2019 Tax Law Changes

2019 - Ordinary Income Tax Rates

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

For 2019, the tax bracket amounts have been indexed for inflation.

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.
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2019 Tax Law Changes

2019 - Itemized deductions-State Property & Income tax Limitation

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

The combination of residential property taxes and Income or sales taxes continues to be capped at $10,000.

Property taxes remain fully deductible for taxpayers in a business or for-profit activity, so taxes paid on rental realty can be taken in full on Schedule E.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - Additional Medicare tax

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

There is an 0.9% additional Medicare tax on wages and self-employment income exceeding $250,000 if married filing jointly; $200,000, if single, head of household, or a qualifying widow/widower; or $125,000, if married filing separately.

To the extent the tax was not withheld from your wages, you will have to pay it when you file Form 1040
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - Retirement plan limits

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

For 2018, the contribution limit for traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs is unchanged at $5,500, or $6,500 for those age 50 or older.

The deduction limit for 2018 contributions to a traditional IRA is phased out for active plan participants with modified AGI (MAGI) between $63,000 and $73,000 for a single person or head of household, or between $101,000 and $121,000 for married persons filing jointly and qualifying widows/widowers.

The phaseout range is MAGI between $189,000 and $199,000 for a spouse who is not an active plan participant and who files jointly with a spouse who is an active plan participant.

The 2018 Roth IRA contribution limit is phased out for a single person or head of household with MAGI between $120,000 and $135,000, and for married persons filing jointly and qualifying widows/widowers with MAGI between $189,000 and $199,000.

If you converted your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2018, you cannot undo it; the conversion is permanent.
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2019 Tax Law Changes

2019 - Itemized deductions - Miscellaneous Itemized Deductions

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

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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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - Social Security

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

For 2018, the tax rate on the employee portion of Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to $128,400, so Social Security tax withholdings should not exceed $7,960.80. Medicare tax of 1.45% is withheld from all wages regardless of amount.

On Schedule SE for 2018, self-employment tax of 15.3% applies to earnings of up to $128,400 after the earnings are reduced by 7.65%. The 15.3% rate equals 12.4% for Social Security (6.2% employee share and 6.2% employer share) plus 2.9% for Medicare.

If net earnings exceed $128,400, the 2.9% Medicare rate applies to the entire amount. One half of the self-employment tax may be claimed as an above-the-line deduction on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. For 2018, the tax rate on the employee portion of Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to $128,400, so Social Security tax withholdings should not exceed $7,960.80. Medicare tax of 1.45% is withheld from all wages regardless of amount.

On Schedule SE for 2018, self-employment tax of 15.3% applies to earnings of up to $128,400 after the earnings are reduced by 7.65%. The 15.3% rate equals 12.4% for Social Security (6.2% employee share and 6.2% employer share) plus 2.9% for Medicare.

If net earnings exceed $128,400, the 2.9% Medicare rate applies to the entire amount. One half of the self-employment tax may be claimed as an above-the-line deduction on Schedule 1 of Form 1040.
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2018 Tax Law Changes

2018 - Form 1040 - New look form

Asked Monday, December 24, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

For 2018, all taxpayers must use Form 1040.
Forms 1040A and 1040EZ have been eliminated.
Form 1040 has been reformatted and redesigned and is supplemented by new Schedules 1 through 6.

The IRS has taken Form 1040, which was a 2 page form, and cut it into 6 pieces,
If you do not have amounts for pieces 2 through 6, then those schedules will not print.
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Child Tax Credit

2018-Child Tax Credit

Asked Thursday, December 20, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

Pursuant to the Act, the child tax credit is increased to $2,000 per eligible child for 2018 through 2025.

The income level at which the credit phase-out begins is increased to $400,000 for taxpayers filing married filing jointly and $200,000 for all others. The credit continues to phase out at a rate of $50 for every $1,000 that AGI exceeds the threshold amounts.

The refundability of the credit was also modified so that the earned income threshold is reduced to $2,500.
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Depreciation

2018-Bonus Depreciation

Asked Thursday, December 20, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

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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Earned Income Credit

2018-Earned income tax credit

Asked Thursday, December 20, 2018 by an anonymous user

CPA Answer:

For 2018, the maximum credit amount is $3,461 for one qualifying child, $5,716 for two qualifying children, $6,431 for three or more qualifying children, and $519 for taxpayers who have no qualifying child. The phaseout ranges for the credit have been adjusted for inflation
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