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Early Withdrawal of an IRA – First Time Homebuyer

May 30th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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early clover

Photo credit: malomar

When you have money in an IRA, you are allowed to begin taking withdrawals once you’ve reached age 59½. But sometimes you’d like to take your money out earlier… and you’ve probably already discovered that there is a 10% penalty for taking funds out of your IRA early, right? So – is there a way to avoid that penalty? Perhaps as a first time homebuyer.

There are several ways to withdraw IRA funds without penalty, as a matter of fact. There are several sections of the Internal Revenue Code that deal with these early distributions – including 72(t) which includes the first time homebuyer exception. We’ll explain the first time homebuyer exception in this post.

First Time Homebuyer

If you are buying, building, or re-building your first home (defined later), you are allowed to take a distribution of up to $10,000 (or $20,000 for a married couple) from your IRA to fund a portion of your costs, without paying the 10% penalty. There are a few restrictions, though – here is the official wording from the IRS:

  1. It must be used to pay qualified acquisition costs (defined later) before the close of the 120th day after the day you received it.
  2. It must be used to pay qualified acquisition costs for the main home of a first time homebuyer (defined later) who is any of the following.
    1. Yourself.
    2. Your spouse.
    3. Your or your spouse’s child.
    4. Your or your spouse’s grandchild.
    5. Your or your spouse’s parent or other ancestor.
  3. When added to all your prior qualified first-time homebuyer distributions, if any, total qualifying distributions cannot be more than $10,000.

If both you and your spouse are first time homebuyers (defined later), each of you can receive distributions up to $10,000 for a first home without having to pay the 10% additional tax.

Qualified acquisition costs. Qualified acquisition costs include the following items.

  • Costs of buying, building, or rebuilding a home.
  • Any usual or reasonable settlement, financing, or other closing costs.
First time homebuyer. Generally, you are a first time homebuyer if you had no present interest in a main home during the 2-year period ending on the date of acquisition of the home which the distribution is being used to buy, build, or rebuild. NOTE: If you are married, your spouse must also meet this no-ownership requirement. This provision might cause you to re-think the timing of a purchase of a home if you are about to get married and your soon-to-be spouse has had ownership within the past 2 years.

Date of acquisition. The date of acquisition is the date that:

  • You enter into a binding contract to buy the main home for which the distribution is being used, or
  • The building or rebuilding of the main home for which the distribution is being used begins.

The keys here are to make sure that you qualify as a first time homebuyer (by the IRS’ definition above), that you use the funds in time (before 120 days has passed since the distribution), and that you haven’t taken this option previously (or previous distributions were less than $10,000). For many folks this can be very helpful when buying a home.

Another important point to note is that although you do not have to pay the 10% penalty on the distribution, you WILL be required to pay ordinary income tax on any money taken from your IRA. This can be a surprise to some folks who weren’t expecting it. However, if you have post-tax (non-deductible) contributions in your IRA, these will be non-taxable, but pro rata in this distribution.

A Social Security Hat Trick for $24,000

May 25th, 2016
by jblankenship.
26 comments

hat trickDid you know that even with the new Social Security rules, it’s possible to work out a strategy to maximize your Social Security benefits? There are options still available (if you were born before 1954) that can provide you with some vestiges of the old “get some now, get more later” option.

Since the restricted application option is still open for those born on or before January 1, 1954, a married couple can still work this strategy to their advantage to maximize benefits.

Here’s how it works:

Jessica and Robert are both age 66 this year. Robert’s Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA, is $1,000 per month. This is the amount of benefits he’d receive if he files for his Social Security benefit upon reaching age 66. Jessica’s PIA is $2,600 per month.

Robert files for his benefit when he turns 66 in June. Jessica reaches age 66 on her birthday in August. At that time, since Robert has filed for his Social Security benefit, Jessica is eligible to file a restricted application for spousal benefits, receiving $500 per month, 50% of Robert’s PIA. So Robert and Jessica are receiving a total of $1,500 per month at this point, and they continue to do so for the next four years.

When Jessica reaches age 70, her Social Security benefit has maximized due to the earned delay credits. When she files, she’s eligible for $3,432 per month, a 32% increase from her PIA. At the same time, now that Jessica has filed, Robert is eligible for a spousal benefit based on Jessica’s record. This means that Robert can file for the spousal “excess” benefit – which is calculated as:

50% of Jessica’s PIA ($1,300) minus Robert’s PIA ($1,000) = $300

This $300 is then added to Robert’s current benefit, and he now can receive a monthly benefit of $1,300. So together, Robert and Jessica will now receive a total of $4,732 per month.

Regardless of which of the two dies first, the smaller benefit (Robert’s) will cease, and the larger benefit (Jessica’s) will continue. So the benefit that was maximized by delaying will be paid out for the longest period of time – to the death of the second-to-die of the couple.

While maximizing the larger benefit, Robert and Jessica were able to receive four years’ worth of benefits at $1,500 per month. Then upon maximizing Jessica’s benefit, Robert received a step-up for spousal excess benefits. This strategy results in $24,000 more benefits for the couple.

5 Secrets About Your 401k Plan

May 23rd, 2016
by jblankenship.
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401k plan secretMany folks have a 401k plan – it’s the most common sort of retirement savings vehicle that employers offer these days. But there are things about your 401k plan that you probably don’t know – and these secrets can be important to know!

The 401k plan is, for many, the only retirement savings you’ll have when you reach your golden years. Used properly, with steady contributions over time, a 401k plan can generate a much-needed addition to your Social Security benefits. But you have to make contributions to the 401k plan for it to work, and invest those contributions wisely.

So how much do you know about your 401k plan? Below are 5 secrets that you probably don’t know about your 401k plan. Check with your 401k plan administrator to see if these provisions are available – some plans are more restrictive than others.

Secrets You Don’t Know About Your 401k Plan

1. You can take a loan. You may not realize it, but you have a source of ready cash available for any purpose you need, in the form of a 401k loan. Of course, once you take the money out you have to pay it back, which can make your already small take-home pay even smaller. But if you have no other source for cash and a true crisis is ahead of you, a 401k loan could be the answer. For more details on 401k loans, see the article How to Take a Loan from Your 401k, and check with your 401k plan administrator for information.

2. You may have access to the money in your plan before you retire. Not all 401k plans allow this, but many do: once you’ve reached age 59½ (for some plans it’s 55), you may be eligible to take an “in-service distribution” from the plan while you’re still employed. This can be a way to make up for a spouse who has retired before you, and who is waiting for other retirement funds such as Social Security or a pension. As mentioned before, check with your 401k plan administrator to see if this option is available to you.

3. You can start with very small contributions, and grow the amount over time. Many times, especially early in our careers, the thought of trimming our already meager take-home pay with a contribution to a 401k plan is scary. The problem is that you’re faced with peers and bosses who tell you things like “If you don’t put in up to the company match amount, you’re throwing money away!” – which doesn’t help if you can’t hardly afford to set aside even 1%.

