INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS: Defined

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By Staff Reporters and AI

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Incentive stock options (ISOs)

Also called “qualified” or “statutory” stock options, ISOs are considered tax-advantaged stock options based on U.S. tax law. With ISOs, the spread (the difference between the award price and the fair market value) will count as income for the alternative minimum tax (AMT) in the year you exercise your options.

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Example: If you exercise and hold the shares for more than one year past the exercise date and more than two years past the original grant date, the sale of the stock becomes a qualifying disposition, and any realized profit is typically taxed at the long-term capital gains rate. If you sell earlier, the spread will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate.

ISOs vs. NSOs: What’s the difference?

There are two types of employee stock options: statutory and nonstatutory. They can also be referred to as qualified and nonqualified, respectively. ISOs are statutory (qualified) and differ from nonstatutory (nonqualified) stock options (NSOs) in a few key ways:

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  • Eligibility. ISOs are issued only to employees, whereas NSOs can be granted to outside service providers like advisors, board directors or other consultants. Typically, mainly senior executives or key employees are given ISOs, as a company is not required to offer ISOs to all employees.
  • Tax perks. ISOs have more compelling tax treatment compared with NSOs.

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BETTORS & GAMBLERS: Taxation Update

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By Staff Reporters

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What’s Different?

Bettors are currently able to deduct 100% of their gambling losses, so they only pay taxes on their winnings. But starting next year, only 90% of gambling losses will be deductible.

So, if a professional gambler wins $100,000, then loses $100,000 that same year, according to the New York Times:

  • In 2025, that gambler would owe taxes on $0.
  • In 2026, that gambler would owe taxes on $10,000.

Bettors could even end up paying taxes if they finished the year with a net loss.

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ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX: Physicians Beware!

By Staff Reporters

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Alternative Minimum Tax

DEFINITION: The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is a tax imposed by the United States federal government in addition to the regular income tax for certain individuals, estates, and trusts. As of tax year 2018, the AMT raises about $5.2 billion, or 0.4% of all federal income tax revenue, affecting 0.1% of taxpayers, mostly in the upper income ranges.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

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Key Takeaways

  • The alternative minimum tax (AMT) ensures that certain taxpayers pay their fair share of income taxes.
  • However, the structure was not indexed to inflation or tax cuts. …
  • For those subject to AMT, there are certain strategies that can be employed to reduce your exposure to this tax.

MORE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/09/11/your-first-look-at-2021-tax-rates-projected-brackets-standard-deductions–more/?sh=119ff37413ba

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2021 TAXES: 8 Things All Physicians Must Know

By Staff Reporters

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

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Here are eight things to keep in mind as you prepare to file your 2021 taxes.

1. Income tax brackets have shifted a bit

There are still seven tax rates, but the income ranges (tax brackets) for each rate have shifted slightly to account for inflation. For 2021, the following rates and income ranges apply:

Tax rateTaxable income brackets: Single filersTaxable income brackets: Married couples filing jointly (and qualifying widows or widowers) 
10%$0 to $9,950$0 to $19,900
12%$9,951 to $40,525$19,901 to $81,050
22%$40,526 to $86,375$81,051 to $172,750
24%$86,376 to $164,925$172,751 to $329,850
32%$164,926 to $209,425$329,851 to $418,850
35%$209,426 to $523,600$418,851 to $628,300
37%$523,601 or more$628,301 or more

Source: Internal Revenue Service

2. The standard deduction has increased slightly

After an inflation adjustment, the 2021 standard deduction has increased slightly to $12,550 for single filers and married couples filing separately and $18,800 for single heads of household, who are generally unmarried with one or more dependents. For married couples filing jointly, the standard deduction has risen to $25,100.

3. Itemized deductions remain the same

For most filers, taking the higher standard deduction is more practical and saves the hassle of keeping track of receipts. But if you have enough tax-deductible expenses, you might benefit from itemizing.

The following rules for itemized deductions haven’t changed much for 2021, but they’re still worth pointing out.

  • State and local taxes: The deduction for state and local income taxes, property taxes, and real estate taxes is capped at $10,000. 
  • Mortgage interest deduction: The mortgage interest deduction is limited to $750,000 of indebtedness. But people who had $1,000,000 of home mortgage debt before December 16, 2017, will still be able to deduct the interest on that loan. 
  • Medical expenses: Only medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI) can be deducted in 2021. 
  • Charitable donations: The cash donation limit of 100% of AGI remains in place for 2021, if donations were made to operating charities.1
  • Miscellaneous deductions: No miscellaneous itemized deductions are allowed. 
     

