How Does the Tax Reform Affect Retirees?

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How does the Tax Reform Affect Retirees? Read More on https://paytaxeslater.com/how-does-the-tax-reform-affect-retirees/

How does the Tax Reform affect Retirees?

I was able to spend some time reading over the holiday, and of course much of my efforts were devoted to finding out how people were reacting to the new tax reform bill. In quick succession, I came across three articles published by three different media outlets. The first said that the tax reform would hurt poor people; the second insisted that the tax reform would hurt the middle class, and the third swore that the tax reform would hurt the rich. Many of our clients are retired, and they are asking “how will the tax reform affect me?” So I thought I would give you some ideas about how the tax reform might affect retirees.

One concern for retirees involves the changes made to the rules affecting Schedule A, Itemized Deductions. Will the tax reform affect you if you are retired, and you have been able to itemize? The short answer is that, depending on what and how much you deduct, the tax reform may affect you because some of the itemized deductions were reduced or even eliminated. Let’s look at specifics.

Tax Reform and Medical Expenses

Many retirees have high medical costs – and the good news is that medical expenses will still be deductible in 2017 assuming that they exceed a certain threshold. What makes this statement less than straightforward, though, is that there were two different thresholds when you did your taxes last year. Prior to the tax reform, individuals who were younger than age 65 had to have medical expenses that exceeded 10% of their adjusted gross income in order to be able to use the deduction.

If you or your spouse were 65 or older, though, the threshold was lower – only 7.5%. And whatever your age, you could only deduct the medical expenses that were in excess of your threshold. The bottom line for retirees? If you itemize, tax reform shouldn’t affect your medical deductions unless both you and your spouse are younger than 65 years old. The tax reform may actually benefit younger individuals who have high medical costs because, starting in 2017, everyone regardless of their age will have to meet a threshold of only 7.5% before they can deduct any medical expenses.

Tax Reform and Property Taxes

Many retirees could be affected by the changes in state and local tax (or, SALT) itemized deductions. Through 2017, you can deduct all of your state, local, real estate, sales and personal property taxes on Schedule A if you itemize. In 2018, those deductions will be capped at $10,000. How does this affect retirees? It depends. If you didn’t deduct these expenses because you used the standard deduction last year, this provision in the tax reform won’t affect you at all.

But if your income is high enough that it is subject to state and local tax, or if you own a home on which you pay high property taxes, any deduction that you might be able to take after the tax reform could be reduced. If this sounds like you, you will need to check the Schedule A on your prior year return to see exactly how much of the taxes you paid were deductible in the past. The tax reform could affect you negatively if you’ve been able to deduct more than $10,000 because, starting in 2018, your deduction will be limited to that amount.

Tax Reform and Mortgage Interest

Many retirees prefer to have the mortgages on their homes paid off before they leave the work force. If that’s you, the changes to the mortgage interest deduction rules, by themselves, shouldn’t affect you. Prior to the tax reform, married couples could deduct the interest they paid on mortgages that were less than $1,000,000. Under the tax reform, that mortgage limit is lowered to $750,000 – which means that individuals who have large mortgages may not be able to deduct as much of the interest as in the past. If you are retired, this change should not affect you unless you are planning to buy a new home in 2018 or later. If you do buy a new home and finance more than $750,000 (and you itemize) you will not be able to deduct as much as you would have prior to the tax reform.

Tax Reform and Miscellaneous Deductions

How about miscellaneous itemized deductions? The big ones for my clients are their investment account fees and, in some cases, employee business expenses, but includes smaller deductions such as tax preparation fees and safety deposit box fees. The new law temporarily repeals all of those, so if you itemize and have taken advantage of them in the past, the tax reform may hurt you in this area of your return.

Tax Reform and Charitable Contributions

What about charitable contributions? The tax reform will not affect charitable contributions at all. If you don’t itemize, your charitable contributions weren’t deductible in prior years and so nothing has changed for you. If you do qualify to itemize, contributions that you make to legitimate charities will still be deductible in 2018.

This leads me to my big finale! My theme throughout this post has been, “assuming that you qualify to itemize”. Even if you were able to itemize in the past, you may not need to itemize after the tax reform because the standard deduction (or, the amount that the government gives to everybody with no strings attached) has almost doubled. In 2017, the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is $12,700 but in 2018 it will be $24,000. So even if you fall into one of the categories where you believe the tax reform might initially hurt you – for example, if you have a significant amount of investment account fees that are no longer deductible – it might be a moot point if the government is going to just give you more than what you would have gotten by itemizing anyway.

