Though it may seem as if the ink has barely dried on your 2010 federal income tax return, the end of 2011 is now visible on the horizon. Here are some things to consider as you take stock of your current tax situation.
The 2% difference
If you're an employee, 6.2% of your wages, up to the taxable wage base – $106,800 in 2011, would normally be withheld for your portion of the Social Security retirement component of FICA employment tax. But legislation passed in December 2010 included a temporary one-year 2% reduction in this tax. That means for 2011, you're paying the tax at a rate of 4.2%. If you're self-employed, the 12.4% you would normally pay for the Social Security portion of your self-employment tax is reduced to 10.4%.
Have you earmarked the resulting extra dollars in your paycheck efficiently by, for example, paying down high-interest debt or saving for special goals? If you haven't, consider making up for it by contributing an extra 4% of your income to your savings for the remainder of the year. By applying the extra money toward a long-term goal, the potential benefit of the temporary tax reduction can extend beyond 2011.
Tax rates
The same federal income tax rates that applied in 2010 continue to apply in 2011 and 2012. Depending on your taxable income, you'll fall into the 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, or 35% rate bracket. And, as in 2010, long-term capital gains and qualifying dividends in 2011 and 2012 continue to be taxed at a maximum rate of 15%; if you're in the 10% or 15% marginal income tax brackets, a special 0% rate will generally apply. So, unlike this time last year, you don't have to contend with the uncertainty of not knowing what next year's tax rates will be.
That consistency, however, does not apply to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) – essentially a parallel federal income tax system, with its own rates and rules. While the December legislation extended regular income tax rates through 2012, it only extended AMT relief, in the form of increased AMT exemption amounts, through 2011. You can probably expect another AMT fix in legislation later this year, since without it there would be a dramatic increase in the number of individuals subject to AMT in 2012. But that leaves a fair degree of uncertainty today, however, as you consider your overall tax situation.
Also worth noting
Small business stock: Generally, individuals may exclude 50% of any capital gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock provided they meet certain requirements, including a five-year holding period. For qualified small business stock issued and acquired after September 27, 2010, and before January 1, 2012, however, 100% of any capital gain may be excluded from income if the stock is held for at least five years and all other requirements are met.
IRA qualified charitable distributions: Absent additional legislation, 2011 will be the last year that you'll be able to make qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) of up to $100,000 from an IRA directly to a qualified charity if you're age 70½ or older. Such distributions may be excluded from income and count toward satisfying any required minimum distributions (RMDs) that you would otherwise have to receive from your IRA in 2011.
Depreciation and IRC Section 179 expensing: If you're a business owner or self-employed individual, you're allowed a first-year depreciation deduction of 100% of the cost of qualifying property acquired and placed in service during 2011. The "bonus" first-year additional depreciation deduction will drop to 50% for property acquired and placed in service during 2012. For 2011, the maximum amount that can be expensed under IRC Section 179 is $500,000, but in 2012 the limit will drop to $125,000.