News Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Professional Tax Resolution

Top Earners Not to Retire?

Retirement May Not Be Ahead....

The American dream used to be to get rich young and retire by the age of 40. However, the results of a recent survey by the Spectrem Group indicate that the current goal for many wealthy Americans is to work past the age of 70. This survey revealed that America’s uppermost wage earners do not plan on retiring until they are at least this old. A third of those surveyed who have annual earnings of $750,000 or more, claim they will not retire until after they turn 70. Of that group, 15% say they never plan to step down.  On the other hand, the same survey showed that only 6% of those making under $100,000 a year say they plan to work that long.

Another study from Barclays done in 2010 found that more than half of millionaires say they want to continue to work past the traditional age for retirement. Internationally, 60% of those with a net worth of $15 million or more say they plan to stay involved with work indefinitely. These results diverge from the popular idea that Americans retire later primarily because they cannot afford to stop working. On the contrary, the Barclays survey showed that those who are working the longest are the highest earners or the ones who can best afford to retire.

Many of the high wage earners surveyed by both Spectrem and Barclays are business owners and entrepreneurs. As a group, these individuals are far more likely to take risks in their finances and their life, and they are more likely to credit hard work for their success. It may be this mind-set that makes them want to keep working longer.

George Walper, President of the Spectrem Group, attributes two reasons to the late retirement of the rich. First, he believes that business owners feel they simply cannot leave their businesses for fear that their companies with fail without them. However, his research has shown that the main reason these entrepreneurs keep working is that they love their work and cannot imagine life without it. Walper added that even those top earners who say they are retired still contribute by serving on boards, giving advice to their companies or consulting by phone several hours a day. In addition, instead of working at the office, they may be doing business from a more comfortable spot like the beach.

If you have tax questions or tax debt you are unable to pay, our tax settlement professionals are happy to discuss your tax resolution options free of charge. For more information about our services, visit our website at www.professionaltaxresolution.com or call us at 877.889.6527. With over 16 years in the business of resolving tax debt, we have the knowledge and experience necessary to know which tax settlement option will be the best fit for your specific set of circumstances.

 

Celebrity Back Tax Problems and Other Summer Tax Fun!

Back Taxes? Fraud? Summer Reading......

It is very common to read about a celebrity or affluent person who owes the IRS a large amount of money in back taxes.  Believe it or not, some people have even taunted the IRS on social media pages in regards to stealing and defrauding the government. Here are some hot stories in the news media this summer that are a good read:

First off, it seems Courtney Love has landed herself in the news again. It is not good publicity either! The singer reportedly owes the Internal Revenue Service more than $260,000 in unpaid back taxes. It has been reported that the IRS filed a tax lien on Courtney Love claiming that she needs to settle an outstanding balance of back taxes from 2009 to 2011. This is not the singer’s first time owing back taxes either. In 2009, she had to pay over $320,000 for a back tax bill from 2007. These are some pretty steep tax bills over the years. Luckily, her life has not been dull and she is coming out with her memoir this fall to help finance her back tax tab!

Another hot summer story concerns a Florida lady by the name of Rashia Wilson. Wilson named herself the Queen of IRS Tax Fraud and was recently sentenced to 21 years in prison after stealing millions from the IRS. According to court documents, Rashia Wilson constructed a plan were she used fake ID’s and stolen social security numbers to collect millions in fraudulent tax refunds.

Rashia grew up in poverty, but then after coming up with her plan and implementing it in 2010, she spent the government’s money lavishly. Rashia paid top dollar for high end automobiles, expensive jewelry and designer clothes. She even spent $30,000 on her daughter’s first birthday party. As if this extreme spending from money that was not even hers is not bad enough, she then flaunted the theft on her Facebook page by posting pictures of herself with bundles of stolen money. This was probably not her best move!

After a multi-agency investigation which involved the IRS, the Tampa Police Department, the US Postal Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Wilson was arrested on numerous counts, including tax fraud. On a side note, Rashia also collected food stamps during this time period. The judge sentenced Rashia to 21 years in prison along with paying a steep restitution fee!

If you have tax questions or tax debt you are unable to pay, our tax settlement professionals are happy to discuss your tax resolution options free of charge. For more information about our services, visit us today at https://professionaltaxresolution.com/ or call us at 877.889.6527. With over 16 years in the business of resolving tax debt, we have a thorough understanding of tax law together with the experience to know which settlement option will be the best fit for your specific set of circumstances.

New Tax Laws and Same Sex Marriage Ruling

New Tax Law After Same Sex Ruling

The Supreme Court recently declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. This means that, in some states, same-sex couples who are legally married can now receive the same Social Security, retirement and health care benefits that have long been available to heterosexual couples.  The ruling could even lead to a check from Uncle Sam for some!  This article discusses the financial and tax implications of this new ruling for same-sex couples.

Gift Taxes and Estate Planning

Gift and estate taxes have been a core issue for many same-sex couples. Since there was previously no federal recognition of same- sex couples, members of these unions were not able to pass their assets on to their spouses upon their death without being taxed. Now some same sex couples will be able to share the same spousal estate benefits that straight couples have enjoyed. The new ruling also makes it possible for married same-sex couples to share assets without having to pay gift taxes. This has been a problem in the past when a same sex-couple shared a house and split mortgage payments. Same-sex couples may want to consult with their tax professionals to make sure their estates and trusts are updated to take advantage of any new estate or tax benefits provided by the new laws.