There is no rule that says you must put aside the amount to take advantage of the company match (often 6% or so) – you can start with a small amount, such as 1%, and see how it goes. My experience with folks who’ve done this is that they learn to budget around the smaller paycheck, and they’re happy they’ve done so. Then when you have an increase to your pay, figure out how much your increase is and put aside a portion of that in additional 401k plan contributions. Over time, you’ll build your contributions up to a point where you’re taking full advantage of the employer match, and then some!

4. You can stop and restart your contributions. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Unexpected expenses arise that we’re not prepared to deal with (hence the name “unexpected”!) and so it sure would be handy to put the 401k plan contributions on pause for a while. Most 401k plans will allow you to stop your contributions (or simply reduce the amount), although some may limit the frequency of making such changes. Just don’t get too comfy with the reduced or eliminated contribution level – set a time for yourself to bump it back up so that you keep putting money away for retirement!

5. Making contributions is very smart – in several ways. As mentioned above, your 401k plan may be your only source of money in retirement (besides Social Security) – and making contributions is the only way to build up this account. This by itself is smart, but there are xx other really smart things about making 401k plan contributions:

– Employer Match – when you make a contribution to your 401k plan, many times your employer will match a portion of your contribution. If you don’t contribute, the employer won’t either, in most cases. So if you’re making $30,000 and your employer will match 50¢ for every dollar up to 5% for example, if you contribute the full 5% you’ll have credit for $2,250 in your account. That’s 7.5% – which only cost you 5%. Or $2,250 in your account that only cost you $1,500. Pretty sweet, right?

– Payroll Deduction – making contributions to your 401k plan via payroll deduction is, for most folks, a relatively painless way to save money. If you don’t see the money in your checking account, you won’t miss it. And the tax treatment of 401k plan contributions helps out more (see the next point).

– Tax Treatment – since traditional 401k plan contributions are taken out before income tax, the amount of reduction to your paycheck will be less than the amount you’re putting into the 401k plan. Think about that for a moment, because it’s a bit confusing…

What happens is when you make a contribution to the 401k plan, that money isn’t counted toward income taxes. So as a result, fewer dollars are withheld from your remaining paycheck to cover the tax bite. I have a good example over in the article How a 401(k) Contribution Affects Your Paycheck that works through the numbers for you.

Making contributions to your 401k plan is a smart move for you, tax-wise and savings-wise. Check with your 401k plan administrator to see what provisions are available to you.

Canceled debt and your taxes

May 16th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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canceled debtWhen you have a canceled debt, you may think you’re done with that old nuisance. Unfortunately, the IRS sees it otherwise. Technically, since you owed money beforehand and now you don’t, your financial situation is increased by the amount of canceled debt. When you have an increase to your financial situation, this is known as income. And income, as you know, is quite often taxable – but sometimes there are ways to exclude the canceled debt from your income for tax purposes.

The IRS recently issued a Tax Tip (Tax Tip 2016-30) which details some important information that you need to know about canceled debt, including HAMP modifications and other items. The actual text of the Tip follows:

Top 10 Tax Tips about Debt Cancellation

If your lender cancels part or all of your debt, it is usually considered income and you normally must pay tax on that amount. However, the law allows an exclusion that may apply to homeowners who had their mortgage debt canceled. Here are 10 tips about debt cancellation:

1. Main Home. If the canceled debt was a loan on your main home, you may be able to exclude the canceled amount from your income. You must have used the loan to buy, build or substantially improve your main home to qualify. Your main home must also secure the mortgage.

2. Loan Modification. If your lender canceled part of your mortgage through a loan modification or ‘workout,’ you may be able to exclude that amount from your income. You may also be able to exclude debt discharged as part of the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP. The exclusion may also apply to the amount of debt canceled in a foreclosure.

3. Refinanced Mortgage. The exclusion may apply to amounts canceled on a refinanced mortgage. This applies only if you used proceeds from the refinancing to buy, build or substantially improve your main home and only up to the amount of the old mortgage principal just before refinancing. Amounts used for other purposes do not qualify.

4. Other Canceled Debt. Other types of canceled debt such as second homes, rental and business property, credit card debt or car loans do not qualify for this special exclusion. On the other hand, there are other rules that may allow those types of canceled debts to be nontaxable.

5. Form 1099-C. If your lender reduced or canceled at least $600 of your debt, you should receive Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, by Feb. 1. This form shows the amount of canceled debt and other information.

6. Form 982. If you qualify, report the excluded debt on Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness. File the form with your federal income tax return.

7. IRS.gov Tool. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant tool on IRS.gov to find out if your canceled mortgage debt is taxable.

8. Exclusion Extended. The law that authorized the exclusion of canceled debt from income was extended through Dec. 31, 2016.

9. IRS Free File. IRS e-file is fastest, safest and easiest way to file. You can use IRS Free File to e-file your tax return for free. If you earned $62,000 or less, you can use brand name tax software. The software does the math and completes the right forms for you. If you earned more than $62,000, use Free File Fillable Forms. This option uses electronic versions of IRS paper forms. It is best for people who are used to doing their own taxes. Free File is available only on IRS.gov/freefile.

10. More Information. For more on this topic see Publication 4681, Canceled Debts, Foreclosures, Repossessions and Abandonments.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

Additional IRS Resources:

New Rules for File and Suspend

May 4th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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So the heyday is over, file and suspend under the old rules is gone forever as of April 30, 2016. Those were the days, my friend. We thought they’d never end. We’d file and suspend forever and a day. But not any more…

Or, may we still file and suspend?

Of course we can still file and suspend, the rules are just more restrictive now. When you suspend your benefits these days, all benefits that are payable based upon your record are suspended as well. For example, if you have a child who is eligible for benefits based on your record, when you suspend your benefits the child’s benefits will be suspended as well.  The same goes for spousal benefits based on your record.

To be clear, the rules about suspending benefits are:

  • You must be at least Full Retirement Age
  • When you suspend benefits, your own benefit will not be paid to you
  • Since you are not receiving benefits, you will earn delay credits at the rate of 8% for every year of delay
  • ALL OTHER BENEFITS based on your record will also be suspended, including spousal benefits and child’s benefits

File and Suspend

Before the rules changed, it was common to file and suspend at the same time. Now, with the new rules, it would likely not make much sense to file and suspend at the same time.

The action of filing for benefits is enough to enable benefits for others (spouse or child) to receive benefits based on your record. Under the old rules, if you suspended your benefits, these auxiliary benefits could continue – so, file and suspend at the same time made a lot of sense. By doing so, you would enable others to receive the auxiliary benefits, while at the same time delaying your own actual filing to some later date, receiving the delay credits for the delay.

With today’s rules, file and suspend at the same time doesn’t actually accomplish anything for you, other than establish a filing date.

What you might do though, is file for benefits at one point, and then later suspend them. For example, if you are 62 years old and you have a child who is under 18 (for example’s sake we’ll say 12 years old), you could file for your own benefits and enable your child to receive benefits based on your record. When the child reaches age 18, he will no longer be eligible to receive the benefits – so you could suspend your benefits at this point (you’d be 68 by now) and receive an 8% increase to your benefits for each year that you delay.