4. IRA and 401(k) contribution limits remain the same 

The traditional IRA and Roth contribution limits in 2021 remain the same as in 2020. Individuals can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA, and those age 50 and older also qualify to make an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution. If you’re able to max out your IRA, consider doing so—you may qualify to deduct some or all of your contribution.

The 2021 contribution limit for 401(k) accounts also stays at $19,500. If you’re age 50 or older, you qualify to make an additional $6,500 catch-up contribution as well.

5. You can save a bit more in your health savings account (HSA) 

For 2021, the max you can contribute into an HSA is $3,600 for an individual (up $50 from 2020) and $7,200 for a family (up $100). People age 55 and older can contribute an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution.

To be eligible for an HSA, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (which usually has lower premiums as well). Learn more about the benefits of an HSA

6. The Child Tax Credit has been expanded 

For 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) has temporarily modified the Child Tax Credit requirements and amounts for household incomes below $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for married filing jointly. 

First, the ARPA has raised the age limit for dependents from 16 to 17. In addition, the child tax credit has increased from $2,000 to $3,000 for children age 6 through 17 and up to $3,600 for children under 6. If your income exceeded the above limits but was below $200,000 for single filers or $400,000 for joint filers, you’ll receive the standard child tax credit of $2,000 per child. 

The IRS began sending monthly advance Child Tax Credit payments to eligible families in July and sent its last advance in December. If your dependent didn’t qualify for the child tax credit, you may still qualify for up to $500 of tax credits under the “credit for other dependents” (see IRS Publication 972 for more details). Tax credits, which reduce the tax you owe dollar for dollar, are generally better than deductions, which reduce your taxable income. 

7. The alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption has gone up

Until the AMT exemption enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires in 2025, the AMT will continue to affect mostly households with incomes over $500,000. Still, the AMT has investment implications for some high earners. 

For 2021, the AMT exemptions are $73,600 for single filers and $114,600 for married taxpayers filing jointly. The phase-out thresholds are $1,047,200 for married taxpayers filing a joint return and $523,600 for all other taxpayers.  

8. The estate tax exemption is even higher

The estate and gift tax exemption, which is indexed to inflation, has risen to $11.7 million for 2021. But the now-higher exemption is set to expire at the end of 2025, meaning it could be essentially cut in half at that time if Congress doesn’t act. 

The annual gift exclusion, which allows you to give money to your loved ones each year without incurring any tax liability or using up any of your lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, stays at $15,000 per recipient.

Don’t get caught off guard

As you prepare to file your taxes for 2021, here are a few additional items to consider. 

  • If you’re not retired, the 10% early withdrawal penalty that was waived for retirement account distributions in 2020 has been reinstated for 2021.
  • If you’re age 72 or older, make sure you’ve taken your required minimum distribution (RMD) from your retirement accounts or else you face a 50% penalty on any undistributed funds (unless it’s your first RMD, in which case, you can wait until April 1, 2022).

If you haven’t contributed to your retirement accounts already, now is the time. Review your earnings for the year and take advantage of any deductions that can lower your tax bill. Also, keep an eye on Washington for any last-minute tax changes that could affect your return before you file. Tax season will be here before you know it, and it’s never too early to start preparing.

1Operating charities, or qualifying public charities, are defined by Internal Revenue Code section 170(b)(1)(A). You can use the Tax Exempt Organization Search tool on IRS.gov to check an organization’s eligibility.

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MORE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/a-historically-underfunded-irs-is-preparing-for-a-rough-tax-season-and-only-has-1-person-for-every-16000-calls-it-gets/ar-AASFVds?li=BBnb7Kz

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Exercising Healthcare Employee Options

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Vital Information for Medical Professionals and Heathcare Workers

[By Staff Reporters]dhimc-book9

To a large degree the decision to exercise a stock option will depend on whether the medical professional, hospital or other healthcare services employee is going to hold the stock following the exercise or is going to sell the stock immediately.

A Bifurcated Decision Point

1. If the employee intends to sell the stock, then he or she should try to time the exercise so that the stock is at its highest value.

2. If the employee is going to hold the acquired stock for future investment, then he or she should exercise the option as late as possible under the terms of the option agreement; the employee thus enjoys all upside potential without any investment and has nothing at risk.

Exceptions

There are two exceptions to the general rule:

1. First, if the rate of dividends is sufficient to cover the financing cost, or is at least equal to other investment returns, then exercise of the options makes sense.

2. Second, if the option is an Incentive Stock Option [ISO], the potential application of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) rules may force the employee to stagger the exercise.

Assessment

For more terminology information, please refer to the Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance.

Conclusion

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