Monetary awards and settlements are often provided for an array of reasons. For example, a person could receive compensatory and punitive damage payments for personal injury, discrimination or harassment. Some of this money is taxed by the federal government, and perhaps by state governments. Hopefully, you’ll never need to know how payments for personal injuries are taxed. But here are the basic rules — just in case you or a loved one does receive an award or settlement and needs to understand them.

The so-called “kiddie tax” can cause some of a child’s unearned income to be taxed at the parent’s higher marginal federal income tax rates instead of at the usually much lower rates that a child would otherwise pay. For purposes of this federal income tax provision, a “child” can be up to 23 years old. So, the kiddie tax can potentially affect young adults as well as kids.

One of your New Year’s resolutions may be to pay more attention to your health. Of course, that may cost you. Can you deduct your out-of-pocket medical costs on your tax return? It depends. Many expenses are tax deductible, but there are several requirements and limitations that make it difficult for many taxpayers to actually claim a deduction.

When you retire, you may think about moving to another state — perhaps because the weather is more temperate or because you want to be closer to family members. Don’t forget to factor state and local taxes into the equation. Establishing residency for state tax purposes may be more complex than you think.

Your business may now have to meet new reporting requirements that took effect on January 1, 2024. Under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted in 2021, certain companies will be required to provide information related to their “beneficial owners” — the individuals who ultimately own or control the company — to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Failure to do so may result in civil or criminal penalties, or both.

Business owners, with the year just about over, you and your leadership team presumably have a pretty good idea of where you want your company to go in 2024. The question is: Can you get there?

It would be hard to argue against the notion that almost every kind of business today is data-driven. Without the information you need to run your company — be it financial metrics, marketing demographics or productivity measures — you’d probably fall behind the competition, and fast.

You may have heard of the “nanny tax.” But if you don’t employ a nanny, you may think it doesn’t apply to you. Check again. Hiring a housekeeper, gardener or other household employee (who isn’t an independent contractor) may make you liable for federal income and other taxes. You may also have state tax obligations.