The strategy above would be important to you to provide some benefits to the auxiliary dependents (such as a child or spouse) for a short period of time, while allowing you to then enhance your benefits later by suspending.

If the concept isn’t thrilling to you, you’re not alone. Suspending benefits just isn’t what it used to be.

401k Loan versus Early Withdrawal

May 2nd, 2016
by jblankenship.
12 comments

loaned motorcycleWhen you have a 401k and you need some money from the account, you have a couple of options. Depending upon your 401k plan’s options, you may be able to take a 401k loan. With some plans you also have the option to take an early, in-service withdrawal from the plan.

These two options have very different outcomes for you, in terms of taxes and possible penalties. Let’s explore the differences.

401k Loan

If your plan allows for a 401k loan, this can be a good option to get access to the money, for virtually any purpose. Being a loan, there is no tax impact when you take out a 401k loan. Plus you can use the money for any purpose that you need, at any age.

As a loan, it must be paid back over the a five-year period (at most). You’ll pay interest on the loan, but since it is from your own account, you’re paying interest to yourself.

There is a limit of $50,000 for a 401k loan, or 50% of your account balance if that amount is less.

If you leave the employer (retirement or otherwise) and there is still a balance outstanding on your 401k loan, the outstanding balance will be considered a withdrawal from the 401k account – which is taxable as ordinary income and possibly subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty (unless you meet one of the exceptions, see below).

If you are not currently employed by the sponsoring employer, a 401k loan is generally not available.

401k Withdrawal

If you’re still employed by the company and want to take a withdrawal from your 401k, the 401k plan must have an option to allow for in-service withdrawals. Often there are restrictions on the availability of an in-service withdrawal. For many plans it’s necessary to be above a certain age (such as 59½ years of age), or that a particular requirement is met, such as hardship by the employee, defined by the plan administrator.

In addition, if you’re taking a withdrawal from the plan instead of a 401k loan, the money withdrawn from the 401k plan will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Plus if you’re under age 59½ your withdrawal could be subject to an early withdrawal penalty unless you meet one of the exceptions. See the article 16 Ways to Withdraw Money From Your 401k Without Penalty to see the exceptions to the 10% penalty.

The good news is that you won’t have to pay the money back to the plan when you make a withdrawal as you would with a 401k loan.

Focus on the Things You Can Control

Apr 26th, 2016
by jblankenship.
2 comments

Left a good job in the city, workin’ for the man every night and day. But I never lost one minute of sleepin’ worryin’ ’bout the way things might have been.

— John Fogerty

heathrowSometimes the answer to our stresses in life is to get back to basics and figure out what’s important to us, as well as what things we can control in our life. In the song quoted above, Fogerty’s writing was most likely tempered by his recent discharge from the Army Reserve (1967), after which the protagonist explores an awakening to a simpler side of life, and what turns out to be important to him.

We are often faced with similar situations – maybe we’ve been laid off or some financial calamity strikes us, and from that perspective we often discover what’s really important to us. Other times we just come to realize that our life seems out of control, and we’re searching for a way to get our comfort level back. Most importantly we can learn to not “worry ’bout the way things might have been”, and instead focus on the things about our lives that we can control.

At times we worry about interest rates, inflation, overseas unrest, the current political cycle, whether stocks are going up or down, and the baggage retrieval system they’ve got at Heathrow*. None of these things are items that you can control – for example, stocks are going to go either up or down, and no amount of worry on your part will affect the end result. The same goes with obsessing over the interest rate or inflation. Nothing you can do will change the course of these things. It’s best just to let them go, and don’t worry about them.

Now, I’m not advocating a “don’t worry, be happy” attitude, at least not completely. But there is something to be said for not letting things get you down. This can be more easily understood if you think about your life resources that you have available to you as similar in that there is a finite amount of each that is yours to use as you please:

  1. Money
  2. Time
  3. Talent
  4. Energy

In our lives we’re always making choices about how to “spend” these resources. Setting aside money for the moment, the other three (time, talent and energy) can be exchanged for money, and you can use the money to provide yourself with more time (sometimes) and more talent. Energy is one that can’t be expanded easily – and this one is where you lose out by worrying too much.

You only have so much energy available to accomplish things in your life. Whatever amount of that energy that you spend worrying about whatever is on the business news channel, then you have that much less energy to teach your son to play catch. And the end result for your financial well-being is likely to be the same whether you’re playing catch or watching the business news circus.

In addition, we often allow “the way things might have been” to dig at us over time. This stress that we put upon ourselves has no purpose – as the saying goes, “don’t cry over spilled milk”. Learn from the bad things that have happened to you, for sure. But don’t let the bad things that happened to you in the past define your future.

You have control over certain things, and it’s different for everyone. Instead of worrying about the stock market, shut off the tv, play catch with your son (or daughter), and then use your extra energy to figure out a way to maximize your IRA contributions. You’ll be far better off in the long run.

* That line is from a Monty Python routine called I’m So Worried – not their best work, but if you’re amused by the Python, I recommend giving it a listen.

Changing Your SOSEPP – Once, just once

Apr 18th, 2016
by jblankenship.
3 comments
sosepp steam engine

Photo credit: coop

If you’re taking (or planning to take) early distributions from an IRA using the 72(t) provision with a Series of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments, also known as a SOSEPP, you need to know a few things about this arrangement. For more information on SOSEPPs in general, see the article Early Withdrawal of an IRA or 401(k) – SOSEPP for more details.

Generally when you establish a SOSEPP you have to stick with your plan for the longer of five years or until you reach age 59½ years of age. However, the IRS allows changing your SOSEPP one time, and only one time. And then, the rules only allow changing your SOSEPP from either the fixed annuitization method or the fixed amortization method to the Required Minimum Distribution method.

This is the only exception allowed for changing your SOSEPP during its enforcement period, which is the later of five years after you started the SOSEPP or when you turn age 59½. The exception is documented in Rev. Ruling 2002-62, 2.03(b).

If you’re planning on changing your SOSEPP in a manner other than the above-described methods, you will effectively “break” the plan, meaning that the SOSEPP is no longer in place. Doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, right? That’s where you’re wrong though… because if you break a SOSEPP, there are some very nasty ways that the IRS will get back at you.

This can be as simple as increasing or decreasing the amount you withdraw slightly, or forgetting to make a withdrawal altogether, or possibly taking two distributions (a double-dip) in one year. There’s not much room for “forgive and forget” on this from the IRS. For more on the consequences of breaking a SOSEPP, see the article Penalties for Changing a SOSEPP.

There is no specific provision in the Internal Revenue Code for relief from the penalty if you have broken your SOSEPP.  On the other hand, the IRS has in some cases granted relief in several private letter rulings by determining that a change in the series of payments did not materially modify the series for purposes of the rules.

