opportunity tax credit

Tax

Tax Credit for Employers Hiring Veterans This Year

Many businesses may qualify to receive thousands of dollars through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), but employers planning to claim an expanded tax credit for hiring certain veterans should act soon because they are only eligible for the credit if the veteran begins work before the new year.

Here are five key facts about the WOTC as expanded by The Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

1. Hiring Deadline: Employers may be able to claim the expanded WOTC for qualified veterans who begin work on or after November 22, 2011 but before January 1, 2013.

2. Maximum Credit: The maximum tax credit is $9,600 per worker for employers that operate for-profit businesses, or $6,240 per worker for tax-exempt organizations.

3. Credit Factors: The amount of credit will depend on a number of factors. Such factors include the length of the veteran’s unemployment before being hired, the number of hours the veteran works and the amount of the wages the veteran receives during the first-year of employment.

4. Disabled Veterans: Employers hiring veterans with service-related disabilities may be eligible for the maximum tax credit.

5. State Certification: Employers must file Form 8850, Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request for the Work Opportunity Credit, with their state workforce agency. The form must be filed within 28 days after the qualified veteran starts work. Some states accept Form 8850 electronically.

Please give us a call if you need assistance filling out Form 8850 or if you’d like more information about the expanded tax credit for hiring veterans.

Financial Planning Tax

Tax Incentives for Higher Education

The tax code provides a variety of tax incentives for families who are saving for, or already paying, higher education costs or are repaying student loans.

You may be able to claim a credit for the qualified tuition and related expenses of the students in your family who are enrolled in eligible educational institutions. The types of credits available are the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Different rules apply to each credit. If you claim an American Opportunity Credit for a particular student, none of that student’s expenses for that year may be applied toward the Lifetime Learning Credit.

You may be able to claim a tuition deduction of up to $4,000 of qualified education expenses paid during the year for yourself, your spouse, or your dependent. You cannot claim this deduction if your filing status is married filing separately or if another person can claim an exemption for you as a dependent on his or her tax return. The qualified expenses must be for higher education.

You may be able to deduct interest you pay on a qualified student loan. And, if your student loan is canceled, you may not have to include any amount in income. The deduction is claimed as an adjustment to income so you do not need to itemize your deductions on Schedule A Form 1040.

Financial Planning Tax

College Tax Credit – It’s Not Too Late!

It’s not too late to take advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit, a credit that helps parents and college students offset the cost of college. This tax credit is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is available through December 31, 2012. It can be claimed by eligible taxpayers for college expenses paid until 2012.

Here are six important facts about the American Opportunity Tax Credit:

  1. This credit, formerly known as the Hope Credit, has been expanded. Eligible taxpayers can claim qualified tuition and related expenses paid for higher education through 2012. Qualified tuition and related expenses include tuition, related fees, books, and other required course materials.

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  2. The credit is equal to 100 percent of the first $2,000 spent per student each year and 25 percent of the next $2,000. Therefore, the full $2,500 credit may be available to a taxpayer who pays $4,000 or more in qualifying expenses for an eligible student.

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  3. The full credit is generally available to eligible taxpayers who make less than $80,000, or $160,000 for married couples filing jointly. The credit is gradually reduced, however, for taxpayers with incomes above these levels.

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  4. Forty percent of the credit is refundable, so even those who owe no tax can get up to $1,000 of the credit for each eligible student as cash back.

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  5. The credit can be claimed for qualified expenses paid during any of the first four years of post-secondary education.

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  6. You cannot claim the tuition and fees tax deduction in the same year that you claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit. You must choose to take either the credit or the deduction.

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If you would like more information about the American Opportunity Tax Credit please call us. We’re more than happy to help.

 

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