PublishMyself.net » Taxes

IRA Distributions for Long Term Care Insurance

readabook — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:15:47 +0000

Even though we all know we should have long term care insurance, paying for long term care insurance is very costly. A frequently asked question is “Can I use the money in a 401k or IRA to pay for the premiums?”

The simple answer is no, you can not use your 401K or IRA to pay for the premiums. If you do so the IRS will make you pay early withdrawal penalties, the same as they do for people taking money out for any other reason except for first time home purchase.

What you can do with your IRA money or a 401k’s monies is fund an annuity. An annuity is a series of regular payments over a specified and defined period of time. There are two types of long-term care annuities: immediate long-term care annuities and deferred long-term care annuities.

For the immediate long term care annuity you make a single premium payment to your insurance company. The insurance company pays you a specific amount each month. In this case, there is no underwriting involved so that means you don’t have to qualify “health-wise.”

The money you get each month is guaranteed either for a specified period of time or for the life of the individual receiving the payments. How the payments are scheduled depends on the amount of the initial premium, your age, and gender.

The deferred long term care annuity can be taken up to age 85. Again, you get money each month but for this type of annuity the amount you receive depends upon your health.

This annuity has two parts: one for long-term care expenses and another fund you can use at your discretion. The long-term care fund you can use immediately. The discretionary fund is the deferred part. The rules of the annuity tell you when and how much you can withdraw from the long term care part and discretionary fund part.

There is underwriting for this type of annuity, there are seven broad health criteria. Insurance experts note though that, most people will qualify even if they do not qualify for long-term care insurance.

In this type of annuity set up the long-term care part does not satisfy the IRS requirements for a tax-qualified long-term care policy, which means you might have to pay taxes on it.

Annuities can be tricky and you really need some expert guidance, so talk to your financial adviser and make sure you understand all the ins and outs of how the annuity works and the tax implications.

For a more detailed explanation of Tax on IRA Distributions with Long Term Care Deduction see our post at Womanwork.ne

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Does the IRS Accept Scanned Receipts?

readabook — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:02:11 +0000

Do you need help organizing your receipts for tax season? Ever considered scanning them into your computer?
But are scanned receipts acceptable documentation for the IRS? Yes, they actually are and have been since 1997. The rules are they need to be readable and you must be able to retrieve them and print them out if necessary. Additionally, you are responsible for reliability of the system. In other words, if the company you are using messes up your stuff, the IRS still holds you responsible for providing the receipts.

There are several companies that offer apps for saving your receipts electronically. Here are some of more popular ones:

1. Lemon.com

2. Expensify.com.

3. Shoeboxed.com

4. Doxo.com.

Receipts tend to fall into two categories: those you need to keep at least long enough to double check them against your purchases when you get home and those you need to hold on to for a bit longer. Examples of short term receipts are: Cash Receipts, Clothing Receipts, Restaurant Receipts. Longer term receipts are
Business Expenses, Job Search Expenses, Employer Reimbursement, Medical Expenses, High Dollar Purchases, Warranties and Donations.

For more details on software for saving your receipts electronically, see our post Scan Reciepts into your Computer at Womanwork.net

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Deducting Long Term Care Insurance Premiums

Laila — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:23:40 +0000

Tax Benefits of Some Long Term Care Policies

Long term nursing care can be very expensive. Long term care insurance (LTCi) is an insurance product that covers some of the costs of extended nursing care. This care could come from different sources. It may cover an assisted living home, skilled nursing facility, or even home health care.

The US Department of Health and Human Services have published estimates on their website. They believe that 70% of us may need nursing care in our lives. This care can be very expensive, and the cost is not something that has been planned for very well by many Americans. A stay in a nursing home can cost $5,000 a month or more. This cost is only increasing over time. These costs can quickly eat up a lifetime of savings.

Some people figure that this will get taken care of by some government program. However, Medicare only pays for short term nursing care. A Medicare supplement will usually only cover medical services that are already covered, to some degree, by Medicare. You cannot count on Medicare to pay for long term nursing care.

Medicaid is the US health insurance program for poor people with few assets. Medicaid will pay for nursing. However, people have to deplete most of their assets in order to qualify for this program. If you want to keep your assets, you will not be happy if you have to go on Medicaid.