If the series is broken due to an error by an advisor (for example), some prior PLRs have been issued in favor of the taxpayer.  PLR 201051025 and PLR 200503036 each address the situation of an advisor making an error and the distributions were allowed to be made up in the subsequent year.  Bear in mind that PLRs are not valid for any other circumstances other than the specific one in the ruling, and cannot be used to establish precedence for subsequent cases.

But in reality, the likelihood of your getting a favorable PLR for your case of a broken SOSEPP is small – unfortunately, breaking the series usually results in application of the penalty for previous payments received, and the SOSEPP is eliminated.  If you wish to restart the series you can do so, but you are starting with a new five-year calendar (the series must exist for at least five years, or until you reach age 59½, whichever is later).

Don’t Forget to Make Your IRA Contribution by April 18!

Apr 11th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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forgetmenotsWhen filling out your tax return, it’s allowable to deduct the amount of your regular IRA contribution when filing even though you may not have already made the contribution.

You’re allowed to make an IRA contribution for tax year 2015 up to the original filing deadline of your tax return. This year, that date is April 18, 2016.

The problem is that sometimes we file the tax return way early in the year, and then we forget about the IRA contribution. As of the posting of this article, you have 1 week to make your contribution to your IRA to have it counted for tax year 2015.

What To Do If You Miss the Deadline

If you don’t make the contribution on time, you’re in for some nasty surprises unless you take some corrective actions.

If you find yourself on April 19, 2016 without having made your IRA contribution and you had deducted one from your taxes for 2015, you need to amend your return. This means that you’ll fill out a Form 1040X and eliminate the IRA contribution that you originally deducted from your income. This will (most likely) result in additional taxes that you’ll owe, so when you send in the amendment you’ll have to send an additional tax payment.

Failure to amend your return in a timely fashion will result in the IRS contacting you later, requiring you to pay the additional tax plus interest. In addition, since your tax return was erroneous, the IRS will consider this to be “under-reporting of income” and “under payment of tax” – both of which carry penalties. Even if it was an honest mistake, you’ll owe these penalties.

You may even owe some penalties and interest if you file your amendment right away, since technically you’ve under-reported and underpaid. But if you amend as soon as you can, these penalties and interest should be minimized.

Taxes and Your Child

Apr 6th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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childrenWhen a child has unearned income from investments in his or her own name, taxes can be a bit tricky. Depending on how much the unearned income is, part of it may be taxed at the child’s parent’s tax rate, for example.

Recently the IRS published their Tax Tip 2016-52, which details What You Should Know about Children with Investment Income. The text of the Tip is below:

What You Should Know about Children with Investment Income

Special tax rules may apply to some children who receive investment income. The rules may affect the amount of tax and how to report the income. Here are five important points to keep in mind if your child has investment income:

  1. Investment Income. Investment income generally includes interest, dividends and capital gains. It also includes other unearned income, such as from a trust.
  2. Parent’s Tax Rate. If your child’s total investment income is more than $2,100 then your tax rate may apply to part of that income instead of your child’s tax rate. See the instructions for Form 8615, Tax for Certain Children Who Have Unearned Income.
  3. Parent’s Return. You may be able to include your child’s investment income on your tax return if it was less than $10,500 for the year. If you make this choice, then your child will not have to file his or her own return. See Form 8814, Parents’ Election to Report Child’s Interest and Dividends, for more.
  4. Child’s Return. If your child’s investment income was $10,500 or more in 2015 then the child must file their own return. File Form 8615 with the child’s federal tax return.
  5. Net Investment Income Tax. Your child may be subject to the Net Investment Income Tax if they must file Form 8615. Use Form 8960, Net Investment Income Tax, to figure this tax.

Refer to IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents. You can get related forms and publications on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

Break Even Points for Social Security Filing Ages

Apr 4th, 2016
by jblankenship.
7 comments

break evenLast week my article 3 Myths About Social Security Filing Age included some information about year-to-year break even points for the various Social Security filing ages. This prompted some questions about the break even points between all filing ages, not just the following year.

So for example, what are the break even points between choosing to file at age 62 versus age 66 or age 70?

This article shows the approximate break even points between all of the various filing ages. The first chart shows the break even points when your Full Retirement Age is 66. To use the chart, select your first filing age decision on the left, then move right to the second filing age you’re considering:

image

So, for the decision between filing at age 62 versus age 66, you can see that the break even point is at the age of 78. Comparing filing at age 66 with age 70, the break even point is at age 82.

It should be noted that these break even points are the age you will be when cumulative benefits received at the later filing age becomes greater than the cumulative benefits received based on the earlier filing age. The specific break even points occur sometime during the year indicated, as the analysis is done on an annual basis (not month-to-month). In other words, the actual break even month might be any month during that year. With this difference in mind, the prior article has been updated to reflect the same. Previously the analysis showed the first full year that the later filing age was superior to the earlier filing age.

This second chart shows the break even points for when your FRA is 67. It is used exactly the same as the chart above.

image

As before, choose the first filing age in the left column, and then move to the right for the break even points for the various filing ages. If you were choosing between age 63 and 66, for example, the break even point is age 77. Between age 65 and age 70, the break even point is 82.

IRS Reports 9 Common Tax Prep Errors

Mar 23rd, 2016
by jblankenship.
1 comment

errorsUnless you’ve been under a rock for the past several years, you know that this time of year is tax season. If you haven’t already filed your 2015 income tax return, of course you’ve got some work ahead of you. Unfortunately filing your tax return often results in errors – and these can be quite costly in terms of delays in processing as well as potential penalties and interest if your error results in underpayment of tax.

In addition, an error on your return could result in missing out on refunds or credits that you are entitled to.

Recently the IRS issued Tax Tip 2016-42, which lists out 9 common filing errors that they see, and tips to avoid the errors. The actual text of the Tip follows:

Avoid Errors; File an Accurate Return

The IRS encourages you to file an accurate tax return. Take extra time if you need it. If you make an error on your return then it will likely take longer for the IRS to process it. That could delay your refund. You can avoid many common errors by filing electronically. IRS e-file is the most accurate way to file your tax return. Seven out of ten taxpayers can use IRS Free File software at no cost.

Here are nine common tax-filing errors to avoid:

1. Wrong or Missing Social Security Numbers.  Be sure you enter all SSNs on your tax return exactly as they are on the Social Security cards.

2. Wrong Names.  Be sure you spell the names of everyone on your tax return exactly as they are on their Social Security cards.

3. Filing Status Errors. Some people use the wrong filing status, such as Head of Household instead of Single. The Interactive Tax Assistant on IRS.gov can help you choose the right status. If you e-file, tax software helps you choose.

4. Math Mistakes. Math errors are common. Tax preparation software does the math for e-filers.

5. Errors in Figuring Tax Credits or Deductions. Many filers make mistakes figuring their Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit, and the standard deduction. If you’re not e-filing, follow the instructions carefully when figuring credits and deductions. For example, if you’re age 65 or older or blind, be sure you claim the correct, higher standard deduction.

