Roth IRA’s – Turn the Bad Market to Your Advantage

Thinking of converting your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?

One advantage of this downturn in the market may be to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Remember that you only pay tax on the value at the date of conversion (less your after tax contributions).

Did you already convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in 2010?

If so you may still change your mind until October 17, 2011, even if you already filed your 2010 tax return. If the value of your Roth IRA has decreased since the original conversion, you should consider reversing back to a traditional IRA. After waiting 30 days, you may again convert the presumably lower value to a Roth IRA.

The rules for Roth IRA conversions and reversals are complex. Please contact your LMGW advisor before taking any action.

FUTA Surtax Expired

The .2% Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) surtax expired on June 30, 2011 bringing the FUTA tax rate before state unemployment credits to 6%. FUTA is paid on the first $7,000 of wages paid per year per employee. Now that the surtax has expired employers will be required to separately track FUTA taxable wages before July 1, 2011 and after June 30, 2011 since the FUTA rate is different between the two periods.

The IRS will be revising Form 940, the Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return. There have also been talks in Congress about making the surtax permanent but so far no legislation has been passed.

Small Charities Can Retain Status with Special Filing Relief Program

The IRS has just released a one-time relief program for small charities.  Under the one-time relief program, small nonprofit organizations at risk of losing their tax-exempt status because they failed to file required returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009, would be allowed to preserve their status by filing returns by October 15, 2010.

To check if your organization qualifies, check for charities located in California or the full list.

If you need assistance with your organization’s return filings, please contact LMGW.

Financial Regulatory Reform Bill

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed by President Obama on July 21, 2010. Among the highlights of bill are:

•The establishment of a Financial Stability Oversight Council. This council will identify and monitor companies that engage in activities that could threaten the stability of the financial system. The council will also have the ability, through the Federal Reserve, to break up large firms.

•The establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which will consolidate most of the federal regulation of financial services offered to consumers. Most credit providers, including mortgage lenders, payday loan providers and bank and credits unions with assets over $10 billion will be subject to the new regulations.

•Executive compensation will require a nonbinding shareholder vote. Compensation based on financial statements that are later restated may have to be returned.

•Companies that file with the SEC will be required to disclose in a proxy statement the reasons why they have separated or combined the positions of chairman and CEO.

•The Office of Thrift Supervision will be eliminated and savings-and-loan institutions will now be regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which currently regulates federally chartered banks.

To read the full bill click here.

Health Care Reform

RIA’s Complete Analysis of the Tax and Benefits Provisions of the 2010 Health Care Act as Amended by the 2010 Health Care Reconciliation Act

The following sections contain RIA’s Complete Analysis of the Tax and Benefits Provisions of H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as signed into law by the President on Mar. 23, 2010 ( PL 111-148, 3/23/2010 ), as Amended by H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as signed into law by the President on Mar. 30, 2010 ( PL 111-152, 3/30/2010 . H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is generally referred to in the Analysis as the “2010 Health Care Act,” while H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which amends the 2010 Health Care Act, is generally referred to in the Analysis as the “2010 Reconciliation Act”. Read more