Tax help best firms in Houston, Texas? By the end of January, you should have received all the various tax documents that you need from your employer or employers, as well as from banks, brokerage firms, and others with whom you do business. For each form, check that the information matches your own records. These are some of the most common forms: Form W-2,6? if you had a job. The various 1099 forms that report other income you received, such as dividends (Form 1099-DIV),7? interest (Form 1099-INT),8? and non-employee compensation paid to independent contractors (Form 1099-MISC).9? Brokers aren’t required to mail Form 1099-B,10? which reports gains and losses on securities transactions, until mid-February, so those may come a little later.

Why Change the Character of Your Income? One way to reduce your tax burden is to change the character of your income. If you’re wondering why you should do so, here are some of the ways it can help you to lower your tax bill. Convert your SIMPLE, SEP, or traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. If you are over the age of 591/2 and you meet the five-year rule, Roth distributions are tax free. Because they are not considered investment income, they will not increase your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which is used to calculate the 3.8% Medicare surtax.

Bonus depreciation is an extra benefit for buying assets. The TCJA also increased this tax break from 50% to 100% of cost for assets placed in service from September 27, 2017 through January 1, 2023. Talk to your tax preparer if you’ve purchased any major assets to find out if you qualify. You can deduct up to $25 per person of the cost of gifts given to customers and vendors. An exception exists for those that bear your business name, are distributed as a matter of course, and cost less than $4. Deducting the costs of entertainment is a bit trickier if you show your appreciation by paying for a good time. These costs are no longer deductible unless the event is directly related to your business in some way. See additional information at https://greentree.tax/tax-preparation-service-in-houston/.

Slow Down to Save Taxes. If you buy a house or condo, fix it up and then sell it in less than a year, you’ll pay taxes on the profit at ordinary income tax rates (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, or 35%) based on your income. Hold it for more than a year and you’ll be taxed at the lower long-term capital gains rates (0%, 15%, or 20%), depending on your income. You may decide it is worth it to you to flip the property quickly, but if you get caught in a slower market and can’t unload it quickly, you’ll save a lot on your taxes by holding it more than a year.