How Can the Wealthy Cut Taxes on Their Social Security Benefits?

Everyone works a lifetime with the idea that at some point they can retire and collect Social Security benefits throughout their so-called “golden years.” However, when it comes to Social Security, this year is not a good time to be a high-income earner. Medicare Part B Premiums are expected to rise for high-income retirees. So, that means if you fall into this category then you should be looking for ways to cut back on your SS benefit taxes. Here are a few ways you can do this.

One step high-income earners can take to reduce their tax bill is to actually delay their benefits. By waiting until the age of 70 to claim your benefits instead of starting at age 62 you can actually increase your benefit by 76 percent. That also means you won’t be paying taxes on any SS benefits for several more years.

Another option is to open a Roth IRA, which allows your money to grow tax-free. The distributions are also tax-free, so you can be a great way to lower retirement income and thus lower your tax bill, as well. Deferred annuities are another possible way to let your money grow tax-free if you own assets that throw off income that you don’t really need. You can also try drawing a little extra by selling a capital asset if your retirement funds aren’t quite sufficient. This allows you to avoid the higher SS benefit taxes but still have enough to live on.

If you are worried about paying too much in Social Security benefit taxes because you are a high earner, then contact GROCO for guidance. Just call 1-877-CPA-2006, or click here.

Posted in

Tax Strategies for the Wealthy: Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)

Tax Strategies for the Wealthy: Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) Wealth management is an important issue for those with substantial assets to protect. Many people incorrectly assume that their estates will escape federal estate tax as a result of underestimating what their principal residence will be worth when they die. Often, our homes are our…

Making Your Medical Deductions Count

Making Your Medical Deductions Count

Making Your Medical Deductions Count April 15th is almost here and if you are owing tax it may pay to take a second look at that return to see if you claimed all medical deductions you are entitled to.  Your diligence in keeping track of expenses will pay off.  IRS Publication 502 has a complete listing…

GROCO Warns of Common Tax Filing Mistakes

GROCO Warns of Common Tax Filing Mistakes

GROCO Warns of Common Tax Filing Mistakes Tax return anxiety is on the rise as the federal tax filing date looms. The prospect of filing an erroneous return increases as more rely on tax software to help prepare their returns. For the week ending March 28, more than 10,000 electronic returns were filed from home…

Loss on Sale of 1244 Stock

Loss on Sale of 1244 Stock

Have you considered a loss on sale of 1244 stock as a tax strategy? Ordinarily, a loss on a sale or exchange of stock is a capital loss. Capital loss treatment is generally less advantageous than ordinary deduction treatment because of the fact that a capital loss recognized by an individual is applied, first against…