Individual Tax

A beach house with a wrap around porch during a blue and pink sunset, with a full moon in the distance.

Own a vacation home? Adjusting rental vs. personal use might save taxes

July 12, 2017

Now that we’ve hit midsummer, if you own a vacation home that you both rent out and use personally, it’s a good time to review the potential tax consequences: If you rent it out for less than 15 days: You don’t have to report the income. But expenses associated with the rental (such as advertising…

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Real estate investor vs. professional: Why it matters

June 7, 2017

Income and losses from investment real estate or rental property are passive by definition — unless you’re a real estate professional. Why does this matter? Passive income may be subject to the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT), and passive losses generally are deductible only against passive income, with the excess being carried forward. Of…

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A woman sits in a living room smiling while holding up a small frame from a brown box in front of her, while many other boxes scatter the room behind her.

Want to help your child or grandchild buy a home? Don’t wait!

May 12, 2017

Mortgage interest rates are still at low levels, but they likely will increase as the Fed continues to raise rates. So if you’ve been thinking about helping your child or grandchild buy a home, consider acting soon. There also are some favorable tax factors that will help: 0% capital gains rate If your child is…

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A wooded house sits in front of a blurry nature background, with small burlap sacks of money placed inside the house.

Saving tax with home-related deductions and exclusions

April 10, 2017

Home ownership comes with many tax-saving opportunities. Consider both deductions and exclusions when you’re filing your 2016 return and tax planning for 2017: Property tax deduction. Property tax is generally fully deductible — unless you’re subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). Mortgage interest deduction. You generally can deduct interest on up to a combined…

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A side view of a laptop leaning against a stack of 8 large books with the text "College Credit" written in red next to the laptop.

Who can or should take the American Opportunity credit?

March 29, 2017

If you have a child in college, you may be eligible to claim the American Opportunity credit on your 2016 income tax return. If your income is too high, you won’t qualify for the credit — but your child might. There’s one potential downside: If your dependent child claims the credit, you must forgo your dependency…

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