Confusing? You bet! So please bear with us during tax season as we try to sort this out!

Stop back soon!

-Jim

Learn how Jim Nabors saved $4.8 Million by marrying his husband.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017: Ten Huge Take-Aways

Posted on by in Current Events, Economy, Home Buyer, Income Tax, Market News, Tax Law and tagged , , , , .

Ten Huge Take-Aways from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by Jim Lange

 

Ten Huge Take-Aways from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

by James Lange, CPA/Attorney

The first thing to consider about the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is that it is just a proposed tax bill.  It is possible it will face stiff resistance in the Senate and possibly get no votes from the Republicans.  Jeff Flake, John McCain, Bob Corker, and Lisa Murkowski might be on that list of Republican “no” votes. So, like health care it is possible, and even likely, that nothing will happen this year and maybe not in the foreseeable future.

Depending on your personal circumstances, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 could be good or bad for your family.  Critical factors like how many children you have, whether you live in a high-tax state and itemize your deductions or take the standard deduction, whether you own a home or are looking to buy one could sway you from benefiting from these changes or suffering from them.

In fact, there are so many variables to consider that it is difficult to make a blanket statement that the proposal will offer you tax relief.  Corporate America is a clear winner. Reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, Speaker Paul Ryan argues, will create more jobs and drive up wages.  But critics, even Republican critics, say it is not a given that companies will pass their savings on to workers vs. shareholders through higher dividends.

However, the bill as it stands now is far from becoming law.  Ultimately, the Senate will introduce more changes and what we will end up with and whether it will pass are still great unknowns.  But, going forward it will still be helpful to understand some of the main provisions the bill advances so you can begin to assess the impact on you and your family.

Champions and underdogs in the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017:

  1. This doesn’t appear to be an overall tax-cut for the middle class, as promised. What we see in this bill is a tax cut for some, and a tax hike for others.  As usual, it all depends on how much you make, how you earn your living, where you live, the mortgage on your home, your property taxes, student loans, etc.  The Tax Policy Center commented that the bill wasn’t really tax reform but rather it was more of a complicated tax cut.  We have compared differences for different hypothetical clients and the results were less dramatic than we thought.  In one case, the elimination of the alternative minimum tax was helpful, but the dis-allowance of state and local income taxes netted out to a tax increase for one client.
  2. The bill reduces the number of tax brackets from seven to four. Currently the brackets are 10-15-20-28-33-35-39.6%.  Under the new provisions there will be a zero bracket (in the form of an enhanced standard deduction according to the bill), and from there the brackets will be 12-25-35-36.9%.  Here is how they break down:
2017 Single Filer2017 Married Filing Jointly2017 Head of Household
$0- $9,325 – 10%$0-18,650 – 10%$0- $13,350 – 10%
$9,326- $37,950 – 15%$18,651- $75,900 – 15%$13,351- $50,800 – 15%
$37,951- $91,900 – 25%$75,901- $153,100 – 25%$50,801- $131,200 – 25%
$91,901- $191,650 – 28%$153,101- $233,350 – 28%$131,201- $212,500 – 28%
$191,651- $416,700 – 33%$233,351- $416,700 – 33%$212,501- $416,700 – 33%
$416,701-$418,400 – 35%$416,701- $470,700 – 35%$416,701- $444,550 – 35%
$418,401 + – 39.6%$470,701+ – 39.6%$444,551 + – 39.6%

 

Proposed Single Filer Proposed Married Filing JointlyProposed Head of Household
$0-$44,999 – 12%$0-$89,999 – 12%$0-$67,499 – 12%
$45,000-$199,999 – 25%$90,000-$259,999 – 25%$67,500-$229,999 – 25%
$200,000-$499,999 – 35%$260,000-$999,999 – 35%$230,000-$499,999 – 35%
$500,000+ – 39.6%$1,000,000+ – 39.6%$500,000+ – 39.6%

Additionally, the bill would eliminate the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a second tax calculation for people earning about $130,000 which reduces the impact of many tax breaks.

