The Tax Professionals Blog
Waiving the Required Retirement Minimum Distribution Penalty
Posted by Lee Reams Sr. on
The penalty, called the excess accumulation penalty, for failing to take the required minimum distribution from IRAs and qualified plans is 50% of the amount that should have been withdrawn but wasn’t. Not all trustees (financial institutions) remind their clients to take the distribution, and it is quite easy for elderly individuals to overlook or not understand the distribution rules, resulting in a potentially severe penalty. However, the IRS does have a liberal policy for having the penalty waived.Loss on the Sale of an Inherited Home
Posted by Lee Reams Sr. on
A beneficiary who inherits the residence of a decedent generally acquires it with a basis equal to the fair market value at the decedent’s date of death, and since it is inherited property, it is treated as held for long-term. Generally, a beneficiary will sell the residence through a broker and will have substantial sales costs. A frequent question is whether or not a loss is allowed on the sale. The answer to that question depends upon the beneficiary’s use of the property after inheriting it.
How Married People Filing Separately Can Qualify for the Premium Tax Credit
Posted by Lee Reams Sr. on
Generally, a married taxpayer filing separately (MFS) who does not qualify as a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment cannot take the premium tax credit (PTC) and thus must repay all advance premium tax credit (APTC) received (Sec 36B(c)(1)(C)).
Will Taxing Olympic Gold Soon be Coming to an End?
Posted by Lee Reams Sr. on
Most people don’t realize this, but in addition to receiving a medal, winning U.S. Olympic athletes are compensated by the U.S. Olympic Committee with prize money: $25,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver medal and $10,000 for a bronze medal.
Retirement and Qualified Longevity Annuities
Posted by Lee Reams Sr. on
IRS Regulations finalized in 2014 provide some relief for individuals who want to stretch out their retirement funds by generally allowing taxpayers to use up to the lesser of 25% or $125,000 of their retirement account to purchase a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC) within the account. The amount used to purchase the QLAC is subtracted from the account balance and would thus reduce the RMD from the retirement account each year until a specified time in the future when distributions must begin from the annuity.