Charitable Giving

Charitable Contributions Deduction Liberalized for 2021

As a means to stimulate charitable contributions during the COVID crisis, Congress made two notable changes for 2020—one allowing taxpayers that don’t itemize their deductions an above-the-line deduction for cash contributions of up to $300…

2021 Standard Mileage Rates Announced

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), each year, computes standard mileage rates for the use of a vehicle for business, medical and moving purposes based on a number of factors, to determine the standard mileage rates for the following year. As…
Home Ownership & Taxes

What Are the Tax Advantages of Home Ownership?

Housing is a big expense for everyone. The choice generally involves either renting or purchasing – and financing that purchase with a home loan. As of November 2020, the nationwide average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was just under…

What You Can Do to Finally Get Out of Credit Card Debt

Thanks to the significant challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans than ever are struggling financially. With a lot of people out of work due to the staggering number of business closers, many are turning to credit…

Saver’s Credit Can Help You Save for Retirement

Low- and moderate-income workers can take steps to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit. The saver’s credit, also called the retirement savings credit, helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers voluntarily contribute to…
Retired Couple

IRA Withdrawal Planning Can Save on Taxes

Advance planning can, in many cases, minimize or even avoid taxes on IRA distributions and other qualified plan distributions. When contemplating future retirement and when to begin tapping taxable IRA and other qualified retirement accounts,…
Hands Holding House

Sold or Thinking of Selling Your Home?

In spite of (or in some cases, because of) the COVID-19 pandemic, and with near-record-low home mortgage interest rates, the housing market has been booming. September 2020 existing home sales were up 9.4% from August 2020 and 20.9% from 2019,…
Capital Building

What Happens if I Receive an IRS CP2000 Notice?

There are few things that can send a chill down your spine more than mail from the IRS. Just seeing the agency’s name on an envelope’s return address creates anxiety. If you find yourself in that position and open the mail to find a CP2000…

Employee Holiday Gifts May Be Taxable

It is common practice this time of year for employers to give their employees gifts. Where a gift is infrequently offered and has a fair market value so low that it is impractical and unreasonable to account for it, the gift’s value would…