I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that the advance payments of the Child Tax Credit is coming with a lot of questions as the government implements new processes ahead of the expected first round of money going out on July 15. With that, I want to give a more explicit warning than usual that what is contained in this writing is in no way intended to be seen as advice on how to approach the credit for any personal situation. Let it just be said that for some, getting a portion of this credit paid out now is going to be wonderful. Let it also be said that for others, their situation could be helped by opting out of it.

What can be said universally, though, is that the IRS has now opened a web portal - https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal - where you can get information concerning your situation and these potential payments. You can determine if you are eligible or unenroll from receiving those payments.

Getting this information will not be very difficult if you already use the IRS website and have a username. If you do not, though, there are some horror stories out there about difficulty in getting access, as it even includes ID verification.

Now I can appreciate how this is frustrating for many, and some may not be comfortable enough with the process to complete it or get defeated partway through. Do not let this get you completely disheartened, though, for even if you intended to opt out of the credit to avoid a bill come tax filing time, it is not as if you are getting less of a credit, it is just being disbursed in a novel way. You can put that money away in an account you will not touch until it comes time to pay that bill. It feels different, and will take the will to not spend the money in the meantime, but it is still the same amount of money.

I think that some of this frustration also comes from how this is different from the three rounds of stimulus payments that went out over the last year-plus. Those payments were “free money” that was just going to many, it was completely new, no strings were attached, and it did not affect your tax picture. This new payment of the credit is different, is not quite “free money”, and could come back around to affect that picture.

But hey, if you are receiving it, it is still a credit that is larger than it was last year. And if you handle it well, that is only a positive. So still, no matter where you fall in this, with forethought and planning (even if it must be done a little more on your own than you wished), the overall outcome can be positive. Educate yourself on what the credit is to avoid any surprises and then embrace the power that knowledge gives.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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With the ever increasing opening-up of our country at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the warmth of summer are coming more weddings. You may have even received some invitations to some, which reminded you whether you were happy or not to have not had to go to one over the last year-plus. For those getting married, this comes with many tax implications, so it seemed a good time to go over some of these.

Some of those implications do not even involve getting into numbers or computations. If a partner is changing their name due to the marriage, this should be reported to the Social Security Administration. And then remember that the name on your tax return must match what is on record with the SSA. If marriage is meaning a change of address for one or both parties, also notify the IRS and US Postal Service about that.

Then of course, there are the numbers. All too often, couples get married, understand there are going to be some tax implications, but have no idea what they will actually look like until it comes time to file. You can get way ahead of this, though, and it does not even have to be that complicated.

A good first step will be to fill out a new W-4 form and give it to your employer. Even if you put no thought into this beyond selecting that you will be filing as a married couple instead of a single individual, this could get you closer to having the correct amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck. The form also has places to mark if your tax situation includes multiple jobs, dependents, or any other income you expect to report on a tax return.

A full W-4 form comes with multiple steps, charts full of numbers and a worksheet to fill out so a lot of people get overwhelmed by it. When you break it down, it is not overly complicated, but it sure looks like it is. The IRS, however, also offers an online withholding estimator that can be reached by this link. There you can input some information and numbers and get a little feedback on how to fill out your W-4. Chances are you will not mind how things look and you will avoid any surprises come April of next year.

Marriage is a joyous time but it also comes with a lot of to think about beyond the vows and reception. I do not expect taxes to be anywhere near the top of the list of what is on your mind when it is happening, but it should be fit in somewhere soon afterward. And if you can do that, it is just another reason to offer you congratulations and good wishes.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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I often talk in this space of how one must use the current tax rules. You should use them to the best of your ability, but you cannot use any other rules. Some people feel like they are in a tricky spot now, though, because they are assuming they will have to pay more in taxes in the near future. A big part of this is coming from an increase in capital gains taxes as part of changes proposed by the Biden administration.

There are certainly ways to take this as a negative thing, as you can read in this article from Accounting Today. That view starts right in the headline talking about how tax planning is “tougher,” and then goes immediately into how the situation is “worrying.” And sure, not everyone who will have to pay more in taxes is going to a fan of Biden’s plan. They may “worry” and feel like it is “tough.” But there are also individuals who support the president’s agenda and will be happy to pay those extra taxes to help fund it.