  1. The bill doubles the current standard deduction, giving $12,000 to single filers, $24,000 for married filing jointly, and $18,000 for heads of household.
  1. But before you get too excited about a larger deduction, they’ve decided to repeal the personal exemption—currently $4,050 per person—and the deductions for state and local taxes. So, it isn’t as much of a break as you think it is.
  1. They are taking away one of our favorite, and edgiest strategies. No more recharacterization of Roth IRAs. If you’ve heard me talk about Roth IRAs, you’ve probably heard me mention recharacterization.  The ability to recharacterize, basically undo the Roth conversion, adds enormous flexibility in our Roth IRA conversion planning.  This will mean that the days of do-it-yourself Roth IRA conversion calculations will be highly risky.  Having a professional you can trust, who knows the system in and out, and who has the experience to get it right will become incredibly important.
  1. Taxpayers with a net worth of $10 million or more (and their children) have a reason to cheer as the plan almost doubles the current federal estate tax exemption from $5,490,000 to $10,000,000 per individual, with spouses exempt from any limits. The Joint Committee on Taxation has commented that this provision, while being a boon for business owners and wealthier Americans will reduce the federal revenue by around $172 billion over 2018-2027.  Oh, yeah…and after 2023, the estate tax will be repealed all together.  Compensating for that loss of revenue is a huge stumbling block for the proposed tax reform.  Though hard to confirm, rumor has it that originally they were going to eliminate the estate tax entirely but put this provision in to secure the support of Alaska.
  1. While the bill does simplify many areas, it also complicates many areas. It is not a major tax simplification.  I do not fear that our CPA firm will lose business because clients will find it so easy to complete their tax returns.
  1. While corporations and businesses will see a reduced corporate tax rate—from 35% to 20% – it will come with a price¾a much more involved and complicated filing process. New anti-abuse rules, complicated multi-national corporation rules, new tax treatments on interest, and changes in international income rules will make navigating your business tax return much more difficult.  Shareholders of pass through entities, like Subchapter S corporations will get a big break, but the complications for claiming that break are considerable.
  1. The Act is silent on the Death of the Stretch IRA. We still aren’t sure if and when this will happen.  It is very possible that they are holding it in reserve to for future negotiations pertaining to reducing the deficit.  The tax cuts in this bill will massively reduce federal revenue.  We’re talking in the trillions of dollars here.  To get any version of this to pass, it is very likely that the GOP will have to come up with ways to offset some of the deficit.  Killing the ability to stretch IRAs and retirement plans for generations is one way to do that.
  1. Even the Republican’s admit that this bill will increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion dollars over the next ten years, and that is a huge issue. Critics on both sides see increasing the deficit as unacceptable.  Further, the Tax Policy Center and other tax policy commentators on both sides of the aisle think that this estimate is too low or too high, and many do not believe that this bill will provide the economic growth or tax-relief promised to the middle class.

If you want to read an excellent 82-page summary of the bill, check out The Fiscal Times online:

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2017/11/02/Read-House-GOPs-Tax-Bill-or-Summary-Key-Points

If you are looking for more of a brief overview summary, these are excellent resources:

https://taxfoundation.org/details-tax-cuts-jobs-act/

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/house-gop-tax-bill-mostly-business-tax-cut-will-create-new-winners-and-losers

As I mentioned above, this bill is simply the first iteration of what the final bill might look like, and it isn’t clear that anything in it is going to become law.  But it bears some scrutiny since some of the main points are likely to provoke debates.  We will continue to watch as the process evolves.  We might even have to interrupt our series on Lange’s Cascading Beneficiary Plan once again!  If that happens, I hope you will bear with us.  But unless there is major news, we will see you next week as we continue exploring the advantages of the LCBP

Disclaimer: Please note that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 removed the ability for taxpayers to do any “recharacterizations” of Roth IRA conversions after 12/31/2017. The material below was created and published prior the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 

Donations to Charity: Is There Still a Tax Benefit if I Donate?

Posted on by in Income Tax, Retire Secure!, Retirement Planning, Tax Law and tagged , , , , , .

donations-to-charity-james-lange-the-roth-revolution-blogImagine 100 years in to the future: Two people are playing a word association game. One player gives the clue, “Bill Gates.” Today, you’d probably say, “The founder of Microsoft,” right? Well, I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that, 100 years from now, Microsoft’s importance will have faded because of ever-evolving technology and many people will not recognize the company name, much less know who its founder was. However, I’m confident that Bill Gates will still be a household name. Why? It is because Bill and his wife Melinda have donated, and continue to donate, the vast majority of their immense wealth to charity. The impact of their generosity is astonishing. Thanks to their largesse, it is possible – maybe even likely – that diseases such as malaria will be eradicated within our lifetimes. Certainly, their philanthropy will save millions of lives, and improve the lives of virtually everyone on the planet. My own charitable gifting is nowhere near the scale of Bill and Melinda’s, but, even so, I can see how my donations benefit others. And it makes me happy to think that I can make someone else’s life better, even in my own small way.

