Taxes

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about whether you can lose benefits if you begin but don’t finish an online application, when continuing income does and does not increase benefit rates and survivor benefits with multiple exes. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security

Upside Investing represents a revolution in investment/spending strategy. It lets you set a living standard floor that only rises as a result of investing in stocks and other risky assets. The higher your floor, the lower your upside and vice versa. The stock market is, once again, going nuts — dropping relentlessly, then bouncing back,

Elon Musk talks and tweets a lot about taxes, from how much he should pay on selling Tesla stock to high California taxes and why he moved himself and Tesla to Texas. But as the economy sours and the mudslinging grows worse, how could taxes play out in his on-again, off-again bid to buy Twitter?

Sometimes charitably-inclined individuals will consider donating their antique automobile collection, a boat or even a private plane to charity. The tax rules for donations of non-cash assets are generally favorable and can result in a large tax savings for some donors. However, the rules for these types of donations are a bit complex. The American

Donations of vehicles can have limited tax advantages compared to donations of appreciated assets such as business interests or real estate. After the passing of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, most taxpayers are restricted to a charitable deduction amount equivalent to the gross sale proceeds from the charity’s sale of a vehicle rather

Donating a vehicle to charity, such as an automobile, boat, or even a plane, can have both practical and tax-related benefits to donors despite some IRS limitations on these gifts. For donors to realize the benefits, a qualified 501(c)(3) charity must accept the gift. This article will discuss practical considerations for charities who are presented

529 Plans, tax-free investment programs for college savers, have been augmented by over a dozen articles of federal legislation since their introduction in 1996, improving tax benefits, qualified expenses, payment of student loans, and more. They’re not perfect, however. A common complaint is should the beneficiary get a full ride or not attend college, what

Senator Joe Manchin may have effectively doomed President Biden’s tax agenda for at least another three years, when he said he opposed any tax increases, new social spending, or climate change initiatives. The West Virginia Democrat’s thumbs-down, and the unified opposition of Senate Republicans, leaves behind a long list a policy casualties including: Biden’s major

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The deadly combination of inflation and food shortages is putting numerous nations on the brink of disaster. Making the situation worse is that countless countries have also taken on enormous amounts of debt since the financial crisis of 2008–09. This segment of What’s Ahead warns that

It’s summertime and the livin’s easy. Easy in the sense of carefree and casual. Easy in the comfort of knowing your actions will have global repercussions, but you’re immune from the fallout. On July 15 Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., dealt a heavy blow to the OECD tax reform project. That’s the ambitious two-pillar solution

Tax Notes contributing editors Robert Goulder and Joseph J. Thorndike discuss why a federal gas tax holiday is unnecessary, all in five minutes. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Robert Goulder: You’ve probably heard the news by now. President Biden is asking Congress to suspend the federal gasoline tax for three months.

It has been a wild ride, and it’s not over yet. First there was the offer by Elon Musk to buy the social media giant, the outrage, the pushback and more. Eventually, there was the deal struck for the Tesla TSLA tycoon to pay $44 billion for the platform. Famously feisty Musk complained about bots

Stock-price volatility and market declines can rattle anyone—especially this time. Between the market lows of 2008–2009 and the recent market shocks caused by the pandemic and inflation, many employees with stock options and restricted stock units (RSUs) saw only rising stock prices. For many of you, the recent market drop may be your first time

Tax Notes reporter Jonathan Curry discusses the IRS audits of former FBI Director James Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, and why they’ve drawn attention from the tax community. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I’m David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about whether Social Security is changing when people will receive their benefit payments, moving a childhood disability benefit from one parent’s record to another and when the earnings test ends for survivor’s benefits. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of

Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This episode of What’s Ahead cheerfully examines how taxpayers got a break last week when two bad international tax initiatives that have been pushed hard by the Biden Treasury Department got temporarily derailed. Since taking office, Treasury boss Janet Yellen has been bulldozing two international minimum

There’s nothing like watching an actual expert school a snarky columnist on Twitter. It happened last week when Samuel D. Brunson, a law professor at Loyola University Chicago, explained some basic income tax to Matthew Yglesias, a smart, policy-forward writer with a long-standing interest in tax — but a weakness for half-baked proposals and snide

Clint Eastwood may be 92, but he is still feisty, having won his second lawsuit against online marketers who used his likeness without his permission. His fellow plaintiff was Garrapata, an agency that owns the rights to Eastwood’s name and image outside of movies. The latest verdict awarded Eastwood and Garrapata $2 million in damages.

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about why spousal benefits may not be payable in some cases, potential options when SSA withholds benefits due to an alleged overpayment and when survivor’s benefits can become available. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc.

The rules for substantiation of charitable deductions are very strict with extra layers when a donor advised fund or property donations are involved. You can get a pretty good feel for how things can go badly wrong from a recent opinion by Judge Jane Boyle of the United States District Court Northern District of Texas