6. Incorrect Bank Account Numbers. Choose direct deposit for your refund. It’s easy and convenient.  However, be sure to use the right routing and account numbers on your return. The fastest and safest way to get your tax refund is to combine e-file with direct deposit.

7. Forms Not Signed.  An unsigned tax return is like an unsigned check – it’s not valid. Both spouses must sign a joint return. You can avoid this error by e-filing your taxes since you must digitally sign your tax return before you send it to the IRS.

8. Electronic Filing PIN Errors.  When you e-file, you sign your return electronically with a Personal Identification Number. If you know last year’s e-file PIN, you can use that. If you don’t know it, enter the Adjusted Gross Income from the 2014 tax return that you originally filed with the IRS. Do not use the AGI amount from an amended return or a return that the IRS corrected.

9. Health Care Reporting Errors. The most common health care reporting errors that taxpayers make involve failing to claim a coverage exemption and not reconciling advance payments of the premium tax credit. If you don’t have qualifying health care coverage but meet certain criteria, you might be eligible to claim an exemption from coverage and avoid an unnecessary payment when you file your tax return. If you enrolled in health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and received advance credit payments, you must file a tax return to reconcile the advance payments made on your behalf with the amount of your actual premium tax credit.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

Additional IRS Resources:

IRS YouTube Videos:

Taxes and the 401k Withdrawal

Mar 21st, 2016
by jblankenship.
98 comments

401k withdrawalIf you take a 401k withdrawal and the money in the 401k was deducted from your taxable income, you’ll be taxed on the funds you withdraw. Depending on the circumstances, you may also be subject to a penalty. There’s a lot of confusion about how the taxation works – and the taxation and penalties can be different depending upon the circumstances.

Taxation of the 401k Withdrawal

When you take a distribution of pre-tax money from a 401k plan, the amount of the 401k withdrawal that is pre-tax will be included in your income and will be taxed at your marginal income tax rate in that year.

Unless you meet one of the exceptions noted in the article 16 Ways to Withdraw Money From Your 401k Without Penalty, your 401k withdrawal will also be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

For example – if you have a 401k plan at a former employer and you are 45 years of age, unless your 401k withdrawal meets one of the exceptions, taxation would work like this for a $50,000 401k withdrawal:

Taxable Income before withdrawal $60,000
Tax (assumes MFJ) $8,072.50
Effective Tax Rate 13.45%
401k Withdrawal $50,000
Other taxable income $60,000
Total taxable income $110,000
Tax (assumes MFJ) $23,836.75
Effective Tax Rate 21.67%
Penalty (10%) $5,000
Total Tax and Penalty $28,836.75
Total Effective Tax Rate 26.22%

Nothing really dramatic about the first part, it’s just more taxable income and you’ve likely grown to understand the effect of the graduated tax schedule. But what will likely open your eyes is the fact that this $50,000 was actually taxed at a rate of 41.53%! Your 401k withdrawal of $50,000 resulted in $20,764.25 in taxes and penalties, so in effect you only “net” $29.235.75 from this withdrawal. Almost makes a payday loan look cheap by comparison.

On the other hand, if you met one of the exceptions (such as being age 59½ or older, the penalty would not apply. The effective tax rate on the 401k withdrawal is 10% less, at only 31.53%.

Mandatory Withholding

Another thing you need to understand about your 401k withdrawal is the mandatory withholding. Unless your 401k withdrawal is a direct rollover to another plan (such as an IRA), part of a Series of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SOSEPP, or 72t option), is a Required Minimum Distribution or a hardship distribution, there is a requirement for the administrator to withhold 20% from the 401k withdrawal.

This 20% is sent to the IRS and will be included as part of your withholding and estimated tax payments that will apply against your tax when you file. If the withholding was too much, you’ll get a refund of the extra withholding, just as you do from extra withholding or estimated payments.

Here’s a continuation of the previous example to illustrate withholding:

401k Withdrawal $50,000
Mandatory Withholding (20%) $10,000
Other Withholding (from W4 wages) $9,000
Total Withholding $19,000
Total Tax and Penalty (from prior) $28,836.75
Amount You Owe $9,836.75

As you can see, even though the mandatory withholding from the 401k withdrawal is substantial, it’s not enough in many cases to cover the tax and penalties from the withdrawal.

Restricted Application – the Definitive Guide

Mar 14th, 2016
by jblankenship.
111 comments

this fellow didn't file a restricted applicationMuch has been written and discussed regarding the option to file a Restricted Application for Social Security spousal benefits, but there are still many, many questions. This article is an attempt at covering all of the bases for you with regard to restricted application.

The topic of restricted application is so popular these days because it’s being eliminated as a result of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA15). In fact, if you were born on or after January 2, 1954, the changes to the rules have eliminated the option to file a restricted application for you altogether.

So – unless you were born on or before January 1, 1954, you might as well stop reading, because restricted application is not available to you. Period.

Restricted Application Rules

Okay, if you’re continuing to read, you (or your client, if you’re an advisor) must have been born early enough to be eligible for a restricted application. There are a few rules that you must be aware of for filing a restricted application:

  1. THERE IS NO DEADLINE FOR FILING A RESTRICTED APPLICATION OTHER THAN YOUR AGE 70. In other words, the upcoming deadline of April 30, 2016 has nothing to do with restricted application eligibility.
  2. You must be at or older than Full Retirement Age (FRA) to file a restricted application.
  3. You must not have filed for your own Social Security benefit previously. This includes File & Suspend.
  4. You may have previously received Social Security benefits as a young parent of a child under age 16, or as a child yourself under age 18. These benefits do not eliminate your eligibility for a restricted application.
  5. You cannot be actively receiving disability benefits. If you previously received disability benefits that were terminated some time in the past because the disability (or your eligibility) ceased, you may still be eligible for a restricted application.
  6. Your spouse must have filed for his or her own benefits. May also have suspended benefits, if the suspense was completed before April 30, 2016. But if the suspense was after April 30, 2016 you will not be eligible for spousal benefits until the suspense is lifted.
  7. If you are divorced and the divorce was finalized more than 2 years prior, your ex-spouse must only be at or older than 62 years of age, and is not required have filed for benefits. (*This is the exception to the rule in #6.)
  8. Only one member of a married couple may file a restricted application (doesn’t include ex-spouses).

Why Would You Want to File a Restricted Application?

A restricted application allows you to receive spousal benefits while delaying your own benefit, in order to accrue the delayed retirement credits (DRCs).

For example, Jeff and Cindy are both at FRA, age 66 this year. Jeff has filed for his benefits, in the amount of $2,000 per month. Cindy’s own benefit could be $900 if she filed now, but she wants to delay her benefit until age 70, when the DRCs will have increased her benefit to $1,188 (DRCs are 8% per year of delay).

