The term “marriage penalty” in taxes refers to the situation that two people with the same income would pay more tax if they married and filed a joint return (MFJ) than if they stay single and file separately as single taxpayers.
Learning a New Language: Tax Terms
How to Speak “Tax”
This time of year and into April, we begin to hear a different vocabulary come to life: “Credit.” “Exemption.” “Adjusted Gross Income.” It can seem as if your accountant speaks a different language from you.
While we’ll do our best to explain the tax terms we use during your appointment, we’ve compiled a list of them for those of you who’d like to be more “in the know.” Not only will this better equip you to keep up at your next social gathering, but it will allow you to ask the right questions when you meet with your tax professional.
TY = Tax Year
If you file your taxes on time, the tax year is always one year behind the year we’re in. In 2019, you will be filing your TY 2018 tax return.
FY = Fiscal Year
Fiscal year is a one-year period for accounting purposes. Most businesses make their fiscal year the same as the calendar year: January 1st through December 31st. Others run their business with start and stop dates different from the calendar year. A common fiscal year is July 1st to June 30th.
EIN = Employer Identification Number
This is a unique identification number assigned to a business by the IRS.
Form 8879 = IRS e-file Signature Authorization
This form must be signed for your return to be efiled, and it can be digitally signed.
Form 1040 = U.S. Individual Income Tax Return
This is the main form used when reporting individual income. It includes the taxpayer’s basic information, dependents, and tax calculations. If the taxpayer is a sole proprietor or a single-member LLC, their business activity is reported on their personal tax return.
Form 1120 = U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return
When reporting C corporation income, this form is used. S corporations are reported on Form 1120S.
AGI = Adjusted Gross Income
AGI is equal to your total income subject to income tax minus specific deductions you may be eligible to take. AGI is calculated before applying the standard or itemized deduction. Many credits are subject to AGI limitations, meaning that if your AGI is above a certain amount, you may be disqualified from certain deductions and credits.
MFJ = Married Filing Jointly
This is one of five possible filing status categories.
MFS = Married Filing Separate
This is another one of five possible filing status categories. You may see these acronyms frequently in tax articles explaining how new laws affect the different types of taxpayers.
TCJA = Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The name bestowed upon the largest tax law changes approved by Congress, many of which went into effect for TY 2018.
SSTB = Specified Service Trade or Business
This term specifically relates to Section 199A, which is a new tax law that allows for up to a 20% deduction on “qualified business income” (“QBI”) for any “qualified trade or business” (“QTB”) other than a “specified trade or business” (“SSTB”). This deduction is available to sole proprietors and passthrough entities.
This list will get you started, and if you run across another tax term, feel free to contact P.T. Anderson Accounting to find out more.
Money Management in Marriage
Money and Marriage
One of the biggest things that can cause fights in a marriage is money. No matter where you are in a relationship, it’s a good idea to discuss these major money topics so you’ll know where you stand.
Show me the money: Combine or keep separate or both
One of the best ways to avoid conflict is to put your money into three separate piles: yours, your spouse’s, and a joint set of accounts. In this arrangement, each of you has control over some money that is all your own. The household spending will then come out of the joint account, and you both will make contributions to it on a regular basis.
As a couple, you’ll need to discuss who will pay for what as well as what your regular contribution will be to the joint account. This is no small discussion. The more thorough you are, the less conflict you’ll have over money.
One spouse or partner will normally handle the joint finances, and it’s typically the person with the most accounting knowledge. However, you both should have access to this account in case of emergency.
Savings and future purchase goals
Do you have goals about upcoming large purchases? These might include:
- A home purchase or improvement
- Children’s education
- Health care needs
- Saving for retirement
- A car purchase
- A second home purchase
- A vacation
- Another item such as a boat, furniture, technology gadgets, a plane, or something else
- A nest egg or cushion
If so, calculate how much you need and make a plan to set aside the money you need in the time frame you agree on.
Spending
Do you like to spend more than your spouse? Or is it the other way around? When money is flowing, there is usually no problem. When money is tight, that’s when the problems come in.
When there are conflicts in the area of spending, the best course is to focus on priorities. If you can agree on your priorities and goals, it can often shift spending habits.
Budget
You may want to set a budget to stick as close as possible to expected spending limits. Start by recording current spending in these areas, and then agree on the amounts you want to spend in the future.
- Rent or mortgage payment
- Utilities, including electric, gas, water, garbage, phone, internet, cable
- Food and supplies, including grocery, kitchen items, liquor, and eating out
- Entertainment, including travel, vacations, local events, holiday decorations, Netflix subscriptions, tech gadgets, books, etc.
