Millions of Big Earners Should Expect Higher Payroll Taxes in ‘17
For those who have been excited to see their tax bill go down under a Trump administration, there might be cause for some concern, especially for some of the country’s highest earners. That’s because for the millions of workers who pass a certain threshold a tax hike is coming. So why the increase?
First, this change was in place before President Trump won the election in November. This scheduled change comes in the form of an adjustment to Social Security payroll taxes, and it will affect a lot of high earners. Over the past several years, workers have paid a 6.2 percent payroll tax to Social Security, which is matched by employers and automatically deducted from their paychecks.
That number will remain the same in 2017, but there is a catch. It used to be that workers only paid that amount on the first $118,500 they earned for the year. This year, that threshold increases to $127,200. That will amount to hundreds of dollars for anyone affected. Meantime, for self-employment workers, the news is even worse because they are forced to pay the full Social Security tax themselves without splitting the cost with an employer.
So how many people are we talking about? Anyone that makes less than $118,500 won’t be affected but the estimated 12 million workers that make more than that will see a hit, which amounts to one of the biggest changes in the tax code in nearly 30 years.
http://time.com/money/4628475/payroll-taxes-social-security-2017/
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 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…
Reducing Risk With a Diversified Portfolio
Reducing Risk With a Diversified Portfolio Have you been worried about the stock market’s recent volatility? You’re not alone. The stock market in March was a roller-coaster ride that served as a reminder to investors that the market’s ups and downs can be a little dizzying. But a volatile market should not leave you feeling…
Are You Defining Items in QuickBooks Correctly?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Create item records in QuickBooks carefully, and QuickBooks will return the favor by running useful, accurate reports. Figure 1: Clearly-defined items result in precise reports. Obviously, you’re using QuickBooks because you buy and/or sell products and/or services. You want to know at least weekly — if not daily — what’s selling and what’s…