Financial Planning Month: Tax Edition

October is Financial Planning Month, and what better way to plan than to take a look at your taxes! You thought you didn’t have to do that until January, right? Not true because now is the time to do everything you can to reduce your taxes. Here are a few tax planning steps that you can take now to help you with your 2022  taxes (the ones you file in 2023 ) and finances:

Make adjustments for Covid-19 impacts. COVID-19 has affected millions of Americans in so many ways. If you were impacted, first of all, know that TurboTax is here for you. Whether you were unemployed or furloughed and didn’t have federal taxes withheld or you were self-employed and could not work due to Covid, find out tax tips, advice, and up-to-date information on the TurboTax Unemployment Center and the Self-Employed Coronavirus Relief Center so there are no surprises at tax time.

Give away things you don’t need. If you missed cleaning out your closet or donating throughout the year, now is a great time to sort your clothes and give things you don’t need or want to a 501(c)(3) charity that supports victims of COVID-19 or victims of the recent natural disasters. The benefits of doing this include: you will help someone in need and may be able to get a tax deduction. Under CARES Act, the close to 90% of taxpayers that claim the standard deduction instead of itemized deductions can now claim up to $300 in cash charitable donations made to a 501(c)(3) organization. For tax year 2021, this amount is up to $600 per tax return for those filing married filing jointly and $300 for other filing statuses.

Contribute as much as you can to retirement plans. One of the best ways to benefit financially is to stock money away for your future in a retirement account and garner tax savings at the same time. If your employer matches your contributions, that’s even better. If you have a plan at work, the money comes straight out of your paycheck so you don’t even have to think about it. You can contribute up to $20,500 for 2022 and $19,500 for 2021 and an additional $6,500 if you’re 50 or older to an employer-provided retirement account. You can also contribute $6,000 to an IRA (additional $1,000 if you’re 50 or older) for 2022, which is the same limit as 2020  and 2021.

Get an education and a tax credit. If you are paying for post-high school education for yourself and/or your child, you may be eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit. If you or your dependent are attending college next year, you can pay for the first quarter tuition before the end of this year and reap the benefits of the education credits on your 2022  taxes.

Accelerate tax deductions. Did you receive an unexpected bonus this year that moved you into a higher tax bracket? You may want to move some of your tax-deductible expenses from next year to this year to lower your taxable income and tax bracket if you itemize your tax deductions. You can pay the second half of your 2022  property taxes as long as they were assessed for 2022 , pay your January mortgage payment in December, make donations this year instead of next, and pay for those doctor’s visits and possibly take a tax deduction for the expenses you moved into this year to lower your taxes.

When accelerating your property taxes be aware that there is a cap up to $10,000 ($5,000 if you are married filing separately) in combined property taxes and either state and local income taxes or sales taxes that you can deduct on your taxes.

TurboTax Live Tax Experts Are Here for You. Don’t worry about knowing tax laws. You can come to TurboTax and fully hand your taxes over to a TurboTax Live tax expert available in English and Spanish and get your taxes done from start to finish. All from the comfort of your home.

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