10 Subjects to Talk about with Shoppers

Office accounts. Encourage purchasers to think about maximizing contributions to their office plans to take full benefit of any employer match profit.

Conventional IRAs. Maxing out contributions to conventional IRAs is another choice. See under for the newest quantities that may be put aside this yr. Modified adjusted gross earnings (MAGI) limits for contributions to conventional and Roth IRAs elevated in 2024, so make sure to evaluate MAGI eligibility thresholds.

If allowed beneath an employer’s plan, people can carry over as much as $640 in unused well being versatile spending account (FSA) quantities. Though the rollover choice applies to the employer’s plan yr reasonably than the calendar yr, your year-end evaluation may embrace a take a look at how purchasers have tapped their FSA up to now and whether or not they need to make adjustments in future years. Shoppers with dependent-care FSAs can save as a lot as $5,000 per household or $2,500 per filer if they’re married however submitting individually in 2024.

Now can also be the time to debate maximizing well being financial savings account (HSA) contributions with purchasers who’ve high-deductible well being plans (HDHPs). Though this could be a pretty advanced planning space, right here’s a normal overview of how HSA limits work:

Don’t overlook to debate pro-rated versus “last-month-rule” contributions for purchasers who had an HDHP for a part of 2024.

Shoppers on the edge of a tax bracket might be able to put themselves within the decrease one by deferring some earnings to 2025. Listed here are just a few thresholds relevant in 2024 to remember:

• 37 % marginal tax fee: Taxable incomes exceeding $609,350 (particular person), $731,200 (married submitting collectively), $609,350 (head of family), and $365,600 (married submitting individually)

• 20 % capital features tax fee: Taxable incomes exceeding $518,900 (particular person), $583,750 (married submitting collectively), $551,350 (head of family), and $291,850 (married submitting individually)

• Extra Medicare tax: For purchasers with W-2 or self-employed earnings above sure MAGI thresholds, complete Medicare taxes will probably be 2.35 % and three.8 %, respectively

• 3.8 % surtax on funding earnings: The lesser of web funding earnings or the surplus of MAGI higher than $200,000 (particular person), $250,000 (married submitting collectively), $200,000 (head of family), and $125,000 (married submitting individually)

12 months-end monetary planning actions ought to embrace a evaluate of capital features and losses on your purchasers and an evaluation of whether or not any portfolios want rebalancing. This course of could reveal tax-planning alternatives, reminiscent of harvesting losses to offset capital features.

Charitable contributions donated on to a professional charity or a donor-advised fund (DAF) could also be eligible for a federal tax deduction. Have in mind, although, that this technique is simply useful if purchasers itemize deductions. So, it’s worthwhile for purchasers to fulfill with their tax professionals to debate whether or not their charitable contributions and different deductions will exceed their customary deduction. A method you may obtain that is by bunching the annual presents usually revamped a number of years into one lump-sum reward in a single yr.

Deductions on DAF contributions are capped at 60 % of AGI for money and 30 % of AGI for long-term appreciated securities. Basically, these will be carried ahead for the yr of donation, plus an extra 5 years till the total deduction quantity has been exhausted.

Certified charitable distributions (QCDs) could also be a consideration as effectively: Shoppers ages 70½ and older could make a QCD of as much as $105,000 on to a charity; married joint filers could exclude as much as $105,000 donated from every partner’s IRA.

Whereas these distributions to charity don’t qualify for a charitable tax deduction, they do have earnings tax advantages and may fulfill the RMD requirement. SECURE 2.0 expanded the allowable recipients of QCD distributions to charitable the rest trusts and charitable reward annuities, beneath which the shopper or the shopper’s partner could retain an earnings curiosity, with the rest payable to charity. QCDs to such “split-interest entities” are restricted to a lifetime restrict of $50,000.

Different minimal tax (AMT) exemption limits elevated in 2024 to $85,700 for single tax filers and $133,300 for married joint filers. Relying on AMT projections, purchasers could wish to wait till January 2025 to train incentive inventory choices.

Shoppers who could also be topic to an estimated tax penalty can ask their employer to regulate their withholding to cowl shortfalls (by way of Kind W-4). The IRS tax withholding estimator could be a invaluable useful resource right here. They might additionally discover utilizing Kind 1040-ES to make their estimated quarterly funds for earnings that’s not topic to withholding.

After the Supreme Courtroom overturned the Biden administration’s proposed pupil debt cancellation plan, federal pupil loans resumed accruing curiosity on September 1, 2023, with funds resuming as of October 2023. These funds had been topic to a 12-month “on-ramp transition interval,” throughout which default was waived for nonpayment. The on-ramp interval ended on September 30, 2024.

Moreover, the Supreme Courtroom not too long ago determined to not elevate the injunction positioned on President Biden’s Saving on a Beneficial Training (SAVE) plan—which changed the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan. All debtors at the moment enrolled within the SAVE Plan have been positioned in forbearance.

Based on the Federal Scholar Assist web site, debtors ought to hear from their mortgage servicers concerning subsequent steps. For the newest data, recommend your purchasers seek the advice of this useful webpage and join updates on the U.S. Division of Training web site.