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 reinstated a phase-out of itemized deductions for high income taxpayers. For those individuals, it meant that they were unable to receive the full benefit of their charitable contributions on their tax returns, and they were very unhappy. A few taxpayers didn’t care. I have a client who donates an unusually significant amount of her annual income to charity every year, and who steadfastly refused to give me a list of the donations so that I could deduct them on her tax return. She felt that it was morally wrong for her to receive any benefit from them. It was an admirable position, to be sure, but then I pointed out that the government does not do a very good job of dealing with social problems in this country. I told her that I believe that the reason charities don’t have to pay taxes is because they do a much more efficient job of distributing money and services to the needy than our government does. Under those circumstances, it seemed wasteful to me to not deduct the donations. She listened to me, and the following year presented me with hundreds of donation receipts, which I deducted on her return. She received a significant tax refund, which she promptly used to donate even more to charity!

If donating to charity is important to you, you may find it worthwhile to review the ideas discussed in Chapter 18. Many readers will be surprised to learn that there are strategies available that can give them far more bang for their charitable buck than they may have thought possible. Charitable gifting does not necessarily have to come at the expense of family members either, and in some instances it may even benefit them! Your distant dreams of establishing a scholarship fund, building a bicycle trail, or providing ongoing medical care to people in need are more achievable than you may realize. The secret is to take advantage of all of the gifting strategies that are available to you.

See you soon!

Jim

Jim Lange, Retirement and Estate Planning A nationally recognized IRA, Roth IRA conversion, and 401(k) expert, he is a regular speaker to both consumers and professional organizations. Jim is the creator of the Lange Cascading Beneficiary Plan™, a benchmark in retirement planning with the flexibility and control it offers the surviving spouse, and the founder of The Roth IRA Institute, created to train and educate financial advisors.

Jim’s strategies have been endorsed by The Wall Street Journal (33 times), Newsweek, Money Magazine, Smart Money, Reader’s Digest, Bottom Line, and Kiplinger’s. His articles have appeared in Bottom Line, Trusts and Estates Magazine, Financial Planning, The Tax Adviser, Journal of Retirement Planning, and The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine.

Jim is the best-selling author of Retire Secure! (Wiley, 2006 and 2009), endorsed by Charles Schwab, Larry King, Ed Slott, Jane Bryant Quinn, Roger Ibbotson and The Roth Revolution, Pay Taxes Once and Never Again endorsed by Ed Slott, Natalie Choate and Bob Keebler.

If you’d like to be reminded as to when the book is coming out please fill out the form below.

Thank you.

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Ways to Cut Taxes for the Next Generation – Consider Gifting Money to Children

Posted on by in Beneficiary Designations, Estate Planning, Retire Secure!, Retirement Planning, Tax Law and tagged , , , , , , , , .

gifting money to children lange financial groupIn January of 2015, President Obama proposed eliminating the tax-free benefits of Section 529 college savings plans. Under his proposal, savings would grow tax-deferred, but withdrawals would be taxed as income to the beneficiary (usually the student). His belief was that taxpayers who save in 529 plans are families who can better afford the cost of college than everyone else. In reality, it is estimated that close to ten percent of 529 accounts are owned by households having income below $50,000, and over 70 percent are owned by households with income below $150,000. What isn’t surprising, though, is that the tax revenue realized by this action would have been significant, because as of the end of the 4th quarter of 2014, the assets held in 529 and other college savings plans reached almost a quarter of a trillion dollars. How many students would have been forced to apply for loans if they had been required to pay tax on withdrawals from their college savings plans? Fortunately, the House of Representatives thought differently than the President and, in February of 2015, they passed HR 529. This bill not only maintains the tax-free status of 529 plans, but also makes them more flexible and easier to use. Hopefully the Senate will follow the House’s lead and pass a companion bill with similar provisions.

Do you have college savings plans established for your children or grandchildren and, if so, were you aware of this attack on their tax-free status?

Gifting money to children

Contributing to college savings plans for children and grandchildren is a form of gifting, which is a topic that I discuss in detail in Chapter 11 of Retire Secure!. Gifting money to children is an excellent way to minimize taxes at your death, and, depending on the amount gifted, can also provide the recipient with tax-free income. Unfortunately, strategies that reduce taxes frequently come under fire and it is critical that you stay on top of the rules. Also discussed in this chapter are the perils of gifting to relatives in an attempt to avoid seizure of your to pay for nursing home care. It’s a bad idea – don’t even think about it – but it is still beneficial to understand the laws on this subject.

