If you’re approaching retirement, you probably want to ensure the money you’ve saved in retirement plans lasts as long as possible. If so, be aware that a law was recently enacted that makes significant changes to retirement accounts. The SECURE Act, which was signed into law in late 2019, made a number of changes of interest to those nearing retirement.
It’s understandable if you’re more concerned about your 2020 tax bill than you are about your 2021 tax situation. That’s because your 2020 individual tax return is due to be filed in less than 3 months. However, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with tax amounts for this year. For example, the amount you have to earn in 2021 before you can stop paying Social Security on your salary has increased to $142,800 (from $137,700 for 2020). For 2021, you can contribute up to $19,500 (unchanged from 2020) to a 401(k) plan. You can contribute another $6,500 catch-up amount to a 401(k) if you’re age 50 or older. Contact us if you have questions or need more information.
One item of interest for small business owners in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) is the availability of a second loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The recently enacted CAA permits some small businesses who received a PPP loan to take out a “PPP Second Draw Loan” of up to $2 million. To qualify, you must employ no more than 300 employees per physical location, have used or will use the full amount of your first PPP loan, and demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts during any quarter of 2020 (as compared with the same quarter in 2019). Additional rules apply. Contact us with any questions you might have about PPP loans.
Although electric vehicles are a small percentage of the cars on the road today, they’re increasing in popularity. And if you buy one, you may be eligible for a federal tax break. The tax code provides a credit to purchasers of qualifying plug-in electric drive motor vehicles including passenger cars and light trucks. The credit is equal to $2,500 plus an additional amount, based on battery capaci ty, that can’t exceed $5,000. Therefore, the maximum credit is $7,500. There are a number of requirements to qualify and the credit may not be available because of a per-manufacturer cumulative sales limitation. (Tesla and GM vehicles are no longer eligible.) Contact us if you want more information.