LTCi (long term care insurance) is a type of insurance policy that covers some of the costs of nursing care. The cost of long term care insurance will vary by the type of plan, the age and health of the applicant, and also by the place the applicant lives in. Premiums for younger and healthier people will be lower than they would be for older people. Like any other health insurance policy, an insurer may even decline people with certain health conditions.

Some tax qualified long term care insurance policy premiums can be deducted from income up to certain limits. Can you deduct your long term care insurance premiums? The limits are set by the IRS. Premiums will probably increase with age. This makes sense since premiums will be more expensive for older people, and also the need for this coverage can be more urgent with time. So the government is using this deduction as a way to encourage people to consider buying some form of LTCi!

Should you buy a policy? We all have our own unique needs and situations. You need to evaluate your own retirement plans, needs, and budgets. In addition, policies are not standardized so you will have to spend some time figuring out which type of LTCi would benefit you the most. Some policies only cover skilled nursing facilities. Other policies will cover nursing care in assisted living facilities, adult day care, or at home. You can also buy policies with different waiting periods, deductibles, and daily limits. It would help to consult with a qualified agent or compare policies online.

Some of these policies are not tax deductible. Non-tax qualified plans may not meet the government requirements, and so they are not deductible. However, they may have more relaxed standards so it is easier for the insured person to make a claim.

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Entrepreneur’s guide to setting up a business in Singapore vs Malaysia

ClintJhonson — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:40:16 +0000

One of the key concerns for SMEs and business entrepreneurs who wish to establish a business is zeroing in on an ideal jurisdiction for their company incorporation. The crucial questions that concern company incorporation in any jurisdiction are: What are the statutory requirements to incorporate a company? What is the country’s foreign ownership policy? Is the incorporation procedure simple or complex, time-consuming or quick? What is the cost of company incorporation? What are the compliances that the company needs to adhere to after incorporation? Is it easy for foreigners to relocate to a country for running the company?

Singapore. A local registered address (commercial or residential but no PO Box). At least one local resident director (a Singapore Citizen, a Singaporean Permanent Resident, a person who has been issued an Entrepass, Employment Pass, or Dependent Pass) and unlimited maximum number of directors. Directors must be at least 18 years of age and must not be bankrupt or convicted for any malpractices. Directors must be natural persons. A local resident and qualified company secretary who is a natural person and not a corporate. A minimum of 1 and maximum of 50 shareholders. A director and shareholder can be the same or different person. A shareholder can be an individual or corporate.

Minimum paid up capital of SGD 1.00. No authorized capital required.
Malaysia. A local registered address. At least two local resident directors (a Malaysian Citizen or a Malaysian Permanent Resident, a person who has been issued an Employment Pass) and unlimited maximum number of directors. Directors must be at least 18 years of age and must not be bankrupt or convicted for any malpractices. Directors must be natural persons. A local resident company secretary who is a natural person and not a corporate. The company secretary must either be a member of a professional body prescribed by the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs; or licensed by the Companies Commission of Malaysia. A minimum of two shareholders and maximum of 50 shareholders. A director and shareholder can be the same or different person. A shareholder can be an individual or corporate. A minimum authorised capital of RM 100,000 and paid-up Capital of RM 2.00.

Company registration in Singapore can be completed within 1 day. In Malaysia it takes 7-10 days to incorporate a company. Singapore. Fees for company incorporation with Companies Registrar: SGD 315. Fees for company registration with tax department: None. Malaysia. Fees for company incorporation with Companies Commission varies depending on the amount of authorized capital and can range from SGD 400 to SGD 28,000. Fees for company registration with tax department: None. Singapore. Annual returns along with audited annual accounts must be filed with Companies Registrar within 1 month of the Annual General Meeting. Tax returns along with audited accounts must be filed with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore by 31 October each year.

Malaysia. Annual returns along with audited annual accounts must be filed with the Companies Commission within 1 month of the Annual General Meeting. Note: Exempt private companies (not more than 20 shareholders and shares are not held by another company) need not file audited accounts. However, they are required by law to maintain their audited accounts for inspection by the authorities at any given time. Every company must keep accounting and other records as are necessary to explain the transactions and financial position of the company and to allow a profit and loss account and a balance sheet to be prepared.

Singapore. A company shall appoint an auditor within 3 months from the date of incorporation, unless it is exempted from audit requirements under Section 205B, or 205C, of the Companies Act. Malaysia. Every company must appoint one or more auditors who must be approved auditors in Malaysia. Appointment of auditors must be done before the first Annual General Meeting.

