system collects income information
from various 3rd parties. Each of us must provide the bulk of our deductions, exclusions
and credit information. Often the key to reducing tax is keeping good records. Two tax related documents that are commonly overlooked (and thus
often misplaced):
- HUD Closing Statement: When buying,
selling, or refinancing a house, the actual gain or loss is usually tax-deferred; however,
there are often tax and interest items on the closing statement that will affect your
current year deductions.
- Stock Purchase Confirmations: Although stock
transactions are not taxable until sold, the nontaxable basis of sold stock is determined
from the purchase information. Since many years may pass between the purchase and
sale of stock, often the purchase information gets lost or misplaced. If brokerage
companies have changed during that time, it may be very difficult to track down accurate
purchase information.
TIP 2. IRA
Contributions
Most people wait until the last moment for tax purposes to make contributions to their
IRAs. However, in order to maximize the
benefits of tax-free accumulation available from an IRA, contributions should be made as
soon as possible in the year (as well as taking required distributions as late as
possible.) Consistently contributing at the
beginning of the year as opposed to the end of the year can make a difference of tens of
thousands of dollars by the time an individual reaches retirement.
TIP 3. Deductible
Interest
Analyze your debt and consider restructuring it to maximize your interest expense
deduction. In certain cases you may be able to refinance personal debt, which is not
deductible, to mortgage interest, which is deductible, subject to limitations.
TIP 4. New
Mileage Rates
The IRS has released the
new optional standard mileage rates for 2010 for use in computing the deductible costs of
operating an automobile.
Beginning January 1, 2010 the standard mileage rates will be:
·
50 cents a mile for all business miles
driven
·
16.5 cents a mile when computing
deductible medical or moving expenses
·
14 cents a mile when giving services to
a charitable organization
TIP 5. Itemized Deductions
1. Arizona allows 100% of your medical deductions. There is no 7.5% of adjusted gross
income subtraction.
2. Personal Property Tax (Car tags) is often forgotten. Only the value or lieu tax is
deductable. Most people provide the amount of the check written to ADOT, which overstates
the deduction by about $10 per car per year in Cochise County. Further, we most often do
not know what has been provided, the tax amount or the check amount, and have to ask.By
going to servicearizona.com/webapp/feeRecap/ you can get a printout for all your vehicles
that break out the deduction and if you pay extra for the various charity plates, it
provides the charitable deduction. Please provide us with this printout.
3. Charitable deductions, cash or non-cash, must be supported by bank records or receipt,
letter or other written communication from the donee, indicating donees name and the date
and amount of the donation. Such documentation must be in hand prior to filing the tax
return. If non-cash contributions exceed $500.00 a Form 8283 is needed (an input sheet for
this information is provided in your organizer). Further, if you give $250.00 cash or
non-cash, or more at one time to one donee, that donee must provide a statement prior to
filing your return, what goods or services, if any, were exchanged for your donation. The
Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. provide lists of values for items commonly given. Goodwill
list can be found at goodwill.org/page/guest/about along with other helpful information.
Click on “Donate goods” then “Tax deduction”. If you are donating a
vehicle or goods valued in excess of $5,000 please contact us prior to making the gift.
You, the donor, must value your gift. Neither the tax preparer nor the donee can establish
value.
TIP 6. Kiddy Tax
Your dependent children under the age of 19 on 1/1/09, or a full time
student under age 24, with interest and/or dividend income in excess of $950 or total
investment income in excess of $1,900 will be taxed at the higher of their rate, or that
of their parents.
TIP 7. Mortgage Interest
The post October 13th 1987 acquisition indebtedness may
not exceed $1 million and home equity indebtedness (non-acquisition debt) can not exceed
$100,000. Acquisition debt includes debt for
substantial improvements.
TIP 8. Real Property Taxes and Auto Sales Tax
Real
estate taxes up to $1,000 ($500 single) can be added to the federal standard deduction and sales tax paid on a vehicle may also be deducted without itemizing. Please provide even if not itemizing
TIP 9. Cell Phones
Cell phones are “Listed Assets” which means you must have,
prior to filing your return, written evidence of the allocation between personal and
business use. Personal use of an employer
provided cell phone must be reimbursed or taken as compensation on a W-2. There is an effort in Congress to remove cell
phones from the “Listed Assets” category. The IRS will probably come up with some simpler record keeping requirements. Please
write your Federal elected officials supporting the removal.
400 W. Fry Blvd., Suite 4
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
(520) 459-2366
1-800-541-8080
FAX (520) 458-5229 |
