Tax services advices from companies? You probably know your Social Security number, but do you know the Social Security number of each dependent you claim? You’ll want to jot those down, along with any other information your tax preparer is likely to need. For example, if you own a vacation home or rental property, note their addresses. If you sold a property in the past year, note the dates you bought and sold, the amount you originally paid, and how much you received from the sale.

Consider investing in index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. These funds are not actively managed and as a result, can be more tax-efficient than managed funds. These investments are a good way to diversify the taxation of your income after retirement. If you qualify for a Health Savings Account, you have the option of investing them instead of spending them on medical expenses. Contributions are tax-free and earnings grow tax-free, and — if you use future distributions to pay for qualified medical expenses — distributions are tax-free as well. The overall benefit of changing the character of your income is that it can reduce your MAGI for each tax year and allow you to take advantage of a lower tax bracket in some cases.

Bunch Your Charitable Contributions: In 2019, married couples filing jointly have a standard deduction of $24,400. For single taxpayers, the standard deduction is $12,200. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which nearly doubled the standard deduction, also eliminated miscellaneous deductions, capped state and local tax deductions at $10,000 and limited mortgage interest deductions to loans of up to $750,000. These changes can make it difficult to itemize deductions unless someone has significant charitable donations. Powell suggests people bunch two years of contributions into a single year, which would allow them to claim an itemized deduction every other year. For those with the financial means, setting up a donor-advised fund may be ideal. “You get the deduction in the year you move the money (into the fund),” Powell says. However, charitable gifts from the fund can be spread out over time.

The Internal Revenue Code is set up to provide numerous tax breaks to individuals and businesses alike. Even the IRS acknowledges that you must keep some money to live on and with which to run your enterprise. Some small business tax savings strategies, like timing income and expenses, must be accomplished before the end of the tax year. But others, such as funding a retirement plan, can be done at any time before you file your tax return. Discover extra info on https://greentree.tax/.

Don’t Assume Anything. When making your initial debt collection call, quickly make sure that the debt has in fact not been paid. Don’t alienate the customer. Remember there may be potential future business with the customer. The debt in question could be a mistake and not a collection problem at all. Be careful with your tone and your words at this point. Wait and listen to what the customer has to say, and be sure to document the interaction carefully and accurately.

Current research indicates that individuals are likely to make errors when preparing their tax returns. The following tax tips were developed to help you avoid some of the common errors dealing with the standard deduction for seniors, the taxable amount of Social Security benefits, and the Credit for the Elderly and Disabled. In addition, you’ll find links below to helpful publications as well as information on how to obtain free tax assistance. If you do not itemize your deductions, you can get a higher standard deduction amount if you and/or your spouse are 65 years old or older. You can get an even higher standard deduction amount if either you or your spouse is blind. (See Form 1040 and Form 1040A instructions.)