Since Jeff has already filed for his benefit, and Cindy is at FRA in 2016 (therefore having been born before January 2, 1954), Cindy is eligible to file a restricted application for spousal benefits. She’ll receive a spousal benefit of $1,000 (50% of Jeff’s benefit at his age 66) and then her own benefit will accrue the DRCs since she has not filed for her own benefit.

For another example, Simon is 67 years of age and his wife Patty is 63 this year. Simon’s age 66 benefit would have been $1,500, and Patty’s would be $1,000. Patty has just retired from her job, and is filing for her own Social Security benefit. She’ll receive a reduced benefit in the amount of $800 since she filed early. Simon has not filed for Social Security benefits prior to this, as he intends to delay his filing until age 70.

Since Patty has filed for her own benefit and Simon is older than FRA in 2016 (therefore having been born before January 2, 1954), he is eligible to file a restricted application for spousal benefits. Simon will receive $500 per month for the coming three years, and then at age 70 he will file for his own benefit, which has increased to $1,980 with the DRCs.

So you can see, there may be much to be gained by filing a restricted application in the right circumstances.

How to File a Restricted Application

In order to accomplish the filing of a restricted application, you have four options to choose from. These options are listed below:

  1. Go to www.SocialSecurity.gov and apply using the online application. When you do this, fill out the application as if you will be receiving ordinary benefits, and there’s a question on the application which asks: If you are eligible for both retirement benefits and spouse’s benefits, do you want to delay receipt of retirement benefits? Answer this question “Yes”, and continue to complete the application. You have now filed a restricted application.
  2. You can file a paper application (Form SSA-1-BK is available online as well). Fill it out as if you were going to receive benefits, and then indicate in the REMARKS section “I want to restrict the scope of this application to spousal benefits only. I wish to delay filing for my own benefit to age 70.”
  3. Call 1-800-772-1213 to apply by phone. Tell the representative that you wish to file for benefits and restrict the application to spousal benefits only, and that you wish to delay filing for your own benefits to age 70 in order to earn the delay credits.
  4. Visit your local Social Security Administration office. Tell your representative that you wish to file for benefits and restrict the application to spousal benefits only, and that you wish to delay filing for your own benefits to age 70 in order to earn the delay credits.

That’s it. You don’t need to do anything else. It’s not necessary for your spouse to file & suspend (only to file), so the April 30, 2016 deadline for file & suspend doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with this.

And whoever is filing the restricted application definitely does not file & suspend – see the 3rd rule earlier in this article. File & suspend would actually derail your plan to file a restricted application.

Mutual Funds vs. 529 Plans

Mar 9th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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Photo credit: jb

Saving for college is a tough job – on par with saving for retirement, and often in direct conflict with that goal as well. Adding to the difficulty of the task is the fact that there are so many different options out there (in terms of investment vehicles) that really muddy the waters for the individual college saver.

One question that comes up very often is whether it is just as effective to utilize tax-effficient mutual funds instead of 529 plans as we save for college. The idea is that the mutual fund can generate a higher overall return than the 529 plan due to the additional costs associated with the administration of the 529 plan.

It is a fact that most 529 plans charge management fees that have a direct impact on the overall return of the account, and it is also a fact that many tax-efficient mutual funds (such as index funds) can produce higher returns at a lower cost than most other investments. But here are a few reasons why a 529 plan is nearly always the superior choice when it comes to college savings activities:

A. Taxing Matters – with a 529 plan, you pay no tax at all (when the funds are used for Qualified Higher Education Expenses, QHEE), while with any other type of account, you’ll likely pay some tax. In my book, no tax is always better than some tax, no matter how little.

In addition, while today’s tax rates on capital gains (the tax you’d pay on an indexed mutual fund) are at the lowest they’ve historically ever been, at either 0% or 15%, depending upon your tax bracket – these rates are liable to sunset soon, increasing the rates to 10% or 20% or even ordinary income tax rates. So, the question becomes: will your student be finished with college before the rise in rates?

The third taxing matter has to do with the Kiddie Tax. Recently there have been some changes made to this portion of the tax code, with detrimental effects for parents who have counted on a strategy of repositioning funds to the child’s name in order to benefit from a lower tax rate. The child’s investment income above a minimum of $1,700 can be taxed at the parent’s highest rate all the way up to age 23!

B. Financial Aid Impact – any income that is reported on your form 1040 (which includes capital gains) is considered as a part of the calculation for financial aid for the following year. As you begin drawing monies from the mutual funds, it is possible that you will be increasing your income to the detriment of available need-based financial aid. If, on the other hand, these funds were in a 529 plan and withdrawn for use in paying QHEE, there will be no taxable income reported on your 1040, thereby having no impact on the financial aid calculation.

C. Inherent Costs – with the 529 plans, there are administrative and manager fees, but, as shown with the recent changes to the BrightStart plan in Illinois, these fees are beginning to come down. Plus, most 529 plans (Illinois’ BrightStart and Bright Directions included) have very low-cost investment options available, reducing the expense ratio of the funds themselves. Analysis of 529 plans versus mutual funds has consistently shown that, when considering the tax benefits and the costs of the two options, there are very few instances where a low-cost mutual fund performs better than a 529 plan, and then only when the 529 plan in question is one where the administrative expenses are relatively high and the taxpayer is in the lowest possible tax bracket.

In addition to the internal costs of the various options, mutual funds quite often make certain investment decisions that have tax consequences, such as distributing capital gains and dividends. 529 plans do not have to make this sort of decision, and therefore decisions can be based entirely on investment considerations.

All in all, while non-529 investments may provide additional investment options over those available in the 529 plans, unless for some reason you do not have the option of choosing a 529 plan for specific college savings, the 529 plan is the better choice across the board.

What Must I Do Before April 30, 2016?

Mar 7th, 2016
by jblankenship.
14 comments

April 30 CalendarThere is a great deal of confusion surrounding the new Social Security rules that were put into place with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA15). The part that is bothering folks the most right now is the deadline that is coming up, on April 30, 2016.

What’s important about April 30, 2016? What must I do before April 30, 2016?

The rule changes in BBA15 indicated that the suspension of Social Security benefits would be treated differently beginning 180 days after passage of the law. The law was passed on or about November 2, 2015, and so 180 days after that is April 30, 2016.

What’s the change?

First of all, in order to suspend your benefits, you must be at or older than Full Retirement Age (FRA). For folks who will be eligible to take advantage of the old suspend rule, that means you must be 66 before April 30, 2016, so you must have been born before April 30, 1950.

Previously, when someone suspended his or her Social Security benefits, his or her spouse or children could receive benefits based upon his or her record. This is still the case if you suspend your benefit prior to April 30, 2016.

After April 30, 2016, when someone suspends his or her Social Security benefits, all benefits based on his or her record will also be suspended. This means that his or her spouse or child cannot receive benefits based on his or her record while suspended.

Why would you want to suspend benefits in the first place?

For every month after your FRA that you delay receiving Social Security benefits, you accrue a delay credit of 2/3% – a total of 8% for every year of delay. This only happens if you are not receiving benefits, and it only happens after your FRA.

