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Dec 30
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2022 Estate Tax and Gift Update Federal and State

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Federal Estate Tax Amount for 2022

The IRS released Revenue Procedure 2021-45 which announces the increase in 2022 of the estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax applicable exclusion amounts from $11.7 million to $12.06 million. The applicable exclusion amounts currently remain scheduled to expire on December 31, 2025, which would result in a reduction in the exclusion amounts to $5 million (adjusted for inflation). However, there is always a possibility that new law will be passed that could adjust these exclusion amounts sooner.

Federal Gift Tax Exclusion for 2022

In addition, in 2022, the gift tax annual exclusion amount for gifts to any person (other than gifts of future interests to trusts) will increase to $16,000, while the gift tax annual exclusion amount for gifts to a non-citizen spouse will increase to $164,000.

Rhode Island Estate Tax Update for 2022

Because of an inflation adjustment prescribed by statute, the Rhode Island estate tax credit amount will be $74,300 for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2022, up from the current credit amount of $70,490 (which applies for decedents dying in calendar year 2021).

As a result, the Rhode Island estate tax threshold will be $1,648,611 for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2022, up from the current threshold of $1,595,156 (which applies for decedents dying in calendar year 2021).

Thus, in general, for a decedent dying in 2022, a net taxable estate valued at $1,648,611 or less will not be subject to Rhode Island’s estate tax. Due to the inflation adjustment, fewer estates will be
subject to Rhode Island’s estate tax in 2022. (In certain circumstances, the Rhode Island estate tax will not apply regardless of the estate’s size: Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 44-22 provides full details on the computation of the tax, including such factors as the marital and charitable deductions.)

◼ ESTATE TAX – NEW FORM
A new Rhode Island estate tax form will be used starting January 1, 2022. It’s Form RI706. Form RI-706 will replace Form RI-100A and Form RI-100 for all Rhode Island estate
tax filings.

Until January 1, 2022, there are two main estate tax forms: Form RI-100 (typically used for estates that are not over the applicable estate tax threshold) or Form RI-100A (typically used for estates that are over the applicable estate tax threshold).

Effective January 1, 2022, Form RI-706 becomes the main estate tax form, essentially combining Form RI-100 and Form RI-100A into one unit. Each estate valued at more
than $1.3 million must complete the entire Form RI-706. Each estate valued at below $1.3 million are only required to complete portions of pages 1 through 4 of the form.

▪ On and after January 1, 2022, use Form RI-706 for all estates with a date of death on or after January 1, 2015.

▪ Before January 1, 2022, use Form RI-100A or Form RI-100 (whichever applies) for estates with a date of death on or after January 1, 2015.

▪ The $50 filing fee still applies for each estate return filed on or after January 1, 2022, including those returns filed for estate tax lien release.

▪ All other estate tax forms (including the extension form, lien release form, and payment voucher) remain the same.

Nov 19
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Can I Deduct Nursing Home Expenses?

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My mother is in a nursing home. Can she still deduct this expense?

Yes. For 2018, in certain instances nursing home expenses are allowable as medical expenses.

  • If you or someone who was your spouse or your dependent, either when the service was provided or when you paid them, is in a nursing home primarily for medical care, then the entire Long Term Carecost including meals and lodging is deductible as a medical expense.
  • If the individual is in the home mainly for personal reasons, then only the cost of the actual medical care is deductible as a medical expense, not the cost of the meals and lodging.

To determine if your mother qualifies as your dependent for this purpose, refer to Whose Medical Expenses Can You Include and Nursing Home in Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses.

  • Deduct medical expenses on Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions.
  • The total of all allowable medical expenses must be reduced by 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

This write-off is only available to filers who itemize. People who qualify for it can deduct insurance premiums paid with after-tax dollars, plus many costs not always covered by health insurance—such as for long-term care, prostheses, a wig after chemotherapy and more.

Oct 19
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2017 Social Security Benefits Increase

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Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Announced

retirement benefits

retirement benefits

The annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) usually means an increase in the benefit amount people receive each month. By law, the monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefit rate increases when there is a rise in the cost of living.

 

The government measures changes in the cost of living through the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W rose this year. When inflation increases, your cost of living also goes up. Prices for goods and services, on average, are a little more expensive. Since the CPI-W did rise, the law increases benefits to help offset inflation.

As a result, monthly Social Security and SSI benefits for over 65 million Americans will increase 0.3 percent in 2017.

Social Security Wage Base Increases to $127,200 for 2017

Other changes that would normally take effect based on changes in the national average wage index will begin in January 2017. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security payroll tax will increase to $127,200.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) imposes two taxes on employers, employees, and self-employed workers-one for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI; commonly known as the Social Security tax), and the other for Hospital Insurance (HI; commonly known as the Medicare tax).

For 2017, the FICA tax rate for employers is 7.65%-6.2% for OASDI and 1.45% for HI.

For 2017, an employee will pay:

  • (a)  2% Social Security tax on the first $127,200 of wages (maximum tax is $7,886.40 [6.2% of $127,200]), plus
  • (b)  45% Medicare tax on the first $200,000 of wages ($250,000 for joint returns; $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return), plus
  • (c)  35% Medicare tax (regular 1.45% Medicare tax + 0.9% additional Medicare tax) on all wages in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns; $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return).

For 2017, the self-employment tax imposed on self-employed people is:

  • 4% OASDI on the first $127,200 of self-employment income, for a maximum tax of $15,772.80 (12.40% of $127,200); plus
  • 90% Medicare tax on the first $200,000 of self-employment income ($250,000 of combined self-employment income on a joint return, $125,000 on a separate return), plus
  • 8% (2.90% regular Medicare tax + 0.9% additional Medicare tax) on all self-employment income in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 of combined self-employment income on a joint return, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return).

There is a maximum amount of compensation subject to the OASDI tax, but no maximum for HI.

Note: On a salary of $127,200 (or more), an employee and his employer each will pay $7,886.40 in Social Security tax in 2017.

Note: A self-employed person with at least $127,200 in net self-employment earnings will pay $15,772.80 for the Social Security part of the self-employment tax in 2016.

Note: Self-employed workers deduct half of their self-employment tax above-the-line in arriving at adjusted gross income.

Information about Medicare changes for 2017, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums.

Want to discuss how this impacts you and your retirement planning? Contact us for a free consultation.

Matt Leonard

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