Many two-income Oregon families end up owing AMT due to our two-legged tax “stool.” That’s because, absent sales tax, we pay higher income and property taxes. For most non-1%-ers who end up owing AMT, state taxes are the biggest add-back item in the AMT calculation.* That means that if you’re paying AMT, a 529 plan contribution can be doubly beneficial. Without…
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Tax Credits and Deductions
Part of President Obama’s proposal to “simplify the tax code” includes significant changes to the tax treatment of 529 plans and Coverdell ESA accounts: for new contributions (i.e, after enactment of this proposal, should that happen) distributions would no longer be tax-free, even if they are used for qualified education expenses. The proposal doesn’t just remove benefits; it also expands the…
It’s too late, right? Not if you live in Oregon. In Oregon (and several other states) you can make a state-tax-deductible contribution to your 529 plan up until you file your 2014 taxes. If you do make a contribution in the first part of 2015, it’s generally best to take the deduction for 2014. Not only do you get the…
So Junior is off to college and now it’s time to start paying the bills. For those who have done a good job putting money away in a 529 account, it’s important that you time your distributions in the same year as your expenses. It’s time to learn about two forms: the 1099-Q and the 1098-T. The 1099-Q reports your withdrawals…
So it’s come to this: Your student is in college. Hooray! You’ve got some savings to pay for some of it. Hooray again! You’ll pay for some with cash flow and borrow for some of the rest. How do you manage and prioritize that? Brent Hunsberger’s column from this weekend has some great information.