tax tips

Tax

After I Do – Best Filing Status for Married Couples

Summer is wedding season. If you are getting married this summer, remember to give some attention to your 2011 tax filing status.

You have two filing status options: married filing jointly, or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly

You can choose married filing jointly as your filing status if you are married and both you and your spouse agree to file a joint return. On a joint return, you report your combined income and deduct your combined allowable expenses. You can file a joint return even if one of you had no income or deductions.

According to the IRS, if you and your spouse decide to file a joint return, your tax may be lower than your combined tax for the other filing statuses. Also, your standard deduction (if you do not itemize deductions) may be higher, and you may qualify for tax benefits that do not apply to other filing statuses.

We recommend that if you and your spouse each have income, you figure your tax both on a joint return and on separate returns (using the filing status of married filing separately). You can choose the method that gives you the lower combined tax.

Joint Responsibility. Both of you may be held responsible, jointly and individually, for the tax and any interest or penalty due on your joint return. One spouse may be held responsible for all the tax due even if all the income was earned by the other spouse.

Married Filing Separately

You can choose married filing separately as your filing status if you are married. This filing status may benefit you if you want to be responsible only for your own tax or if it results in less tax than filing a joint return.

We Can Help

Give us a call if you’re unsure of which status to file under.

Tax

Do You Need to Pay Estimated Taxes?

What Is Estimated Tax? Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding, such as self-employment income, interest, dividends, rents, alimony, etc. In addition, if you do not elect voluntary withholding, you should make estimated payments on other taxable income, such as unemployment income and the taxable portion of Social Security benefits.

Who Needs to Pay Estimated Tax? In most cases, you must make estimated payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax in 2011 and you expect your withholding and credits to be less than the smaller of:

  1. 90% of the tax shown on your 2011 tax return, or
  2. 100% of the tax shown on your 2010 tax return. Note that exceptions apply for higher income taxpayers (see below). Further, if you did not file a 2010 tax return or if your 2010 return did not cover the full 12 months, the 100% rule does not apply.

Special Rules

Higher Income Taxpayers. If your adjusted gross income for 2010 was more than $150,000 ($75,000 if your filing status for 2010 is married filing separately), substitute 110% for 100% in Rule 2. This rule does not apply to farmers or fishermen.

Farmers and Fishermen. If at least two-thirds of your gross income for 2010 or 2011 is from farming or fishing, your required annual payment is the smaller of:

  • 66% (.6667) of your total tax for 2011, or
  • 100% of the total tax shown on your 2010 return. (Your 2010 tax return must cover all 12 months.)

Questions?

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’re not sure whether you need to pay estimated tax. We’ll evaluate your situation and let you know.

Tax

Getting a Tax Credit for Your Honey Do List

Summer is a great time to tackle home improvements – and, happily, it’s not too late to receive a tax credit when making your home more energy efficient. Although significantly reduced from 2010 levels, energy-efficiency tax credits are still available in 2011.

The home energy credit applies to energy-related improvements, such as adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows, and energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning systems to an existing home that is your primary residence. The tax credit is not available on rental properties or new construction.

The tax credit is 10% of the cost of the home improvement, up to a maximum of $500. There is a lifetime limit of $500, so if you took a $500 credit in 2010, you do not qualify in 2011. The tax credit expires December 31, 2011.

The credit on some items have been reduced below $500:

  • Windows limited to $200; Energy Star qualification.
  • Air conditioners, water heaters, and biomass stoves limited to $300.
  • Furnace and boiler improvements limited to $150 and must meet certain standards.
  • $50 credit for advanced main air circulating fans.

Further, the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit is a nonrefundable energy tax credit that helps individual taxpayers pay for certain alternative-energy equipment, such as solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and wind turbines. The maximum amounts for a credit equal 30% of the cost of qualified property, with no upper limit. This credit expires on December 31, 2016, and is available for new and existing homes, whether primary or second. Rentals do not qualify.

We’re happy to help you sort out the tax credits available for your home improvements this summer. Just give us a call or send us an email.

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