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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018-Distribution from 529 plans and ABLE accounts

Asked Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by an anonymous user
Distributions from 529 plans to pay tuition in primary and secondary school up to $10,000 is not a taxable distribution.

Distributions from 529 plans can be rolled over tax free to ABLE accounts (up to annual contribution limits). Also annual contributions to ABLE accounts can be increased under certain circumstances.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018-Estate and Gift Tax Changes

Asked Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by an anonymous user
For decedents dying and gifts made after 2017 and before 2026 the basic exemption equivalent exclusion amount is increased to $10,000,000 (with inflation adjustments).

For 2018, the exclusion amount is $11,200,000 per taxpayer or with proper planning $22,400,000 for a married couple.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018- Itemized deductions-Deduction limits for long-term care premiums

Asked Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by an anonymous user
The maximum amount of age-based long-term care premiums that can be included as deductible medical expenses for 2018 (subject to the AGI floor is $420.

If you are age 40 or younger at the end of 2018; $780 for those age 41 through 50; $1,560 for those age 51 through 60; $4,160 for those age 61 through 70; and $5,200 for those over age 70.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018-Bonus Depreciation

Asked Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by an anonymous user
100% additional first-year bonus depreciation is allowed for qualified property acquired and placed into service after September 27, 2017 and before January 1, 2023.

The new rules eliminate the requirement that the original use of the property commence with the taxpayer. As such, bonus depreciation is available for new or used property.

Taxpayers have a right to elect 50% bonus depreciation for property placed into service after September 27, 2017 during the first tax year that ends after September 27, 2017.
In the years that follow the bonus depreciation percentage will diminish. i. For property placed into service after December 31, 2022 and before January 1, 2024 bonus depreciation is 80%.
ii. For property placed into service after December 31, 2023 and before January 1, 2025 bonus depreciation is 60%.
iii. For property placed into service after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2026 bonus depreciation is 40%.
iv. For property placed into service after December 31, 2025 and before January 1, 2027 bonus depreciation is 20%.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018-Eligibility for saver’s credit

Asked Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by an anonymous user
The adjusted gross income brackets for the 10%, 20%, and 50% credits are increased for 2018. No credit is allowed when AGI exceeds $31,500 for single taxpayers, $47,250 for heads of households, and $63,000 for married persons filing jointly. ABLE account contributions can now qualify for the credi
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - Standard Deduction

Asked Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by an anonymous user
The Act increases the base standard deduction from the inflation adjusted levels that applied in 2017 to:

$12,000 for Single, Qualifying widower and Married filing separately taxpayers.

$24,000 for married taxpayers filing Joint returns,

$18,000 for taxpayers filing as Head of Household.

The additional standard deduction available to taxpayers who are age 65 or older and or blind remain unchanged.
For 2018 the additional amount is $1,300 for married taxpayers and $1,600 for unmarried taxpayers.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - 35% Tax Rate Changes

Asked Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by an anonymous user
For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, seven brackets will apply to individuals: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%.

No change has been made to the filing statuses that apply to individuals.
In 2017 all taxpayers (other than those filing Married Filing Separately) became subject to the 35% bracket at the same level of taxable income ($416,700). For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, the 2nd highest bracket will now apply based upon filing status.

1 Unmarried taxpayers will have the 35% bracket apply once taxable income exceeds $200,000.

2. Joint filers will have the 35% bracket apply once taxable income exceeds $400,000.

3. Separate filers will have the 35% bracket apply once taxable income exceeds $200,000.

4. For unmarried taxpayers (both Single and Head of Household filing statuses), the top bracket applies to taxable income in excess of $500,000.

5. Married taxpayers filing jointly will have the 37% rate apply once taxable income exceeds $600,000, with one-half that amount ($300,000) being the threshold for married taxpayers filing separate return.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018- Itemized deductions-3%Limitation

Asked Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by an anonymous user
For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, the overall itemized deduction limitation of 3% of the excess of AGI over the threshold amount (applicable to certain itemized deductions) is suspended.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018-Personal exemptions

Asked Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by an anonymous user
For tax years 2018 through 2025 the deduction for personal and dependency exemptions is effectively suspended by the Act reducing those amounts to zero.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018- Itemized deductions-Misc Deductions

Asked Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by an anonymous user
For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026 all miscellaneous itemized deductions that were previously subject to a 2% AGI limitation are suspended.

Among the items included in this elimination are:
All unreimbursed employee business expenses;
Union dues
Brokerage fees
All expenses related to tax return preparation;
Appraisal fees for charitable contributions;
Investment expenses.
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