Many couples are not aware that the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 introduced a concept called portability that makes estate taxes less of a concern for many individuals than in the past. If you have not had your estate plan reviewed since 2012, you should read Chapter 11 to learn about the potential pitfalls of what I call “The Cruelest Trap of All”. Since the passage of this act, many estate plans are outdated and could cause the surviving spouse to be disinherited at the first spouse’s death.

Gifting money to children strategies, and the tax implications of gifting, should be a critical part of every estate plan. Changes in legislation that were not anticipated at the time the plan was established, though, can make your plan ineffective and in some cases disastrous. As much has changed in this area; please read Chapter 11 thoroughly to see how you might be affected.

Stop back soon!

Jim

Jim Lange, Retirement and Estate Planning A nationally recognized IRA, Roth IRA conversion, and 401(k) expert, he is a regular speaker to both consumers and professional organizations. Jim is the creator of the Lange Cascading Beneficiary Plan™, a benchmark in retirement planning with the flexibility and control it offers the surviving spouse, and the founder of The Roth IRA Institute, created to train and educate financial advisors.

Jim’s strategies have been endorsed by The Wall Street Journal (33 times), Newsweek, Money Magazine, Smart Money, Reader’s Digest, Bottom Line, and Kiplinger’s. His articles have appeared in Bottom Line, Trusts and Estates Magazine, Financial Planning, The Tax Adviser, Journal of Retirement Planning, and The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine.

Jim is the best-selling author of Retire Secure! (Wiley, 2006 and 2009), endorsed by Charles Schwab, Larry King, Ed Slott, Jane Bryant Quinn, Roger Ibbotson and The Roth Revolution, Pay Taxes Once and Never Again endorsed by Ed Slott, Natalie Choate and Bob Keebler.

If you’d like to be reminded as to when the book is coming out please fill out the form below.

Thank you.

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Tax Free Roth IRAs: Don’t Believe Everything You Read

Posted on by in IRAs, Retirement Planning, Roth IRA, Roth IRA Conversions, Tax Law and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

Tax Free Roth IRA, Don't Believe Everything You Read, James Lange, The Lange Financial GroupMy wife recently told me that she didn’t think that there was anything that could keep me from blogging about my upcoming book, Retire Secure!  While she was joking, she was also right, I thought. But then, an article that was published in US News and World Report yesterday (April 20, 2015) was inaccurate on so many points that I could not let it go without commenting on it. I submitted a comment to the article and asked that the article be retracted. I can only hope that the magazine will publish a retraction, and quickly, before an unsuspecting reader takes the writer’s recommendations to heart.

The writer is a certified financial planner and registered investment advisor, as well as a published author, from Virginia. He begins by telling readers about Roth IRAs. He says that you can contribute $5,000 to a Roth IRA – that limit was increased $5,500 in 2013. If you have a Roth account in your 401(k), he claims you can add $6,000 to it if you are over 50 years old. (If you are over 50, you can add $24,000 to a Roth 401(k) in 2015 – this is made up of the $18,000 basic contribution limit plus a $6,000 “catch-up” contribution limit.) He claims that, if you contribute to a Roth, “the money you invest will be taxed”. (Everyone knows that, if you follow the rules, Roth accounts aren’t taxable, right? I sincerely hope that what he was trying to say was that there is no tax deduction for Roth contributions!) Then he tells readers that, after age 59 ½, “when you begin to take distributions” from the Roth, they will be tax-free”. That statement is not inaccurate, but it does omit the very important fact that your contributions can be withdrawn from a tax free Roth IRA before age 59 1/2.  (Earnings on your contributions are treated differently.) It is the traditional IRA that, in most cases, you cannot withdraw from without penalty until age 59 1/2.

The worst advice, though, came when he tried to present the pros and cons of Roth conversions.

