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Another year is winding down. Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays sets in, it’s a good time to brainstorm ideas to lower your 2014 tax bill. Here’s an overview of what’s happening in the world of tax — and 10 simple tax-saving strategies that you...

As if the process of getting married (or divorced) isn’t difficult enough, couples also need to take income tax considerations into account before tying (or untying) the knot. That’s particularly true for those who plan a change in marital status late this year or...

As we approach year end, it’s again time to focus on last-minute moves you can make to save taxes — both on your 2014 return and in future years. Here are a few ideas. Maximize the benefit of the standard deduction. For 2014, the standard deduction is $12,400 for married...

The long-term capital gains rate is 0% for gain that would be taxed at 10% or 15% based on the taxpayer’s ordinary-income rate. If you have loved ones in the 0% bracket, you may be able to take advantage of it by transferring appreciated assets to them. The recipients can then...

Another year is winding down. Before the hustle and bustle of the holidays sets in, it’s a good time to brainstorm ideas to lower your 2014 tax bill. Here’s an overview of what’s happening in the world of tax — and 10 simple tax-saving strategies that you...

A fundamental tax planning strategy is to accelerate deductible expenses into the current year. This typically will defer — and in some cases permanently reduce — your taxes. But there are exceptions. One is if the additional deductions this year trigger the alternative minimum...

The Small Business Administration reports that small businesses pay average effective tax rates that range from about 13.3 percent for sole proprietorships to 26.9 percent for S corporations. The effective tax rate is the amount of taxes paid by a company as a percent of its net...

With the financial media bombarding us with investment ideas, we are flooded with tips on how to accumulate wealth. However, you should first decide what your money means to you. Do you know why you are investing, or are you using a haphazard strategy to try to achieve an unclear...

Are you planning to make charitable donations before year end? Do you own appreciated stock that you’d like to sell, but you’re concerned about the tax hit? Then consider donating it to charity rather than making a cash gift. Appreciated publicly traded stock you’ve held more...

A taxable sale of a business might be structured as an installment sale if the buyer lacks sufficient cash or pays a contingent amount based on the business’s performance. An installment sale also may make sense if the seller wishes to spread the gain over a number of years —...