From the edge of the “fiscal cliff,” Congress took a step back and approved the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA), a hodgepodge of tax extensions and modifications. But the agreement postponed decisions on spending cuts and failed to continue a 2% “payroll tax holiday” for employees. Moreover, upper-income taxpayers will have to shoulder a greater burden going forward. Here are seven noteworthy changes for individuals.
1. Individual Tax Rates. Across-the-board tax hikes are averted and the “marriage penalty” is eased. Nevertheless, ATRA creates an “extra” top tax rate of 39.6% for single-filers with income above $400,000 and joint-filers with income above $450,000. When you add in the new 3.8% Medicare surtax for certain upper-income investors, which begins in 2013, your effective top tax rate can reach 43.4%!
2. Capital Gains And Dividends. The “Bush tax cuts” for capital gains and dividends are generally preserved. The maximum tax rate remains 15% for net long-term capital gain and qualified dividends (0% for investors in the lowest tax bracket). Otherwise, the tax rate for capital gains would have soared to 20% (10% for investors in the lowest tax bracket). Even worse, dividends would have been taxed at ordinary income rates. But the upper crust still pays a steep price: a maximum 20% tax applies to single-filers with income above $400,000 and joint-filers with income of more than $450,000.
3. Alternative Minimum Tax. The onerous alternative minimum tax (AMT), which has steadily been casting a wider net each year, is overhauled. Under ATRA, exemption amounts have been increased and nonrefundable personal credits can be used to offset AMT liability in full. In addition, the exemption amounts will be indexed for inflation in the future. Because the changes are retroactive to the 2012 tax year, it’s been estimated they will save as many as 60 million taxpayers from the clutches of the AMT.
4. Itemized Deductions And Personal Exemptions. Two other “back-door” tax increases may affect taxes of wealthier individuals. Due to the revival of the “Pease rule,” most itemized deductions are reduced by 3% of the amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) above a specified threshold, beginning in 2013 (but the overall reduction can’t exceed 80%). At least ATRA establishes higher thresholds of $250,000 for single-filers and $300,000 for joint-filers. A comparable provision begins to phase out the tax benefits of personal exemptions at the same thresholds.
5. Education Tax Breaks. ATRA generally extends several valuable tax incentives relating to higher education. Significantly, it allows parents to claim the maximum $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) for another five years, subject to a phaseout based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). It also extends the above-the-line deduction for tuition and fees, also phased out based on MAGI, through 2013. This deduction may be claimed in lieu of a higher education credit. The tuition deduction extension is retroactive to 2012. Finally, ATRA permanently extends enhancements for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (CESAs), the tax exclusion for employer-provided education assistance and the student loan interest deduction.
6. Extensions Of Other Rules. Besides those already mentioned, ATRA extends a host of other tax provisions for individuals, many of them retroactive to the beginning of 2012 (i.e., for provisions that technically expired). Most of the extended tax breaks are limited by dollar amounts. The list includes:
- Optional state sales tax deduction (in lieu of state income tax)
- Enhanced child tax credit, dependent care credit and adoption credit (and tax exclusion for adoption program assistance)
- Credit for energy-saving at home
- Monthly tax exclusion for certain commuting benefits
- Deduction for mortgage insurance premiums
- Deduction for classroom expenses of educators
- Tax exclusion for mortgage debt forgiveness
- Tax benefits for donating real estate for conservation purpose
- Tax-free distributions of IRA funds to charity by those age 70 ½ or over
7. Estate And Gift Taxes. At long last, there’s greater certainty in estate planning. Beginning in 2013, the unified estate and gift tax system permanently retains a $5 million exemption and will be indexed annually for inflation ($5.25 million in 2013), instead of plummeting from $5.12 million in 2012 to $1 million. The top estate tax rate, which was scheduled to jump from 35% in 2012 to 55% in 2013, is bumped up to 40%. ATRA also retains the provision allowing “portability” of estate tax exemptions between spouses and coordinates various other aspects, including implementation of the generation-skipping tax.
These are just some of the highlights of the fiscal cliff law. We will be offering further guidance on the tax law changes, but please don’t hesitate to call us about how the changes affect you personally.