He recommends that you take one of your existing IRAs or qualified plans and convert the entire thing to a Roth, but then warns you that you will need to pay tax on that entire conversion at once.What is omitted here is that, if you convert your entire account at once, your tax bill may be so large that you move up in to a higher tax bracket. It would be imprudent to make such a recommendation to a client! What generally makes more sense is to make several smaller conversions, in amounts that ensure that you stay in the same tax bracket. He recommends not making tax free Roth IRA conversions later in life, on the basis that you will not live long enough to enjoy the tax-free benefits. Tongue in cheek, I might argue that that’s a risk at any age, but even if you don’t live long enough to enjoy them, the tax-free benefits to your heirs, who are likely much younger than you, are indisputable. The strangest statement against Roth conversions, I thought, was that “you will potentially have to write a big check to the IRS”. It is true that you will have to pay tax on any amount converted from a traditional to a Roth IRA. But even if you don’t need your retirement money to live on, you will have to start taking withdrawals from your traditional IRAs every year once you turn age 70 ½. Those mandatory withdrawals will be taxable, and at that point you will be writing a big check to the IRS. The question is, does it make more sense to make Roth conversions while your retirement account balance is likely to be smaller, pay tax on a smaller amount of money, and generate tax-free income on all of the future earnings on the converted amount? Or, does it make more sense to wait twenty or thirty years, let the taxable traditional IRA grow as large as possible, and then pay the tax on the larger mandatory withdrawals?

In this age of electronic communications it’s easier to offer opposing points of view, and I have to admit that I wasn’t surprised when I saw the sheer volume of dissenting opinions that the article produced within hours of its publication. I also wondered if there were other individuals who read it and took the advice to heart. That made me think of another question – what would my readers have thought about that article, especially after receiving such dramatically different advice from me? Who are you supposed to trust?

My advice to you is this – trust yourself first. If a financial professional says something that does not make sense to you, ask for clarification. If the answer you are given still doesn’t make sense to you, trust your instincts. Get a second, third, fourth or fifth opinion before you act. Or, look up the answer yourself. There are number of resources that my staff and I use all the time, that are also available to you.   These include the Internal Revenue Service’s website (www.irs.gov), the Social Secure Administration’s website (www.ssa.gov), and the website established by Medicare (www.medicare.gov). Educating yourself about your options is the best defense against making a potential mistake that you have available to you.

I’ll get off my soapbox now. Stop back soon for another update on my book.

Jim

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Roth Conversions: Do They Still Make Sense?

Posted on by in Roth IRA Conversions, Tax Law and tagged , , .

Roth Conversions, Do They Still Make Sense, The Roth Revolution Blog, James Lange, Retire SecureThe benefits of Roth conversions have always been hotly debated among financial professionals. Some feel that Roth conversions benefit only younger individuals who are likely to have many years of tax-free growth. Others feel that anyone regardless of their age can be a good candidate for a Roth conversion, depending on their personal circumstances. Unfortunately, it’s the consumer who is frequently overlooked during these heated discussions. And many consumers just want to know, why does it make sense to pay taxes any sooner than you have to?

As many of you know, I have been an advocate of Roth conversions since they were first written in to law. I even wrote a book about the power of Roth IRAs and Roth IRA conversions called, The Roth Revolution. Since that book was written, changes in the tax law, as well as proposed changes ito future law, have forced us to evaluate many more factors when we recommend Roth conversions for our clients. Do we still recommend Roth conversions? Certainly! But the benefits of the conversion in some cases may not be as significant as they were in the past. Additionally. taxpayers who would otherwise be eligible for certain tax credits, including health care subsidies, may find themselves disqualified from receiving them in the year that their income increases because of the conversion.

Chapter 7 introduces an important concept called purchasing power, which I believe provides a better measure of the Roth advantage than by simply measuring the dollars in the account, as well as changes in the laws that you need to consider before making a new Roth conversion. If you have already done a conversion, this chapter also contains valuable information on how the beneficiaries of your existing Roth account may be affected by proposed legislation.

How do you feel about the long-term outlook for the Social Security system? Will it go bankrupt? My next post will address some ideas to give you a guaranteed income for life.

Stop back soon!

Jim

Jim Lange A nationally recognized IRA, Roth IRA conversion, and 401(k) expert, he is a regular speaker to both consumers and professional organizations. Jim is the creator of the Lange Cascading Beneficiary Plan™, a benchmark in retirement planning with the flexibility and control it offers the surviving spouse, and the founder of The Roth IRA Institute, created to train and educate financial advisors.

Jim’s strategies have been endorsed by The Wall Street Journal (33 times), Newsweek, Money Magazine, Smart Money, Reader’s Digest, Bottom Line, and Kiplinger’s. His articles have appeared in Bottom Line, Trusts and Estates Magazine, Financial Planning, The Tax Adviser, Journal of Retirement Planning, and The Pennsylvania Lawyer magazine.

