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(Tax year 2007)
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Adoption
*Please let me know if you have adopted a child.
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Alternative Minimum Tax
The exemption amount has increased to the following:
- Single --- $44,350
- Married filing jointly --- $66,250
- Married filing separately --- $33,125
- Minimum exemption amount for a child has increased to $6,300
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Archer MSA Limits Increased
- Minimum annual deductible health plan increases to $1,900 ($3,750
family)
- Maximum annual deductible health plan increases to $2,850 ($5,650
family)
- Maximum out-of-pocket expenses limit increases to $3,750 ($6,900
family)
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Capital Asset Treatment for Self-Created
Musical Works
Musical compositions and copyrights in musical works are generally
not capital assets. However, you can elect to treat these types of
property as capital assets if you sell or exchange them in tax years
beginning after May 17, 2006, and:
- Your personal efforts created the property, or
- You acquired the property under circumstances (i.e. gift) entitling
you to the basis of the person who created the property or for
whom it was prepared or produced.
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Charitable Contributions
- Cash Contributions – You must have a
bank record (i.e. canceled check, bank copy of canceled check,
bank statement containing the name of the charity, date and the
amount) or a written communication from the charity. The written
communication from the charity must include the name of the charity,
date of the contribution, and the amount of the contribution.
- Filing fee for easements on buildings in historic districts
– A new $500 filing fee must be paid for each qualified
conservation contribution after February 12, 2007.
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Earned Income Amount for Additional Child
Tax Credit
For 2007, the minimum earned income amount used to figure the additional
child tax credit has increased to $11,750.
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Earned Income Credit Amounts Increase
*In order for me to evaluate whether or not this applies, please provide
me with your date of birth. You may be eligible to take EIC if:
- A child lived with you and you earned less than $33,241 ($35,241
if filing jointly)
- More than one child lived with you and you earned less than
$37,783 ($39,783 if filing jointly)
- A child did not live with you and you earned less than $12,590
($14,590 if filing jointly)
The amount of the credit increase:
- $2,853 if you have one qualifying child
- $4,716 if you have more than one qualifying child
- $428 if you don’t have a qualifying child
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Income Limits Increased for Reduction
of Education Savings Bond Exclusion
For 2007, the amount of your interest exclusion is phased out if
your:
- MAGI is between $98,400 and #128,400 (married filing jointly
or qualified widower)
- MAGI is between $65,600 and $80.600 (for all other filing statuses)
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Expired Tax Benefits
- Relief granted for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
- Qualified electric vehicle credit
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Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
- High deductible health plan. (HDHP) For HSA
purposes, the minimum annual deductible of an HDHP increases to
$1,100 ($2,200 for family coverage) and the maximum annual deductible
and other out-of-pocket expenses limit increases to $5,500 ($11,000
for family coverage).
- Deductible limitation on contributions. The
annual deductible limitation for contributions to your HSA based
on the amount of your health insurance deductible is repealed.
For 2007, the maximum HSA deduction increases to $2,850 ($5,650
for family coverage) regardless of the amount of your health insurance
deductible. The maximum additional deduction for individuals age
55 or older increases to $800.
- Deductible contributions for part-year coverage.
For HSA purposes, you can be treated as an eligible individual
for each month in your tax year if you are an eligible individual
during the last month of your tax year. This applies to each month
for which you would not otherwise qualify as an eligible individual.
For these months, you are treated as enrolled in the same HDHP
that you were enrolled in for the last month of your tax year.
However, if you are not an eligible individual, for any reason
other than death or becoming disabled, for the 12 months following
the end of your tax year, any contribution attributable to these
months is included in your income and is subject to an additional
10% tax. The income and additional 10% tax are reported for the
tax year in which you cease to be an eligible individual.
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Hope & Lifetime Learning Credits –
Income Limits Increase
The income limit for claiming the credits increased by $2,000 for
single filers and $4,000 for married filing jointly filers. The phase-out
range is $47,000 - $57,000 for single filers and $94,000 - $114,000
for joint filers.
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Mortgage Insurance Premiums Treated as
Mortgage Interest
Premiums that you pay or accrue for "qualified mortgage insurance"
during 2007 in connection with home acquisition debt on your qualified
home are deductible as home mortgage interest. The amount you can
deduct is reduced by 10% (.10) for every $1,000 ($500 if your filing
status is married filing separately) by which your adjusted gross
income exceeds $100,000 ($50,000 if your filing status is married
filing separately).
- Qualified mortgage insurance. Qualified mortgage
insurance is mortgage insurance provided by the Veterans Administration,
the Federal Housing Administration, or the Rural Housing Administration,
and private mortgage insurance (as defined in section 2 of the
Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 as in effect on December 20,
2006).
- Special rules for prepaid mortgage insurance.
If you paid premiums for qualified mortgage insurance that are
properly allocable to periods after the close of the taxable year,
such premiums are treated as paid in the period to which they
are allocated. No deduction is allowed for the unamortized balance
if the mortgage is satisfied before its term (except in the case
of qualified mortgage insurance provided by the Department of
Veterans Affairs or Rural Housing Administration).
- Mortgage insurance premiums you paid or accrued on any mortgage
insurance contract issued before January 1, 2007, are not deductible
as home mortgage interest.
- Mortgage insurance premiums you paid or accrued after December
31, 2007, or that are properly allocable to any period after December
31, 2007, are not deductible as home mortgage interest.
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Social Security & Medicare Taxes
For 2007, the employer and employee will continue to pay:
- 6.2% each for social security tax (up to $97,500 of wages are
subject)
- 1.45% each for Medicare tax (all wages are subject)
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Standard Mileage Rates
For tax years beginning in 2007, the allowable deductions for the
standard mileage rate are as follows:
- Business miles: 48.5 cents a mile
- Charitable services: 14 cents a mile.
- Medical reasons: 20 cents a mile.
- Moving: 20 cents a mile. (must move over 50
miles to be eligible)
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