Sweeping Tax Bill Poised to Become Law
By Michael T Townsend /article #node
December 20, 2017
The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party, nor should the analysis be considered tax advice.
Congress passed its sweeping tax bill on Dec. 20, paving the way for President Donald Trump to sign it into law. While there’s still some question about when the actual signing will take place—last minute technical issues could push it to January—there’s little doubt it will become law.
Most of the bill’s provisions are due to take effect Jan. 1, 2018. In general, that wouldn’t affect 2017 filings, but could still pose a significant challenge to the IRS, corporations and individuals, who will have to both get up to speed on the changes and make the necessary systems updates to handle them. It is widely expected that some delays could occur in implementation.
What’s in the bill?
Here are the highlights of the legislation:
New individual tax rates: The bill sets seven individual brackets at 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. The new 37% top rate would apply to taxable income in excess of $500,000 for single filers and $600,000 for joint filers.
No changes to capital gains and dividends: Capital gains and qualified dividends would continue to be taxed at the current 0%, 15% and 20% rates, depending on income. Wealthier filers would continue to pay an additional 3.8% tax on investment income, known as the Net Investment Income Tax.
Increased standard deduction: The standard deduction would nearly double, to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for joint filers.
Increased child tax credit: The per-child tax credit would double from $1,000 to $2,000.
Increased exemption for Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT): The AMT would be retained for individuals, but the exemption and phase-out amounts have sharply increased. Consult a tax advisor for more details on how this provision could apply to your situation
Mortgage interest deduction: Individuals would be allowed to deduct interest paid on new mortgages (issued after Jan. 1, 2018) of up to $750,000. That’s down from the current cap of $1 million. The deduction would also apply to second homes, but not for home equity lines of credit.
State and local tax deduction: Taxpayers would be allowed to deduct up to $10,000 in a combination of property tax and income tax (or sales tax).
Estate tax exemption doubled: Estates of up to $11 million (or $22 million for couples) would be exempt from taxation.
Numerous other deductions and tax credits repealed: The bill repeals deductions for tax preparation, moving expenses and alimony payments, among others.
Expiration of most individual tax provisions: Virtually all of the provisions that apply to individuals are set to expire at the end of 2025. A future Congress would have to vote to extend them, otherwise they would revert to 2017 levels.
Repeal of the individual mandate: The bill repeals, beginning in 2019, the requirement set by the Affordable Care Act that individuals purchase health insurance or pay a penalty.
Preserves deduction for medical expenses: Medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income would be deductible in 2017 and 2018. Beginning in 2019, that would rise to 10%.
Reduction in the corporate tax rate: Corporations would be taxed at 21% beginning in 2018, down from today’s top corporate rate of 35%.
Reduction in taxes for “pass-through” businesses: Most so-called “pass-through” businesses, such as S corporations, limited liability corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships, including those owned by trusts, would be allowed to deduct 20% of their income. There are special rules for certain types of services businesses. This provision is extremely complicated. Investors should contact their tax advisor for details.
Other issues of particular interest to investors:
No changes to cost-basis rules: The Senate version of the legislation would have required investors to use the “first in, first out” (FIFO) method when calculating their cost-basis for stock sales. That provision was dropped from the final agreement. Investors will continue to have the ability to choose which lots of stock they are selling.
Expansion of 529 college savings accounts: Up to $10,000 per year of money in a 529 college savings plan can be used to pay for K-12 school tuition.
No major changes to retirement savings accounts: Contribution limits to IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement plans were not changed.
What you can do next
If you’ve already created a financial plan to achieve your goals, ignore the political noise and wait until conditions are clear before considering any changes.
But now might be a good time to check in with a financial consultant to make sure your plan is up to date.
Adam Ausloos Can help with Tax Deferral solutions for the sale of Apprecicated assets, Exit Planning, Estate Planning and more. Call 414.269.2600 adam@defernow.com