Jim is the best-selling author of Retire Secure! (Wiley, 2006 and 2009), endorsed by Charles Schwab, Larry King, Ed Slott, Jane Bryant Quinn, Roger Ibbotson and The Roth Revolution, Pay Taxes Once and Never Again endorsed by Ed Slott, Natalie Choate and Bob Keebler.

If you’d like to be reminded as to when the book is coming out please fill out the form below.

Thank you.

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(7/16/2014) Tonight’s Radio Show: The View of Pittsburgh from the Mayor’s Office

Posted on by in Economy, Tax Law, The Lange Money Hour and tagged , , , , , .

The View of Pittsburgh from the Mayor’s Office

Join us tonight at 7:05 pm on KQV 1410 AM. Program also streams live at www.kqv.com. Encore presentations air EVERY SUNDAY at 9:05 am.

Tune in KQV 1410 AM tonight at 7:05 p.m. as The Lange Money Hour welcomes a very special guest, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

After serving three terms on City Council representing the East End, he was elected Pittsburgh’s 60th mayor last November capturing 84 percent of the vote. Inaugurated on January 6th, he has just completed his first six months in office.

A self-described progressive Democrat, Mayor Peduto has been a consistent voice for fiscal discipline in Pittsburgh. As a councilman, he was the only city politician to call for Act 47 state protection; a controversial step in addressing decades of financial mismanagement that left Pittsburgh with the highest debt ratio and the lowest pension funding in the nation. Despite some improvement in the fiscal situation, he feels the city needs to remain under financial oversight to take care of its long-term problems such as pensions, debt, and need for capital improvements. After only six months in office, Mayor Peduto has already taken active positions on a broad range of issues from same-sex marriage, achieving sustainable revenue by establishing relationships with major non-profits, and technology and efficiency, to dedicated bike lanes and supporting ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber.

These are just a few of the subjects on tonight’s agenda, and listeners, since our show will be live, you can join the conversation by calling KQV at 412-333-9385 after 7:05 p.m. You can also email questions in advance of the show by clicking here.

If you can’t tune in tonight, KQV will rebroadcast the show this Sunday, July 20th at 9:05 a.m. The audio will also be archived on our web site at www.paytaxeslater.com/radioshow.php, along with a written transcript.

Finally, please join us on Wednesday, August 6th at 7:05 p.m., when we’ll welcome another financial industry giant, Dr. Roger Ibbotson, to the next edition of The Lange Money Hour.

www.paytaxeslater.com 800 387-1129 or 412 521-2732 admin@paytaxeslater.com

Attention Retirement Savers: Retirement Accounts Are Different! Part 2

Posted on by in Tax Law.

In my last blog post, “Attention Retirement Savers: Retirement Accounts Are Different! Part 1”, I briefly spoke about the fact that retirement accounts are different.  In this post I’m going to dive into those differences further.
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Some of the differences are they:

  • Do not pass through the will (unless payable to an estate)
  • Are not subject to probate (unless payable to an estate)
  • Receive no capital gains treatment
  • Receive no step up in cost basis up death
  • Cannot be gifted (in most cases)
  • The title cannot be transferred to a trust
  • Are subject to special rules, called Required Minimum Distributions

IRA accounts are perhaps the only assets in your estate that will require you to take out a minimum distribution. Also, please remember that by placing a title of an IRA into a trust, you may cause immediate taxation. Once again, IRA or retirement assets are different!

Through proper planning, you can set up your IRA so that your heirs, whether they are your children, grandchildren or anyone else, can receive what is called an Inherited IRA. There are various tax laws, regulations, rules and even private letter rulings that may effect the decisions you make in setting up these Inherited IRAs. Investors should note that stretch or inherited IRAs are designed for individuals who will not need the money in the account for their own retirement needs.

In planning your retirement account, it is imperative that you review the importance of choosing the right beneficiary/beneficiaries. An informed decision can help you better understand your options, when considering tools like Roth IRAs, which were created by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and further modified by the IRS Restructuring Reform Act of 1998. Remember, Roth IRAs are significantly different than traditional IRAs and need proper planning as well.

Keeping current with new tax laws is another essential ingredient for successful retirement planning. In fact, The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) made some significant changes for retirement accounts.

The bottom line is retirement account distribution and planning, while it may look simple on the surface, is something that should be taken seriously and work through with knowledge of the rules, regulations and tax code. Sometimes even people in the financial arena or savvy investors are not familiar with these complicated tax laws.

Whatever you do, make sure you or who you are working with is familiar with the tax laws regarding retirement distribution rules.