Health Care Benefits

One of the greatest benefits of the new legislation is that a member of a same-sex union can now be recognized on their partner’s health insurance plan without the large fees that were added in previous years. In addition, same-sex couples can now elect a variety of more affordable and flexible health care plans with better rates. Even if a couple is happy with their current health insurance arrangement and chooses not to change plans, they may be eligible to file amended tax returns to collect taxes that have been paid on benefits in prior years.

Income Taxes

Until recently, same-sex couples were not able to file joint tax returns and thus had larger tax bills than heterosexual couples. One couple said they paid an additional $5,000 in taxes because they could not legally marry. As a rule of thumb, married couples pay less in taxes than individuals filing separately. This is especially true when one person in a couple earns significantly more than the other. In addition, married couples filing joint tax returns realize other tax benefits in areas such as capital gains taxes, child care credits and a larger exclusion for the sale of a home. These tax benefits will now be available to some same-sex couples. Although the new Supreme Court ruling potentially offers many tax benefits, same-sex couples may want to consult with a tax professional to see how it affects their specific set of circumstances.

If you have tax questions or tax debt you are unable to pay, our tax settlement professionals are happy to discuss your tax resolution options free of charge. For more information about our services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com  or call us at 877.889.6527. With over 16 years in the business of resolving tax debt, we have a thorough understanding of tax law together with the experience to know which settlement option will be the best fit for your specific set of circumstances.

Tax Day Freebies!

Tax Day Freebies!

April 15, 2013 is here and upon us! If you have already filed your taxes you can breathe a deep breath and take advantage of the following offers. If you still are in the process of filing your taxes, you only have a few more hours to go. Or you can always file for an extension………Here are today’s Tax Day Freebies!

Here are a few Tax Day Deals for today:

  • 15% off of food at PF Changs
  • Two free cupcake bites at Cinnabon
  • Buy one drink and get one drink free at Jamba Juice
  • Get a free taco at El Pollo Loco
  • Kids eat free at participating IHOP.
  • Arbys’s is having its 3rd annual free curly fry day!
  • Panda Express-Get a free Samurai Surf & Turf on April 17 when you bring in their Facebook coupon to participating stores.

If you have tax any questions or tax debt you are unable to pay our tax settlement professionals are happy to discuss your tax resolution options free of charge. For more information about our services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. With over 16 years, in the business of resolving tax debt, we have a thorough understanding of tax law together with the experience to know which settlement option will be the best fit for your specific set of circumstances.

For more information about our tax debt resolution services, visit us at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. Contact us by phone at 877.889.6527 to receive a free, no obligation consultation.

 

The Wealthy are Still Spending after Tax Increase

 

Wealthy Still Spending After Tax Increase

 

The fiscal cliff was the big story in the news recently. One of the major debates was that the wealthy were to be taxed more. Prior to January 1, 2013 it had been proposed that if the wealthy were heavily taxed that this would stop the economy from moving forward. A recent poll shows that this may not be the case.

A new poll is showing that most of the Americans that make $500,000 or more a year (this is the group that is paying the higher income tax rate) have said that the tax increase has not affected their spending. It seems this group is still spending the same amount on charitable contributions, investment plans, and overall spending.

The poll was reported by the Shullman Luxury and Affluence Monthly Pulse, which is a division of a research center that studies the spending habits of the wealthy. The report discovered that 55 percent of taxpayers that made over $500,000 or more said that the tax increase had not affected their spending plans. Meanwhile the poll also showed that 61 percent of people that make $250,000 or more also stated that the tax hike had not affected their spending either.

The poll also showed that in regards to investing, 59 percent of those making $500,000 said the tax rate increase had not affected their investment strategies. Meanwhile 64% of the people that make $250,000 or more a year also had not changed their investment spending. Lastly, the poll also proved the wealthy are still donating the same amount to charities as well. The study shows that 55% of those making $500,000 or more are still donating the same amount to charity, meanwhile 62% making $250,000 or more are also still donating the same amount as well.

There are still however some wealthy that have changed their spending due to the tax increase, but they are in the minority. The study also indicates that the wealthy have mixed opinions on the condition of the economy. About a third of the people are optimistic about the future of economy, meanwhile a third of these wealthy individuals seem to be pessimistic on the economy. Overall, the study shows that business owners seem to be more optimistic than non-business owners.

The research center is also showing that wealthy women seem to be more pessimistic on the economy. The poll discovered only 21 percent of women were confident of the economy, meanwhile 46percent of the men were encouraged by the state of the economy.

It is a positive sign for the economy that the higher income individuals spending habits remain the untouched due to the tax increase.  The majority of the rich are able to pay more in taxes, spend the same on investments, charitable contributions, and overall spending patterns remained untouched.

 

If you have tax any questions or tax debt you are unable to pay, our tax settlement professionals are happy to discuss your tax resolution options free of charge. For more information about our services, visit us today at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. With over 16 years in the business of resolving tax debt, we have a thorough understanding of tax law together with the experience to know which settlement option will be the best fit for your specific set of circumstances.

For more information about our tax debt resolution services, visit us at www.professionaltaxresolution.com. Contact us by phone at 877.889.6527 to receive a free, no obligation consultation