Although it is relatively easy to set up a business in Singapore and Malaysia, there are certain key differentiators between both the jurisdictions for company set up. Singapore is known for its ease of company set up which can be completed within 1 day, as compared to the 7-10 days norm of Malaysia. Moreover, a Singapore company can be registered with a fee of SGD 315. This is significantly low when compared to the registration fee for a Malaysian company which ranges from SGD 400 to SGD 28,000 depending on the company’s authorized capital. Last but not the least; it is easier for foreign investors to satisfy the eligibility criteria for Singapore work passes as compared to the requirements for a valid Malaysian work visa. Thus, Singapore offers a better business environment for company incorporation as compared to Malaysia.

To learn more about setting up a company in Singapore, refer to Singapore Company Setup guide. You can also learn about Singapore’s low tax regime, referring to Singapore Taxation guide.

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How to Get Help with Past Due Taxes

Jhoana_Cooper — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:49:57 +0000

There are times when you will find it hard to pay your income tax. There are several factors why this problem happens. One of the primary causes is economic hardship. Your current finances may not be enough to pay your taxes. In case you skipped paying your taxes in the previous years, it is very important for you to seek tax help. There are several ways how you can get help with past due taxes. You can consult a tax attorney or if you want to get free advice, you can simply sign up with the tax support services of Free Tax Support.

It is in your best interest to pay taxes on time because the amount of penalties imposed by the IRS can be very staggering. So before you experience much trouble, you have to seek tax help as early as possible. Sometimes, the reason why you can not pay your taxes is that you are overpaying the IRS. There are several items in your tax returns that could be eligible for deductions. But because you are not aware of it, you will pay higher taxes which should not be. In cases when you have to pay back taxes, you have to be aware also that the IRS has several tax relief programs. So it is best to consult a professional tax support service so you can get help with past due taxes. You never know, you may qualify for the tax relief programs of the IRS so you can resume paying your taxes and avoid legal issues.

When getting help with past due taxes, you must understand that there are several tax help and relief options available for you. First, you can take advantage of the Tax Relief Settlement. This is a negotiated settlement with the IRS. You will only be required to pay a certain percentage of the taxed owed to the government. The terms of the settlement will depend on your income level, assets, and expenses. You will be able to save a lot of money if you take this tax relief option. Another option that you can take is the so called Offer in Compromise. This relief program was mandated by Congress to help taxpayers in settling their debt with the government. The IRS will offer you a settlement agreement where you will pay just a fraction of the original amount that you owe.

In getting help with past due taxes, it is really important to consult a tax professional. You can hire a tax attorney which will represent you. This is a costly option but can be very advantageous for you because you might get favorable settlement deals. Another route you can take in getting tax help is to get free tax advice from Free Tax Support. The agents of Free Tax Support are experts in handling tax problems. Free Tax Support can also provide you with comprehensive documents and free tax kits detailing the process on how to handle tax issues and problems with the IRS.

Do you need help with past due taxes ? Visit our website today and so we can provide free tax help for you in order to solve your tax problems.

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Home Office Tax Advantages

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:56:41 +0000

What Are The Tax Advantages of a Home Office?

If you are a US taxpayer, and you run your business from home, you may be able to take advantage of some tax advantages. Keep in mind, that you should not abuse this allowed tax deduction because that would be asking for trouble. Also note that I am not a tax professional, and laws change, so you should verify this information with a tax professional or the IRS rules (available on irs.gov).

Personally I use some software that gets updated constantly over the internet. It tells me what I can deduct in the form hits and a checklist so it makes calculations simple. You may want to purcase some software like this if you would rather not use an accountant, tax service, or comb through vast IRS regulations yourself!

Indirect vs Direct Office Expenses

I think one of the simplest ways to calculate your allowed deduction is to take your office space as a percentage of your total home. If you use a 150 square foot office, and your total home has 3,000 square feet, you would start with 5%. Then you can simply add up your utility bills, taxes, etc., and deduct 5% of that amount as a deduction. Tax software or a qualified tax professional can help you find all or the allowed expenses. This is taking an indirect deduction.

Now direct expenses would be those things that are only performed for your office. An example might be special lighting or internet wiriing that you need to do business, but do not use in the rest of your home.

Keep in mind that the home office must be used for your business, and should not double as home living space. There is another deduction, called home storage, that will be more leniant if you use a room to work and live in.

Learn more: Can you deduct your home office?

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