Federal Government Looking for Ways to Get to Retirement Funds
Just when you thought your retirement account was safe from the federal government, think again. That’s’ because according to the Government Accountability Office, there are around 9,000 U.S. taxpayers who have a minimum of $5 million in an individual retirement account.
Now some lawmakers are taking a closer look at these accounts because as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon puts it: “The IRA was never intended to be a tax shelter for millionaires.” According to the GAO report, these accounts are only possible for someone who has access to investments that are not available to most people or who has an aggressive investment strategy.
Meantime, there were an estimated 1,100 taxpayers that had more than $10 million in their IRAs as of 2001, according to the GAO report. Of those, 314 people had more than $25 million. On the other hand, that means that close to 99 percent of all people who have IRAs have less than $1 million in their accounts.
So what, if anything, is the government trying to do about these types of accounts? For starters, last year, President Obama introduced a proposal that would put limits on these kinds of accounts. Under his proposal no one would be able to add tax-favored contributions after their total account balances accumulated about 3.2 million. However, so far, the president’s proposal has not moved forward in Congress. It remains to be seen if other lawmakers will push harder for changes.
Communication Between Managers and their Employees
By Emily Topham Communication Between Managers and Their Employees Managers have a daunting task—finding the right level of communication between them and their employees. It can be difficult for new managers to transition into the level of communication that is required by a leadership position. But discovering how to communicate well can make or…
Which States Are Good, and Bad, for Taxes?
How attached are you to the state you live in? Although most people would rather not relocate, where a person lives can actually make a huge difference in his or her tax bill. That’s because Kiplinger recently released its list of the most and least “tax-friendly” states when it comes to taxes. The business publisher…
How Are Some Big U.S. Companies Shrinking Their Tax Bill?
Every company wants to save on its tax bill. Although tax inversions have been making a lot of news lately, there are many other methods that corporations use to cut back on their taxes. In fact, seven companies in the S&P 500 index, including some big names that everyone is familiar with, have been able…
Democrats Take Dead Aim at Tax Inversions
The democrat lead U.S. Senate has been making a lot of noise lately regarding tax inversions, the practice of U.S. companies moving their corporate headquarters overseas in order to avoid the high price of overbearing U.S. corporate taxes. Those senators have apparently made good on a recent promise that they would look to put a…