international tax lawyers

Will Capital Gains Move Me Into a Higher Tax Bracket?

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A frequently asked tax question is whether capital gains may push a taxpayer into a higher tax bracket. This article will examine some of the tax possibilities with respect to this question.

Background

In general, capital gains are subject to the 0% or 15% capital gain rate. Generally, for 2010, if all of a taxpayer’s taxable income is within either the 10% or 15% tax brackets (and all of the net capital gains are eligible for the 10% or 15% rates), then a taxpayer’s capital gains will qualify for the 0% rate.

In order to calculate tax liability on Schedule D or on the IRS capital gains worksheet, taxable income is reduced by net capital gains and qualified dividends (other than 28% rate gain and unrecaptured Section 1250 gain), leaving ordinary income as a result. In general, capital gains (and qualified dividends) will be tax free to the extent they “fill in” the difference between ordinary income and the top-end of a taxpayer’s filing status. (See examples below).  For tax year 2010, the top-end of the 15% bracket is taxable income of $34,000 for single taxpayers and married filing separately, $45,550 for heads of household, and $68,000 for married filing jointly. Thus, taxpayers will qualify for the 0% rate if none of their taxable income exceeds the top-end of their applicable filing status.

Examples

Please, note that the examples below are for illustrative purpose only and may not apply to your specific fact situation.

1). Taxpayers qualify for the 0% rate

Married filing-jointly taxpayers have ordinary income of $50,000 and net capital gain of $15,000 as their only other source of income. Because the top-end of the 15% bracket for their filing status is taxable income up to $68,000 and their ordinary income added together with their capital gain does not exceed that top-end threshold, the entire $15,000 capital gain will qualify for the 0% rate.

2). Taxpayers qualify for 0% rate on part of their capital gains, and pay at the 15% rate on the rest

Married filing jointly taxpayers have ordinary income of $60,000 and net capital gain of $20,000 as their only other source of income. Because the top-end of the 15% bracket for their filing status is taxable income up to $68,000 and their ordinary income added with their capital gain exceeds the top-end of that threshold, part of their capital gain must be paid at the 15% rate. Specifically, subtracting their ordinary income of $60,000 from the top-end of their filing status bracket of $68,000 leaves $8,000 of capital gains that can qualify for tax free rate. The remainder of their capital gain will be taxed at 15%.

3). Taxpayers do not qualify for the 0% rate

Married filing jointly taxpayers have ordinary income of $75,000 and net capital gain of $5,000 as their only other source of income. Because their ordinary income exceeds the top-end of the 15% bracket for their filing status ($68,000), none of their capital gain will qualify for the special 0% rate. Instead the entire capital gain will be taxed at the 15% rate.

Note that these are the general rules relating to capital gains and tax brackets, but other rules and factors may apply under applicable circumstances. For example, if Section 1250 unrecaptured gain property or capital gains taxed at the 28% rates are involved, the general rules will not apply. Also, deductions and various phaseouts may still be limited even if the taxpayer qualifies for the 0% rate. Additionally, there may be state capital gains tax rates that apply even if the federal rate is 0%.

Therefore, do not try to rely on your own opinion to resolve your capital gains tax questions. Rather, you should review your specific situation with a tax attorney who will help you deal with these complex tax issues.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office to Get Capital Gains Tax Help

Do you have further questions regarding your capital gains and tax liabilities? Contact Sherayzen Law Office at (952) 500-8159 to discuss your tax situation with an experienced tax attorney.

FBAR (Report on Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) is due on June 30, 2011

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Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, 31 U.S.C. §5311 et seq., the Department of Treasury (the “DOT”) has established certain recordkeeping and filing requirements for United States persons with financial interests in or signature authority (and other comparable authority) over financial accounts maintained with financial institutions in foreign countries. If the aggregate balances of such foreign accounts exceed $10,000 at any time during the relevant year, FinCEN Form 114 formerly Form TD F 90-22.1 (the FBAR form) must be filed with the DOT.

