INCOME TAX STRATEGIES

Income taxes are an important component that our clients should consider as we work through the planning process. Navigating Income Tax is a resource to help our clients understand current federal income tax laws and to provide our clients with tools to reduce income tax exposure.

Individual

It is important to understand the income tax laws that apply to individuals. The following information regarding individual income tax laws is intended to educate you on your exposure to income tax liability and potential tax-savings opportunities.

Income, Deductions and Credits

Personal Income and Tax is designed to help you understand how income tax applies to individuals and Personal Deductions and Credits helps you evaluate whether you are using some of the deductions and credits available to reduce income tax liability.

Retirement Planning

Certain retirement savings vehicles are available to enable you to develop a strategy for retirement in a tax-efficient manner. Utilizing Retirement Planning to Reduce Income Tax can help you determine if you are saving for retirement in the most tax-efficient manner and the Required Minimum Distribution tool can help you assess what income must be distributed from certain qualified retirement plans when you reach age 72.

Tax-Free Exchanges

Tax Upon the Disposition of Real Estate describes how 1035 exchanges can be used to reduce current income tax liability for certain taxpayers.


Charitable Giving

For clients with a charitable objective, Utilizing Charitable Giving to Reduce Income Tax and Conservation Easements provides preliminary information on how to provide for charity in a tax-efficient manner.

Business

An understanding of income taxes is a necessary component of ensuring a business is operating efficiently and effectively. The 2017 changes to the law have drastically impacted how businesses are taxed and created some tax-saving opportunities for businesses and business owners. The following is intended to educate you on the income tax liability your business may be exposed to as well as options that may exist to reduce your business's exposure to income tax liability.

Deductions and Credits

Business Deductions and Credits and Tax Benefits of Research and Development can help you to evaluate whether your business is utilizing available deductions. Will Your Pass-Through Benefit from the Reduced Business Tax Rate provides an overview of how the current tax law may impact your taxes and the Qualified Business Income Estimator helps to calculate whether you might benefit from the  current law.

Entity Selection

Taxation of Business Entities provides an overview of how a business's entity selection can impact taxes. How are C Corporations Taxed? and How are Pass-Through Entities Taxed? provide more detail to help you consider the income tax attributes of your business.

Employment Taxes

An efficient structure can significantly reduce the employment taxes that a business must pay. Using a Common Paymaster to Reduce Taxes provides information on how employment taxes can be reduced for some business owners. The Making an S Election to Minimized Self-Employment Taxes tool will help you analyze whether an S election could reduce your exposure to employment taxes.