How to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes

CAPITAL GAINS Taxes: DETERMINING YOUR TAX BASIS

 

For many of the nation’s high net worth individuals, much of their wealth comes from capital gains. Capital gains are better than income because they are taxed at a much lower percentage than other income. While capital gains taxes could be going down under the Trump administration, it still pays to know every trick in the book to avoid paying more taxes on them than you have to.

With that mind, let’s look at some of the important tips you should know in order to keep your capital gains taxes low. One smart move is to use a tax-advantaged retirement account when you invest. When you use a retirement account to invest, your money is allowed to grow tax-deferred, instead of paying a tax on the gains like a normal investment. Plus, if you use a Roth IRA, even your withdrawals are tax-free.

Additionally, the longer you hold your investments the less you will pay in taxes. If you hold an investment for a year or less then you will pay a percentage rate equal to your ordinary income. If you hold them longer than a year your rates decrease substantially.

Always look for opportunities to sell your underperforming stocks in order to offset the gains from your successful stocks. This will lower your tax bill. Lastly, keep track of your home improvements so when it comes time to sell your home you can use those expenses as deductions from any gains you make on the sale price of your home.

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/02/07/4-tips-for-avoiding-capital-gains-tax.aspx

Posted in ,

Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment

Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment People often think that in order to become an investor you need a lot of capital to make it worth your while and believe me, nothing can be farther from the truth. Certainly, if you are planning to make a living exclusively out of your investment, you…

Investing with Style

Investing with Style How do you define your approach to investing? There may be many answers to that question. One answer goes to the style of investing that you choose: value or growth. Are you looking for value? The goal of a value investor is to seek out “bargains,” finding those companies whose stock may…

INTRODUCING THE “TOTAL RETURN” TRUST

Introducing the “Total Return” Trust

Introducing the “Total Return” Trust The fundamental purpose of most trusts is to create a plan of financial protection for more than one beneficiary, often beneficiaries in different generations. “All the trust income to my surviving spouse, with the balance to be divided among our children at her death” might be used in a marital…

Making Tax-wise Investments

Making Tax-wise Investments

Making Tax-wise Investments Tax considerations are not, and should never be, the be-all and end-all of investment decisions. The choice of assets in which to invest, and the way in which you apportion your portfolio among them, almost certainly will prove to be far more important to your ultimate results than the tax rate that…