You can earn these delay credits by doing nothing – there is no requirement for you to do anything at all. The simple fact that you are not receiving benefits allows you to accrue this credit. You can accrue the delay credit up until the age of 70 – at that point your Social Security benefit is maximized.

On the other hand, if you file for your benefits, your dependents can receive benefits based on your record. Your spouse can receive up to 50% of your benefit amount, and your children under age 18 (19 if a full-time student, or any age if disabled) can also be eligible for 50% of your benefit amount.

“File & Suspend” gives you the ability to do both things – earn the delay credits AND provide benefits for your spouse or children. But this is only available if you file and suspend prior to April 30, 2016.

So what has to happen before April 30, 2016?

There is only one thing that must happen before April 30, 2016 if you want to take advantage of this rule before it changes: If you’re at or older than age 66 (your FRA) you must file and suspend your benefits at some point before April 30.

To do this, you have 4 choices:

  1. Go online to www.SocialSecurity.gov and apply online. When you do this, you fill out the application as if you will be receiving benefits, and then in the “Comment” section at the end of the application, write: I wish to immediately suspend my benefit to earn delay credits.
  2. You can file a paper application (form available online as well). Do the exact same thing as #1 above – fill it out as if you were going to receive benefits, and then indicate that you wish to suspend.
  3. Call 1-800-772-1213 to apply by phone. Tell the representative that you wish to file for benefits and immediately suspend them to earn the delay credits.
  4. Visit your local Social Security Administration office. Tell your representative that you wish to file for benefits and immediately suspend them to earn delay credits.

That’s all you have to do. Nothing else needs to be done before April 30.

Your dependent doesn’t have to start taking spousal or dependent’s benefits immediately or even before April 30. Since you have filed for benefits, your dependent (spouse or child) is eligible to take benefits based on your record, whenever they happen to file.

Why You’re Getting Form 1095

Mar 2nd, 2016
by jblankenship.
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healthcare workersMany taxpayers are receiving a new form in the mail this tax season – Form 1095, either A, B, or C. This is because of the Obamacare law which requires that taxpayers have healthcare coverage. Form 1095 provides documentation of the taxpayer’s coverage by healthcare insurance. Depending upon the type of coverage you have, you will receive a certain type of form. And what should you do with this form?

Form 1095 A

If you have coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (established as a result of Obamacare), you’ll receive Form 1095-A. This form is used when you fill out your income tax return for the year, so that your tax credit for the healthcare premium can be reconciled, especially if you received the premium credit in advance.

Form 8962 is filled out and filed with your tax return, using the information in Form 1095 A. If your advance payments are more than what your income supports, you will owe some of these advance payments back – or the amount will reduce your refund. On the other hand, if your advance payments are less than what your income supports or if you didn’t receive advance payments, you’ll get the credit on your tax return.

Form 1095 B

If you had health insurance coverage via a self-insured employer or insurance that you purchased through some other means besides an employer or the Health Insurance Marketplace (including Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP), you will receive Form 1095 B. This form is used to indicate that you had health insurance coverage as required throughout the tax year.

You (or your tax preparer) will use this form to show whether or not you had insurance coverage in the tax year on Form 8962. If you did not have coverage for any month of the year and you don’t meet one of the exceptions, you will owe the individual shared responsibility payment.

Form 1095 C

If you had health insurance coverage by way of your employer, you will receive Form 1095 C. Just the same as Form 1095 B, this form is used to prepare Form 8962, determining whether or not you had coverage, and subsequently whether or not a shared responsibility payment is due.

If you haven’t received a Form 1095 and you’re expecting one, you should wait until you receive it before filing your tax return. In a practical sense, as long as you definitely had coverage (Medicare, employer benefits, etc.) for the entire year, you can probably go ahead and file without receiving the form, but if you receive a form later and it indicates that you didn’t have coverage, you’ll need to file an amended return to correct the issue.

New Deemed Filing Rules

Feb 29th, 2016
by jblankenship.
15 comments

deemed filingWhen the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 was passed, there were a few changes made to Social Security rules. One of the rules that changed significantly is the deemed filing rule.

The old deemed filing rule

The current or old deemed filing rule works as follows:

When an individual who is under Full Retirement Age (FRA) is eligible for a spousal benefit in addition to a benefit based upon his or her own record files for either benefit, he or she is deemed to have filed for all benefits that he or she is eligible for at that time.

At any other time (other than the time of application for benefits) deemed filing does not apply.

For example, Anna and John are both nearing 62 years of age. Anna has a PIA (FRA benefit) of $800, and John has a PIA of $2,000. Anna is planning to file for her own benefit when she reaches 62. If John files for his benefit before Anna, deemed filing will require Anna to file not only for her own benefit but also for the spousal benefit, since she’s under FRA and she’s eligible for the spousal benefit.

On the other hand, if John had not already filed for his benefit, Anna can only file for her own benefit. Later, when John files for his own benefit, Anna has the option to file for spousal benefits, but is not required to. Deemed filing only applies upon the first month of entitlement, the month that your benefit first begins. If Anna wishes, she can delay filing for the spousal benefit in order to increase the amount of spousal benefits she can receive.

It may seem trivial, but in the example above where Anna has the choice to delay, it can mean a difference of $100 per month. If deemed filing applies, Anna will have $700 per month in benefits from her filing date through the rest of her life; if she delays filing for the spousal benefit, beginning at FRA she could receive $800 per month.

In addition, if Anna delayed filing for any benefit until she was at least FRA, then deemed filing would not apply to her at all, regardless of whether John had filed for his benefits. This would allow Anna to, at FRA, file an application for spousal benefits only, which is known as a Restricted Application. In doing so, she could receive spousal benefits while accruing delay credits on her own benefit.

The new deemed filing rule

The law in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA15) changed the deemed filing so that it applies at any age, including after FRA. This means that the Restricted Application option is no longer available. The new deemed filing rule applies to anyone born on or after January 2, 1954.

So back to our example – assuming that Anna and John were born after January 2, 1954 – Anna can still file for her own benefit at age 62. If John has already filed, deemed filing applies as it did in the past. But if John has not filed for his benefit and then he files for his benefit, say 3 months later, Anna will be forced to take the spousal benefit at that time. This is due to the fact that she 1) has filed for benefits, and 2) she’s eligible for a spousal benefit, by virtue of the fact that John has filed for his benefit.

This takes away the planning strategy detailed earlier which would allow Anna to choose between receiving $700 now or $800 at FRA. She can only take the $700 now.

More significantly, if Anna had delayed until her FRA, under the new deemed filing rule, if she wants to file for benefits at FRA (or any age) she must file for all benefits which she is eligible for – in other words, no Restricted Application is allowed.