Still a little unsure about some of the topics discussed?  Let us help you.  Please give our office a call today, we’d be glad to assist you and address your needs! 412-521-2732

– Jim Lange

Attention Retirement Savers: Retirement Accounts Are Different! Part 1

Posted on by in Tax Law.

According to the Investment Company Institute, it is estimated that there is over $20 trillion in retirement accounts as of December 30, 2013. Retirement accounts make up the majority of many people’s assets and unfortunately, many owners of IRAs and their financial advisors are not fully aware of the complicated tax laws regarding distributions of these retirement accounts.

Many people focus on the investments within these accounts and their returns, which are very important, but they overlook the important strategies that can save investors and their heirs’ money in the long run.

Retirement accounts are different!

People often forget that retirement accounts have to be in the name of an individual and that the beneficiary designation will override any other estate planning document such as your trust, will, etc. Therefore, it is imperative that you separate the retirement accounts from any other part of your estate when establishing a proper plan for distribution of these assets.

The rules regarding these retirement accounts or IRAs can be very complex and cause many mistakes.

Many times, financial professionals refer to IRAs as “Individual Riddle Accounts” because they are significantly different from most other assets in your estate plan.

On my next blog post I’ll explain some of the differences.

– Jim Lange

New Roth IRA Conversion Rules – Eight Things Investors Should Know by James Lange, CPA/Attorney – Fact 5-8

Posted on by in Tax Law.

Disclaimer: Please note that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 removed the ability for taxpayers to do any “recharacterizations” of Roth IRA conversions after 12/31/2017. The material below was created and published prior the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 

5. The impact of the conversion on your current income tax rate.
By converting to a Roth IRA you are immediately recognizing, in the year of your conversion, income that could propel you into a higher marginal tax bracket. The only way to really sort this challenge out is to crunch the numbers and try to make the best decision based upon your current tax bracket versus your future income tax bracket expectation.

6. Potential estate planning opportunities.
Roth IRAs can, in certain situations, offer estate planning opportunities. For investors that have other sources of retirement income and do not need to use their traditional IRA monies during their lifetime, a conversion can help leave income tax-free Roth IRA monies to heirs for gift and estate planning purposes. Because you pay the income tax on a Roth IRA up front, your heirs inherit this Roth IRA free of income taxes. When considering a Roth IRA for estate planning purposes, please keep in mind that the conversion will immediately reduce your IRA assets if you cannot pay the conversion tax with non-IRA assets and therefore you may have less money available to grow in your retirement plan. Roth IRAs offer tax-free earnings which can be more attractive than the tax-deferred earnings of a traditional IRA. However, if you have less money in your retirement account, this may not bring the results you desire.

7. Tax laws are always subject to change.
Remember, tax laws are always subject to change. Therefore, it is advisable for anyone making this decision and/or other decisions to stay in contact with a financial professional who is current and informed of these rules. When making financial decisions that involve tax laws it is always advisable to think about the “what ifs” and make sure you make the most informed decision.

8. Roth IRA Conversions Made in 2014 Can Be Recharacterized
Under current federal tax laws, all taxpayers have the option of recharacterizing or “undoing” a Roth IRA transaction. When you choose to recharacterize a Roth IRA, you are essentially making an election to place your retirement funds back to the way they were before the conversion.

This process can be completed no later than October 15th of the year following your conversion.  Please remember that under current tax laws, there are restrictions on how you must handle a partial recharacterization of a Roth IRA. You cannot choose to recharacterize only those investments that have declined in value. This is not allowed under the Anti-Cherry Picking Rules.[1] The Anti-Cherry Picking Rules were specifically designed to prevent people who converted to a Roth IRA from recharacterizing only those investments that declined in value. The effect of this rule is to pro-rate all gains and losses to the entire Roth IRA regardless of the actual stock or investment recharacterized. One strategy that is allowed is for an investor to break up their IRA into two separate IRAs and then convert to two separate Roth IRAs. You should familiarize yourself with the IRS laws regarding recharacterization in order to implement this strategy. As a financial advisor who understands these rules, we have experience in guiding clients in this area.

Summary

In conclusion, we realize the decision to convert some or all of your retirement account to a Roth IRA is complex. While this article is for informational purposes only and should not be deemed tax advice or an individualized recommendation, we hope that some of these points are helpful to you.

Should you have any question on whether or not you should contribute or convert to a Roth IRA, we welcome the opportunity to help you map out a strategy that will be best for your situation. Saving for retirement has and always will be a priority for most investors. We enjoy helping clients and prospects explore all of their options.