Year End Tax Tips From the Wall Street Journal
The WSJ’s Tax Report publisheda one-two punch of articles containing year-end tax planning tipsfor today’s uncertain tax environment.
Lawmakers have a lengthy to-do list. The 2% Social Security payroll-tax cut for employees expires at the end of 2011. So do a host of other provisions, including a fix to keep the alternative minimum tax from expanding to millions more taxpayers in 2012, and an extension of the popular IRA charitable contribution for people older than 70½.
Other changes are set to take effect at the end of next year, including the expiration of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003. The top tax rate on wages would reset to 39.6% from 35%, and the top rate on long-term capital gains would rise to 20% from 15%. The special 15% rate on dividends would lapse, as would the current generous estate-tax provisions. As many 10 million lower-income families and individuals would also be restored to the tax rolls, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.