Exceptions to the new deemed filing rule

There are a few exceptions to the deemed filing rule, listed below:

  • If Anna (from our example above) is under FRA and is receiving a spousal benefit based upon the child-in-care rule, meaning that she and John have child who is under age 16 and John has applied for benefits. If this is the way that Anna is receiving spousal benefits, deemed filing does not apply to Anna. When she reaches FRA or the child reaches age 16, Anna is no longer eligible for the child-in-care benefit; any benefit that she applies for will be subject to deemed filing.
  • Likewise, if Anna was receiving a disability benefit (under FRA), deemed filing would not apply. Upon reaching FRA, Anna’s disability benefit will automatically switch over to a retirement benefit, and if she’s eligible for spousal benefits at that time, deemed filing will require her to receive the spousal benefit at that time.
  • Deemed filing also doesn’t apply to survivor benefits. If John had died before Anna reached age 62, Anna could still file for her own benefit at 62 and then delay receiving survivor benefits until they are maximized at her FRA.

IRS Warns of Surge in Email Scams in 2016

Feb 24th, 2016
by jblankenship.
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scamRecently the IRS issued a memo regarding the recent uptick in the occurrence of email phishing scams this year. Below is the text of the warning memo (IR-2016-28):

Consumers Warned of New Surge in IRS E-mail Schemes during 2016 Tax Season; Tax Industry Also Targeted

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service renewed a consumer alert for e-mail schemes after seeing an approximate 400 percent surge in phishing and malware incidents so far this tax season.

The emails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies. The phishing schemes can ask taxpayers about a wide range of topics. E-mails can seek information related to refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying PIN information.

Variations of these scams can be seen via text messages, and the communications are being reported in every section of the country.

“This dramatic jump in these scams comes at the busiest time of tax season,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Watch out for fraudsters slipping these official-looking emails into inboxes, trying to confuse people at the very time they work on their taxes. We urge people not to click on these emails.”

This tax season the IRS has observed fraudsters more frequently asking for personal tax information, which could be used to help file false tax returns.

When people click on these email links, they are taken to sites designed to imitate an official-looking website, such as IRS.gov. The sites ask for Social Security numbers and other personal information. The sites also may carry malware, which can infect people’s computers and allow criminals to access your files or track your keystrokes to gain information.

The IRS has seen an increase in reported phishing and malware schemes, including:

  • There were 1,026 incidents reported in January, up from 254 from a year earlier.
  • The trend continued in February, nearly doubling the reported number of incidents compared to a year ago. In all, 363 incidents were reported from Feb. 1-16, compared to the 201 incidents reported for the entire month of February 2015.
  • This year’s 1,389 incidents have already topped the 2014 yearly total of 1,361, and they are halfway to matching the 2015 total of 2,748.

“While more attention has focused on the continuing IRS phone scams, we are deeply worried this increase in email schemes threatens more taxpayers,” Koskinen said. “We continue to work cooperatively with our partners on this issue, and we have taken steps to strengthen our processing systems and fraud filters to watch for scam artists trying to use stolen information to file bogus tax returns.”

As the email scams increase, the IRS is working on this issue through the Security Summit initiative with state revenue departments and the tax industry. Many software companies, tax professionals and state revenue departments have seen variations in the schemes.

For example, tax professionals are also reporting phishing scams that are seeking their online credentials to IRS services, for example the IRS Tax Professional PTIN System. Tax professionals are also reporting that many of their clients are seeing the e-mail schemes.

As part of the effort to protect taxpayers, the IRS has teamed up with state revenue departments and the tax industry to make sure taxpayers understand the dangers to their personal and financial data as part of the “Taxes. Security. Together” campaign.

If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS e-services portal or an organization closely linked to the IRS, report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.  Learn more by going to the Report Phishing and Online Scams page.

It is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information online that can help protect taxpayers from email scams.

Phishing and malware schemes again made the IRS “Dirty Dozen” tax scam list this year. Check out the last IRS Phishing Scam news release for more info.

What to look for in these scams

Taxpayers receive an official-looking email from what appears to be an official source, whether the IRS or someone in the tax industry.

The underlying messages frequently ask taxpayers to update important information by clicking on a web link. The links may be masked to appear to go to official pages, but they can go to a scam page designed to look like the official page. The IRS urges people not to click on these links but instead send the email to phishing@irs.gov.

Recent email examples the IRS has seen include subject lines and underlying text referencing:

  • Numerous variations about people’s tax refund.
  • Update your filing details, which can include references to W-2.
  • Confirm your personal information.
  • Get my IP Pin.
  • Get my E-file Pin.
  • Order a transcript.
  • Complete your tax return information.

Numbers provided are for phishing and malware incidents combined.

SSA Updates File & Suspend Guidance

Feb 22nd, 2016
by jblankenship.
9 comments

suspended

You can listen to this article by using the podcast player below if you’re on the blog; if you’re reading this via RSS, there should be a “Play Now” link just below the title to access the audio. If you’re receiving this article via email, there should be a “Download Now” link within the text of the message to retrieve the audio file.

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Recently the Social Security Administration provided some guidance regarding how the end of file & suspend will be handled, in light of the changes that were brought about by the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA15).

If you’ll recall, the option to suspend your Social Security benefit (part of File & Suspend) allowed one member of a couple to establish a filing date which would then provide the other member of the couple with the eligibility to file for a spousal benefit. The first member of the couple (who suspended benefits) is allowing his or her benefit to accrue the delay credits while the second member receives benefits. This provision was eliminated 180 days after the passage of BBA15.

Below is how the Social Security Administration will handle the suspension of benefits going forward:

  • For individuals who are FRA or older, if a request for suspension of benefits has been submitted before April 30, 2016:
    • The suspension will be treated as in the past (even if it has not been processed by that date, as long as it was submitted timely). This means that auxiliary benefits (such as spousal or dependent’s benefits) can continue to be paid based upon that suspended record while it is suspended.
    • In addition, the numberholder (NH) who requests a suspension prior to April 30, 2016 can in the future ask that benefits are reinstated as of any date after the suspension request, up to the present date (this is known as a lump-sum retroactive payment).
    • During the period that the NH benefit is suspended, he or she can collect excess spousal benefits based on a spouse’s record. An excess spousal benefit is the amount of spousal benefit that is “excess”, or greater, than the NH own benefit.
  • For individuals who submit a request for suspension of benefits on or after April 30, 2016:
    • No auxiliary benefits (spousal, child’s, or other, including benefits that have been received in the past) can be paid on the NH record while the benefit is suspended – EXCEPT for ex-spouse benefits. This is a significant exception, as had the rules been applied exactly as written, a NH could control benefits to an ex-spouse. With this exception, that is not going to be the case.
    • In addition, when removing the suspension, benefits will resume in the month following the month that the request was received (or later). In other words, no lump-sum retroactive benefits will be available.
    • No excess spousal benefits can be paid to the NH while the primary benefit is suspended.

The other significant item is that the date has been set at April 30, 2016 – but it’s not as significant as it seems. Anyone born on or before April 30, 1950 (actually May 1, 1950) is considered to be FRA during the entire month of April, 2016, so even if born on May 1, 1950 the NH should be in good shape if they want to use this provision.

If you would like to see the actual message from SSA, follow this link.

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