The end of the year is the time when people are looking to show gratitude by donating to their favorite charities or special causes that are important to them. But like any financial decision, you should take a moment to see if there are any tax benefits or strategies to consider that can maximize your giving efforts. The first strategy to consider is a Donor Advised Fund. These have two main tax advantages. First, you become eligible for an income tax deduction of the full fair market value of the asset, up to 30% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for gifted securities, and 60% of your AGI for cash. It also eliminates capital gains taxes on long-term appreciated assets if they’ve been held for longer than a year. The second strategy that can help benefit a charity – as well as your own finances – is a Qualified Charitable Distribution or QCD. QCDs can be a great option for those 70 ½ or older and allows you to contribute money directly from your IRA to your preferred charity. You’re allowed to give up to $100,000/year. The advantage is that this reduces your AGI, which affects things like Medicare, Social Security, and various other tax credits and deductions. It may even help you reduce your income taxes. It can also help you offset any additional income you have if you’re over age 72. Another charitable deduction that’s available is the Ohio Scholarship tax credit. It’s a $750/person non-refundable credit you ca
It’s that time of year again - tax season is upon us, and we want to remind everyone of some strategies you may be able to take advantage of on your 2019 tax return. A strategy that many find helpful is bunching deductions, which is essentially accelerating your write offs into one year to try to get above the standard deduction. Last year was the first time for all of us filing under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which doubled the standard the previous standard deduction from tax year 2016. But this year the only change is a slightly increased standard deduction over last year - $24,400 for Married Filing Jointly, and 12,200 if you’re single. By bunching charitable gifts, medical expenses, or even your state and local taxes into one year, you may be able to realize significant savings. However, just keep in mind real estate and state and local taxes are still capped at $10,000. Many people also take advantage of gifting appreciated securities. For example, even if you only paid $10,000 for a security, but it’s now valued at $20,000, you can write off the whole $20,000. This allows you to help both your favorite charity, and your bottom line. Another often overlooked strategy is what’s known as a Backdoor Roth. This is a way for people with high incomes to sidestep the Roth’s income limits. Basically, you fund a traditional IRA and then convert it. This can benefit you because it allows your money to grow tax