In an age where philanthropy plays a crucial role in supporting communities, understanding the nuances of charitable giving is essential. Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) offer unique tax advantages, making them an attractive option for many donors. As we move into the holidays and the season of giving, it’s a great time to explore the benefits … Continued
October 14, 2020 This year’s CARES Act exempts required annual distributions in 2020 for all IRA owners over age 70 ½, and for some people, this may create an attractive planning opportunity utilizing the Roth IRA conversion. Unlike a traditional IRA that is funded with pre-tax dollars that grow tax deferred until withdrawn (as taxable … Continued
April 28, 2020 December now feels like ancient history given the current state of the world, but back then, Congress passed the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) which introduced significant changes to many retirement-related plans, including the rules governing the inheritance of qualified plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Specifically, the … Continued
January 31, 2020 One of the more common requests we hear from clients is their preference to name their minor children as IRA beneficiaries. Unfortunately, minors are legally unable to own property, and therefore cannot inherit IRA assets in their own name; however, there is a “right” way to pass IRA assets to your minor … Continued
The new tax law that went into effect this year changes many things, including the treatment of deductibility of state and local (property) taxes – the so-called SALT deductions. Prior to this year, taxpayers could deduct the full amount of these taxes from their Federal tax calculation. Beginning this year, that deductibility is capped at … Continued
The Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) remains permanent. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) were made permanent by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 and were untouched by this new tax overhaul. IRA owners age 70½ or older can distribute up to $100,000 per year from their IRA directly to charitable organizations. These distributions … Continued
As year-end approaches, it is time to review strategic planning opportunities with your trusted advisors. As we await the outcome of the tax reform bill, it is a good time to start the dialogue and prepare to act. With that in mind, here is a list of end-of-the-year financial tasks for your consideration. Tax-Loss Harvesting … Continued
It is not unusual here in Silicon Valley for employers to offer their employees the opportunity to acquire company stock as an investment alternative in their 401(k) plans. Employees may acquire equity shares using pre-tax dollars, or even better, at no cost when shares are granted as a matching contribution. But eventually, whether because of … Continued
Typically, a regular IRA is not the most efficient asset to use for inter-generational transfers of wealth. If the IRA and estate are large enough, both estate and income taxes will apply. As a result, heirs can end up with only about 20% of the actual value of an IRA. However, if estate taxes are … Continued