Last week the Roni Deutch Tax Center – Tax Help Blog posted a new article discussing some year round tax planning tips. As the blog entry explains, even if you are a regular wage-earning employee and do not have to worry about making quarterly payments, you should still get in the habit of thinking about your taxes all year long. It will make tax season less stressful, and by planning your finances in advance you can keep your tax liability as low as possible. Below is a snippet of the article with some fall tax tips, but be sure to check out the full entry at RDTC.com.
Fall (September – November)
When your children go back to school and the leaves start falling from the trees, you need to start thinking about taxes. The year is coming to an end, and if you have a steady job then you should have a pretty good idea about what your total income is going to be for the year. Once you calculate your yearly income, you will know what tax bracket you fall in, and can make any necessary adjustments to your withholdings. If you have not paid enough, you can have your employer take out additional taxes from your paycheck. It will mean less money each month, but it sure beats having to pay the IRS a large payment in April. On the other hand, if you have overpaid your taxes then you can lower your withholdings and get a little extra holiday season cash.
The fall months are also your last chance to make any longer-term tax moves that cannot be made last minute come December. For example, if you plan to make a large charitable donation, then you will want to make it now so that you can make sure you get proper receipts and documentation. Finally, if you are trying to buy a house and take advantage of the $8,000 Federal tax credit then you are going to want to make sure you close escrow during the fall months. The credit expires on December 1st, and is unlikely to get extended into next year.