Phyphar

11/12/2023

02/10/2023

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/irs-tells-millions-of-americans-to-hold-off-on-tax-filing/ar-AA17dCRi?li=BBnbfcL

New Jersey unfortunately made the list, as we await further guidance.

This uncertainty is unfair to taxpayers," wrote Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation, a tax-focused think tank, in a blog post. "Tax experts have long known that the taxability of state rebate payments would be an issue, but the IRS remained silent until February 3rd, at which point it basically said we'll get back to you soon."

Tax agency said it is trying to determine whether tax rebates, issued in many states last year, count as income.

12/01/2022

“Refunds may be smaller in 2023,” the IRS said in a statement. “Taxpayers will not receive an additional stimulus payment with a 2023 tax refund because there were no Economic Impact Payments for 2022.”

The lack of stimulus payments in 2022 will play a key role, according to the IRS.

11/22/2022

2022 changes that may affect your tax refund

Changes in the number of dependents, employment or self-employment income and divorce, among other factors, may affect your tax-filing status and refund for 2023.

No additional stimulus payments. Unlike 2020 and 2021, there were no new stimulus payments for 2022 so taxpayers should not expect to get an additional payment in their 2023 tax refund.

Some tax credits return to 2019 levels. Several tax credits, including the Child Tax Credit (CTC), the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Dependent Care Credit will revert to pre-COVID levels. This means that taxpayers will likely receive a significantly smaller refund compared with the previous tax year. For a comparison, those who got $3,600 per dependent in 2021 for the CTC will get $2,000 for the 2022 tax year. Similarly, eligible taxpayers with no children who received roughly $1,500 in 2021 will now get $500 in 2022. And the Dependent Care Credit returns to a maximum of $2,100 in 2022 instead of $8,000 in 2021. Visit Credits and Deductions for more details.

No above-the-line charitable deductions. During COVID, taxpayers were able to take up to a $600 charitable donation tax deduction on their tax returns. However, in 2022, this deduction will return to pre-COVID rules, which will not allow those who take a standard deduction to make an above-the-line deduction for charitable donations.

More people may be eligible for the Premium Tax Credit.
For tax year 2022, taxpayers may qualify for temporarily expanded eligibility for the premium tax credit. Remember that simply meeting the income requirements does not mean you're eligible for the premium tax credit. You must also meet the other eligibility criteria.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 changes the eligibility rules to claim a tax credit for clean vehicles. More details about clean vehicles will be available in coming months.

11/01/2022

2023 Healthcare Open Enrollment - Did You Know?

The 2023 open enrollment period for Marketplace health insurance starts today, November 1, 2022, and ends December 15, 2022. Plans will start January 1, 2023.

Once the Open Enrollment period is over, you will only be able to enroll if there's a qualifying life event for the Special Enrollment Period.

Enrollment can be done at https://healthcare.gov, and a simple checklist of documents you'll need can be found here: https://marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/marketplace-application-checklist.pdf.

10/27/2022

Tax Considerations for People Changing Marital Status – Did You Know? (2/2)

A person is considered married for tax purposes if they are married on the last day of the year. Therefore, the IRS urges all taxpayers whose marital status changes during 2022 to consider several possible impacts on their taxes. In particular, for taxpayers who get married this year, or become divorced or legally separated, these issues may come into play:

UPDATING YOUR WITHHOLDING: Generally, if your marital status changes, you will need to file a new Form W-4 with your employer(s) so that your paycheck withholding may be adjusted accordingly. If you also have self-employment income or work multiple jobs, you may wish to use the IRS Withholding Estimator tool (link below) to check your withholding amounts. If you pay estimated taxes, you may need to adjust your payments based on your new marital status.

CHANGING FILING STATUS: If you are married as of December 31, 2022, you may select either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately status on your 2022 federal tax return. For many couples, joint filing may result in lower tax, but exceptions exist. If you are divorced or legally separated as of December 31, you may file under Single or, if you qualify, Head of Household status. Head of Household filers receive a larger standard deduction and other tax benefits.

