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2012 Tax Changes for Businesses

Whether you file as a corporation or sole proprietor here’s what business owners need to know about tax changes in 2012. Standard Mileage Rates  The standard mileage rate in 2012 is 55.5 cents per business mile driven, 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile driven in service …

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3 Ways to Spend Wisely in December

While in the mode of holiday shopping, consider these 3 tax-smart purchases. Make Charitable Contributions Consider making charitable contributions before year-end both to obtain the maximum tax deduction and to fulfill any charitable programs or commitments you may have established for the year. Pay Tax-Deductible Expenses Consider paying tax-deductible expenses prior to year-end. Some common …

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2012 Tax Changes for Individuals

Here’s what individuals and families need to know about tax changes for 2012. From personal deductions to tax credits and educational expenses, many of the tax changes relating to individuals remain in effect through 2012 and are the result of tax provisions that were either modified or extended by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization …

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Should You Invest in Life Insurance?

The purpose of life insurance is to provide a source of income, in case of death, for your children, dependents, or other beneficiaries. Life insurance can also serve certain estate planning purposes, which we won’t go into here. Buying life insurance is contingent upon whether anyone is depending on your income after your death. If …

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Year-end Tax Planning for Individuals

Accelerating Income In most years, taxpayers adopt a strategy of deferring income, but with the Bush-era tax cuts set to expire on December 31, 2012, income tax rates and capital gains taxes set to rise, and a 0.9 percent Hospital Insurance (HI) tax applicable to earnings of self-employed individuals or employee wages in excess of …

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Year-End Tax Planning for Businesses

There are a number of end of year tax strategies businesses can use to reduce their tax burden for 2012. Here’s the lowdown on some of the best options. Purchase New Business Equipment Section 179 Expensing. Business should take advantage of Section 179 expensing this year for a couple of reasons. First, is that in 2012 …

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10 Facts About Mortgage Debt Forgivness

Canceled debt is normally taxable to you, but there are exceptions. One of those exceptions is available to homeowners whose mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during tax years 2007 through 2012. Here are 10 things you should know about Mortgage Debt Forgiveness. 1. Normally, debt forgiveness results in taxable income. However, under the …

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