Tax Strategies

How to Pay Estimated Taxes

Paying estimated taxes is a crucial responsibility for self-employed individuals, freelancers, and those with income not subject to withholding taxes. Estimated taxes are typically paid quarterly to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and, in some cases, to state tax authorities to cover income tax and self-employment tax liabilities. Here's a guide on how to pay estimated taxes: In most cases, you must pay estimated tax if both of the following apply. 1. You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax (for 2024), after subtracting your withholding and refundable credits. 2. You expect your withholding and refundable credits to be less than the…
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Charitable Lead Trust Basics

Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs) are sophisticated financial instruments that serve dual purposes: supporting philanthropic endeavors and managing estate or gift taxes. As an estate planning tool, CLTs are particularly appealing to financially affluent individuals who are also committed to making significant charitable contributions.This article reviews the common uses, considerations, and pros and cons of implementing Charitable Lead Trust strategies. CLT strategies are complex and should involve a trusted attorney, accountant, and financial advisor. What is a Charitable Lead Trust? A Charitable Lead Trust is an irrevocable trust where the grantor (the person or persons who created the trust) donates assets…
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Maximizing Your Wealth: The Importance of Understanding Pre-Tax and After-Tax Differences

When crafting a financial strategy, understanding the difference between pre-tax and after-tax net wealth is crucial. This knowledge not only impacts how you plan for retirement but also affects your current financial decision-making and tax planning. This article aims to demystify these concepts for beginners, providing a clear framework for comparing pre-tax and after-tax scenarios and their implications on personal wealth management. Understanding Pre-Tax and After-Tax Net WealthPre-Tax Net Wealth refers to the total value of all financial assets before any taxes are deducted. Taxes are calculated based on the type of asset and the person, or entity, recognizing the income…
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Mastering Tax Brackets for Better Financial Planning: How Progressive Tax Bracket Work

Understanding how the US tax system works is a critical component of providing effective advice as taxes play a notable role in many areas of your financial picture. Tax planning is one of those topics that is interwoven into many other financial planning topics. From understanding the tax implications of various savings strategies to the tax implications of estate distributions, having a solid understanding of how taxes work can help make better decisions.While nearly everyone files taxes every year (yes, there are a few who might not need to), many do not have an understanding of basic, foundational tax concepts. This…
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Navigating Roth Conversions: A Comprehensive Guide

Planning for a secure retirement involves implementing tax smart financial strategies, and Roth conversions stand out as a key player in optimizing tax efficiency and maximizing your wealth. Understanding the intricate considerations behind Roth conversions is crucial for anyone looking to bolster their financial future. This comprehensive guide aims to break down the complexities of Roth conversions into consumer-friendly insights, empowering you to make informed decisions aligned with your long-term financial goals. This post is still under construction but is still helpful as a guide to what topics are important. Anywhere that says "Coming Soon" will have a separate article…
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Donating Appreciated Stocks to Charities

While there are numerous ways to contribute, donating appreciated stocks (stocks that have gone up in price from what you paid) to charities is a strategy that offers significant financial benefits for both the donor and the receiving organization. In this blog post, we will explore the ins and outs of this powerful form of charitable giving.This article is part of a series on the different charitable giving strategies: The Comprehensive Guide to Charitable Strategies – Gilbert Wealth The Basics of Donating Appreciated Stocks When you donate appreciated stocks to a qualified charitable organization, you transfer ownership of the stocks to…
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The Art of Charitable Bunching

Charitable giving is a powerful way to support causes we are passionate about. For most people who give, they do so regularly either on a monthly or annual basis to organizations using cash donations. While these regular donations are a building block to charitable giving, a lesser-known strategy, charitable bunching, can magnify the impact of your contributions. In this article, we will delve into what charitable bunching is, the advantages it offers, essential considerations when implementing it, and who should consider this approach. What is Charitable Bunching Charitable bunching, also known as charitable lumping, is a concept that involves consolidating…
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Rental Property Taxation: The Regular Annual Taxation of Rental Properties

Being a rental property owner can be exciting and financially rewarding, but also challenging. In addition to stress of managing multiple properties, screening tenants, addressing concerns, and juggling the numerous cash inflows and outflows, you have to navigate taxes...Without an understanding of how rental property taxation works, you may be giving up valuable deductions unique to real estate investing and pay more taxes than you should. There are three phases of owning a rental property and each has it's own set of tax rules that you should be aware of. The three phases are:The Start Up Phase: When you obtain a…
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The Comprehensive Guide to Charitable Strategies

Amidst the complexities of modern life, finding a sense of purpose and fulfillment is a quest that resonates with us all. This comprehensive guide to charitable strategies provides a listing of giving strategies to help you unlock the boundless potential of generosity and the transformative power it holds. Whether you're driven by faith, empathy, social responsibility, or a desire to leave a lasting legacy, this guide will equip you with the insights and best practices to channel your resources strategically and support the causes that you believe in. Prior to employing any of these strategies, it is important to consider how…
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How to Calculate Adjusted Cost Basis for a Rental Property

Investing in a real estate property can be a great source of income and capital appreciation while also providing an owner with a tangible asset to take pride in. As any new owner will soon find out, real estate investing has a number of unique tax benefits and considerations. A key element of this tax planning is determining the Adjusted Cost Basis for a property which impacts the overall taxable gain an owner might have when selling the property. Calculating the Adjusted Cost Basis can be quite complex and this guide is not meant to be specific tax advice nor…
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