A tax professional can help you sort out any tax issues related to your change in marital status, including choosing the most advantageous filing designation.

IRS Withholding Estimator: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

10/04/2022

Reasons to File a 2021 Federal Tax Return

Some taxpayers are not required to file federal tax returns, generally because their income falls below the filing threshold. However, choosing not to file a return may mean missing out on a tax refund. Therefore, the IRS urges all Americans who may qualify for a tax refund to file a 2021 return by the extension filing deadline of October 17, 2022 or earlier if possible.

Even if you had no tax withheld from your pay in 2021 and made no estimated tax payments, you may still be entitled to a refund if you qualify for certain federal tax credits, including:

Recovery Rebate Credit: If you were eligible for a third economic impact payment (EIP, also called a stimulus payment) in 2021, but did not receive it or got less than the full amount, you may be able to claim this credit.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Working taxpayers who had $57,414 or less in 2021 income may qualify for this credit, depending on their filing status and number of dependents. For those with dependents, the credit amount can be as high as $6,728.

Both of these credits are fully refundable, meaning that if you qualify, you may receive the credit as an IRS refund even if you owe no tax for 2021.

Child Tax Credit (CTC): You may be eligible for this credit if you had a qualifying child of age 17 or younger in 2021.
American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC): You may qualify for this credit if you, your spouse, or your dependent was enrolled at least half time at an institution of higher learning (such as a college, university or trade school) in 2021.

The CTC is fully refundable, while the AOTC is partially refundable.

You may also be eligible for a federal tax refund if your employer(s) withheld taxes from your paychecks, or if you made estimated tax payments at any time in 2021.

10/04/2022

https://patch.com/new-jersey/across-nj/njs-new-2b-tax-rebate-program-underway-how-get-your-cut

Have questions about New Jersey's ANCHOR program? Here's what to know with filing season underway.

09/30/2022

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/29/some-federal-student-loan-borrowers-cannot-consolidate-for-forgiveness.html

Federal student loan borrowers whose loans are not held by the U.S. Department of Education won't be able to consolidate for forgiveness, a new update shows.

09/26/2022

Deductions and Credits for Homeowners and New Home Buyers – Did You Know? (2/2)

Home ownership can provide a number of tax benefits. To make the most of these tax-saving opportunities, homeowners should familiarize themselves with the IRS rules on which expenses can and cannot be deducted.

In addition to home mortgage interest and mortgage insurance premiums, homeowners may generally deduct state and local property taxes. However, property tax deductions are subject to the general $10,000 deduction limit for state and local taxes. Also, in order to deduct property taxes, you must itemize deductions on your return, rather than taking the standard deduction.

Non-deductible home ownership expenses include utilities, repairs, insurance (other than mortgage insurance), most closing costs, depreciation, homeowners' association fees, and payments on the principal of a mortgage loan. A tax professional can help you determine which of your expenses you may deduct, and how to figure the deduction amounts.

09/19/2022

Deductions and Credits for Homeowners and New Home Buyers – Did You Know? (1/2)

Home ownership can provide a number of tax benefits. For example, you may generally claim a tax deduction for mortgage interest for your main home, along with eligible mortgage insurance premiums, up to the current IRS limit. However, you may only claim these benefits if you itemize deductions, rather than taking the standard deduction for your filing status. The home mortgage interest deduction may be particularly valuable for new homeowners, since payments during the early years of a mortgage can consist primarily of interest charges.

If you receive a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) from your state or local government, you may also qualify for the Mortgage Interest Credit. This credit can reduce your tax on a dollar-for-dollar basis, and you do not need to itemize deductions in order to claim it. A tax professional can help you determine whether you qualify for mortgage-related tax benefits, and if so, help you figure any deduction and/or credit amounts.