Some Very Last-minute Tax Moves to Consider

There's not much time left to make tax-saving moves for 2014. Some ideas to consider:

• Make your January mortgage payment before December 31 to squeeze an extra interest deduction into 2014.
• Make tax-free gifts to use your annual gift tax exclusion for 2014. This year you can give up to $14,000 to as many individuals as you like without tax consequences. These gifts to individuals are not deductible by you; nor are they taxable to the recipients.
• Sell appreciated stock to offset capital losses taken earlier in the year and vice versa. Any excess loss can offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income in 2014, and losses greater than that can be carried to future years.
• Use your credit card to pay tax-deductible expenses by December 31 if you're short of cash. You can deduct the expenses on your 2014 return even though you pay your credit card bill in 2015.
• If you're required to take a minimum distribution from your retirement plan, do so by December 31 or you face a 50% penalty. If you just turned 70Ω this year, you could wait until April 1, 2015, to take a first distribution.
• If a wedding or divorce is in your year-end plans, be aware that your marital status as of December 31 determines your tax status for the whole year. Changing the dates of a year-end event may save taxes.

To discuss these or other tax-cutting moves you might want to consider, give us a call now before it's too late to act.