The FBAR must be filed by June 30 of each relevant year, including this year (2011).  Notice – this year’s FBAR must be received by the DOT on June 30, 2011.  This rule is contrary to your regular tax returns where the mailing date determines whether the filing is timely.  There are no extensions available – the FBAR must be received by June 30 or it will be considered delinquent.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding whether you need to file the FBAR or how to prepare the form, please contact Sherayzen Law Office directly.  Our experienced international tax firm will guide you through this complex tax issue.

Estimated Tax Payments are due on June 15, 2011

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Estimated tax payments for the second quarter (April 1 –  May 31) of 2011 are due on June 15, 2011. The estimated tax payments should be made using Form 1040-ES. Note, if the due date for an estimated tax payment falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the payment will be considered on time if it is made on the next business day.

Underpayment and Overpayment Interest Rates for the Third Quarter of 2011

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On May 16, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates for the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2011, will remain the same as in the previous quarter. The rates will be:

  • four (4) percent for overpayments (three (3) percent in the case of a corporation);
  • four (4) percent for underpayments;
  • six (6) percent for large corporate underpayments; and
  • one and one-half (1.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

Section 6621 of the Internal Revenue Code establishes the rates for interest on tax overpayments and tax underpayments. These rates determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points. Rev. Rul. 2011-12. Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. Pursuant to I.R.C. section 6621(c), the rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. See section 301.6621-3 of the Regulations on Procedure and Administration for the definition of a large corporate underpayment and for the rules for determining the applicable date.

The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

Notice 88-59, 1988-1 C.B. 546, announced that, in determining the quarterly interest rates to be used for overpayments and underpayments of tax under section 6621, the Internal Revenue Service will use the federal short-term rate based on daily compounding because that rate is most consistent with section 6621 which, pursuant to section 6622, is subject to daily compounding.

Interest factors for daily compound interest for annual rates of 1.5 percent, 3 percent, 4 percent and 6 percent are published in Tables 8, 11, 13, and 17 of Rev. Proc. 95-17, 1995-1 C.B. 556, 562, 567, and 571. Interest factors for daily compound interest for an annual rate of 0.5 percent are published in Appendix A of Revenue Ruling 2010-31, 2010-52 IRB 898, 899. 3.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office

If you have any questions with respect to IRS interest rates and any other tax-related concerns, you should contact our experienced tax firm to discuss your case.

FBAR: Exclusion of Personal and Homeowner’s Lines of Credit

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Often, I receive specific questions from my clients with respect to whether certain types of accounts should be reported on the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (“FBAR”). Recently, one of my clients wanted to know whether he needs to report his personal and homeowner’s lines of credits on the FBAR.

A little disclaimer before I deal with the main subject of this essay. In this legal note, I do not discuss the situations where you loaned the money to someone else. This essay focus strictly on the money loaned to you.

Generally, whether the money loaned to you should be reported on the FBAR is a highly fact-dependent situation. Most such loans are not reported on the FBAR, because these loans are not considered assets. However, if a loan can be considered as an asset because of the way it is structured or because it is a part of a larger financial arrangement, the loan needs to be reported on the FBAR. You should discuss this situation with an international tax attorney who specializes in FBARs.

The situation with respect to personal and homeowner’s lines of credit, however, is much clearer. The IRS does not regard these lines of credit as assets and does not require you to disclose them on the FBAR. While this is a general rule, you should call us to discuss your specific situation in order to make sure that nothing in your situation makes these lines of credit reportable.

Contact Sherayzen Law Office to Get FBAR Help

If you have any questions with respect to FBAR or voluntary disclosure, Sherayzen Law Office can help. Our international tax firm has guided our clients throughout the United States through voluntary disclosure and FBAR reporting, making sure that the rights of our clients are protected and they pay only fair taxes and penalties.