- House maintenance including repairs, cleaning, lawn care, appliances, and decorating
- Automobile, including gas, insurance, licenses, and maintenance
- Clothing and accessories, including dry cleaning
- Health care, including pharmacy, doctor’s visit, and HSA contributions
- Personal care, such as haircuts, nail care, etc.
- Tuition and/or education expenses
- Contribution to retirement and savings accounts
- Charitable contributions
- Taxes, including federal, state, local, school, and property
- Paying down credit card or student loan debt
Retirement
What does retirement look like to both of you? Having this conversation will be enlightening. Know that dreams and goals can change over time as retirement approaches.
You’ll want to have an idea about what you’d like to spend during your final years so that you can make plans to start accumulating that wealth now. The sooner you start, the more years you have to build up your retirement assets.
Monitoring your progress
Keep an eye on your account balances to make sure everything is as it should be. Review bank and brokerage account statements and/or your budget once a month or at least once a quarter so there are no surprises or trends that sneak up on you.
When you reach your goals, reward yourself. Managing money is hard work, and you deserve to pat yourself on the back when a goal is achieved. If there is anything we can do to help you make your financial dreams come true, contact P.T. Anderson Accounting to get started.
Money Management
How to Save More in 2019
Many people in their retirement years have regrets about not saving more during their earning years, but you don’t have to be one of them. All you need to do is be realistic and proactive about saving. It’s all about paying your future self.
Circumstances can arise that can erode savings you hoped would be there for retirement. Some of those events include not being able to work due to poor health or a bad job market, unanticipated hospital bills, a divorce, overestimating Social Security benefits, bad investments, procrastination, and simply not realizing how much you need to live on.
The good news is you can prevent future regrets by making a strong savings plan now. As a small business owner, you may not have a retirement plan, so it’s essential that you create one for yourself. You earn an income today. Put some of that income toward paying your future self, and pay that “bill” first each month or each paycheck.
To be proactive and build as much savings as possible, take these steps:
- Increase your financial skills by learning how to fund your retirement, including all that traveling you’d like to do.
- Take care to manage your investment risk and be realistic about investment returns. In good markets, purchase rather than rent or lease so you are building an asset.
- Put as much aside as you can, and try living just below your means.
- If you do have periods where you are out of work, try living frugally until your income is back to normal.
- Optimize your business profits and apply some of them to your savings plan.
- Minimize taxes where possible so you can keep more of what you make.
- Make everything work twice as hard for you:
- Get credit cards with loyalty programs.
- Sign up for frequent customer programs to earn points.
- Make sure your bank is giving you the best deal on interest.
- Sell unused belongings on eBay and put the money in savings.
- Cancel used subscriptions and memberships for both your personal and business needs and move the saved money to savings.
- Periodically reach out to vendors to get a better deal on the expenses you incur. This could be for phone plans, utilities, and any other routine expense. Put the difference saved in savings.
- Select cars and trucks with good gas mileage and also high resale value. Consider that using Lyft or Uber may be cheaper than maintaining a car, depending on how much you drive. Put the difference in savings.
There are hundreds more ways to save more, and these will get you started in the right direction for 2019. Contact P.T. Anderson Accounting to find out more.
Get Ahead on Year-End Tasks
Get Ahead on Year-End Tasks
Year-end is just around the corner, and that means a couple of administrative tasks are necessary to take care of bookkeeping and tax chores. Here are a couple of tips to make year-end go smoother. Read more
Spice Up Your Marketing with Storytelling
One of the ways to impact your marketing is by adding stories. Everyone loves a story, and stories are more memorable compared to almost any marketing copy. Here are a couple of tips on how to use and place stories to share with prospects and customers.
What a Story Is Read more
The Perfect Chart of Accounts for Your Business
Your “C
hart of Accounts” is the list of accounts in your accounting software. The accounts are listed in your reports, and the totals allow you to determine how much you’ve spent, made, own, or owe depending on the type of account. Read more
How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
The security breach at Equifax a few months ago left many people thinking once again about identity theft. The best thing is to do everything you can to prevent it from happening to you. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your risk of being a victim of identity theft as well as how to reduce the damage from security breaches of your personal data from sources you can’t control. Read more
Signs You Might Be Outgrowing Your Accounting System
If you’re struggling with your accounting system, it might be a sign that you’re ready for something new. Perhaps your company has grown so much that it’s outgrown its older accounting solution. Here are several indications to look for that justify moving to an accounting system with more features and scalability. Read more
Boost Your Accounting Know-How with These Terms
Outsmart your accountant and other financial friends with these accounting-related definitions: Read more
