Year-End Tax Cutting Ideas

by | Dec 5, 2022 | Taxes | 0 comments

Yes, there are moves you can make to reduce your taxable income. But the year is quickly coming to a close, so plan accordingly.

Tax loss harvesting. If you own stock outside a tax-deferred retirement plan, you can sell your under-performing stocks by December 31 and use these losses to reduce any taxable capital gains. If your net capital losses exceed your gains, you can net up to $3,000 against other income such as wages. Losses over $3,000 can be used in future years. Be aware that if you sell a stock at a loss, and then rebuy or acquire the same stock within 30 days of the sale, the loss will not be allowed in the current year, thus defeating the purpose of the sale. Read the article from our sister company, Johnson Bixby, on a more thorough breakdown of how tax loss harvesting works on their blog, Planning Matters

Max out pre-tax retirement savings. The deadline to contribute to a 401(k) plan for a 2022 taxable income reduction is December 31. So, if your employer’s plan allows it, consider making a last-minute lump sum contribution. For 2022, you can contribute up to $20,500 to a 401(k), plus another $6,500 if you’re age 50 or older. Even better, you have until April 18, 2023, to contribute up to $6,000 into a traditional IRA. And as long as your income does not exceed phaseout limits, you can reduce your taxable income on your 2022 tax return.

Bunch deductions so you can itemize. If your personal deductions are near the following standard deduction amounts for 2022: $12,950 for singles, $19,400 for head of household, and $25,900 for married filing joint, consider bringing some of 2023’s spending into 2022 so you can itemize this year. For most, the easiest way is to do this is to make 2023’s planned charitable contributions before the end of 2022. You can also include gifts of appreciated stock where you get to deduct the fair market value without paying capital gains tax.

Review health spending accounts. If you participate in a Health Savings Account (HSA), try to maximize your annual contribution to reduce your taxable income. Remember, these funds allow you to pay for qualified health expenses with pre-tax dollars. More importantly, unlike Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), you can carry over all unused funds into future years. If you do have an FSA, you can carry forward a maximum of $570 from 2022 into 2023. The deadline for contributing to your Health Savings Account (HSA) and still getting a deduction for the 2022 tax year is April 18, 2023. The maximum contribution for 2022 is $3,650 if single and $7,300 for married couples.