For I do not know if you have heard this before, but there are two sides to every story.

So of course, the article presents a legitimate view of how there will be some transactions that some people may choose not to carry out because of trepidation over its tax implications. But then again, if you are in a position where you can afford to wait, is that not a form of planning in itself?

The other side of this story is that there will be people who carry out similar transactions, some who may even need to, and they should still do so if they want to. It is probably not a bad idea for such people to be aware of the potential higher tax implications and be ready to pay more than the current tax rate when next year rolls around. But again, is that not a form of planning in itself?

Either way, the key to planning is that you are looking to the future. That look keeps you from being completely surprised by what will roll around. You may not be happy about changes that come about, but when it comes to finances little is ever perfectly predictable anyway. You do the best you can with what you know and use the rules in place when it come time to pay taxes.

So if things feel “tougher” or “worrying,” act in ways to minimize those feelings. None of this means you have to only be run by emotion and throw your hands up in defeat until a political tide turns.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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If you want to get attention, mess with our gas and meat.

That means everyone is suddenly more aware of ransomware than they were a few weeks ago.  And although the Department of Justice got back a couple of million dollars of what was paid during the Colonial Pipeline hack, it is tough to imagine that is going to make this issue go away. We should take this to heart even if we are not near the head of big companies for the security of our information can be very tenuous. This seems like a good time, then, to be reminded of measures to take to try to keep that information secure.

The first thing to do is just be aware of the need for security. If you are keeping some electronic information and you are unsure if it is secure or not, check on that. We are keeping so much in various cloud environments and the amount of security on them can vary. It is also a concern of many platforms, though, so it is quite possible that even if you are unaware of how secure your information is, it may be very secure. But it is worth taking a little bit of time to make sure.

The next thing to do is to make sure that the measures you are taking personally are up to date. Many people have some form of security software on a computer, but they install it once and forget about it. For that type of software to remain useful, updates are needed or you will not be protected against the newest tactics. So when that program says it needs to be updated, update it.

Better yet, use that as a rule for everything that says it needs to be updated. You may pay attention to the notices that pop up when your computer’s operating system says it needs to run an update, but how about each app you run? And sure, when ranking the importance of these updates, those apps will be low on the list. Many times, though, those updates do address security issues and the few moments it takes to see to them can be worth it.

Another thing you may want to keep in mind is keeping money in more secure accounts. With a checking account, each time you write a check, use a debit card, make an online purchase, etc., that information is being sent out into the world somewhere. A savings account that does not have checks written on it, debit purchases coming out of it, etc., remains a bit more difficult for others to access.

What a lot of this comes down to is mindfulness. If you pay attention and think about the issue, you will take actions to try to hold it off. This is not a guarantee of success but it at least keeps you from being an easy mark. 

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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Maybe the last year has taught us to be ready for things to fall apart at any moment. So just when some parts of our lives feel like they are getting back to normal, other parts of the world feel like they remain on the brink of disaster. Everyone is seeing it a little bit at the gas pumps, reading it in stories of rising inflation, and wondering if the crypto bubble has burst.  These are interesting times we have been living through and they appear bound to continue being so.

As we closed tax season, I know we have written a bit about looking to the future. Filing taxes, though, kind of forces you to look at your previous financial year, offering the type of longer view that can be difficult to achieve in your day-to-day life, thus making it a good time to make some changes Those changes can help you take control of the things you can control and gaining that control can help ease the pain that pops up when the world starts to feel wacky.

The COVID-19 pandemic definitely taught us that we cannot plan for everything. That was a novel time unlike anything the world had seen in a century, back when it was a very different world. These latest stories, though, are ones that did not quite come as much out of nowhere and have easier causes to understand. The chances for inflation were understood before the country and its economy started opening up. Add in a malware attack on a pipeline ahead of heavy traveling dates and we can at least understand why we are paying more at pump. As for those investing in crypto, it is like any investment where your returns are not guaranteed and investments that feel so ‘new’ probably come with a little more risk.

Note that all those forces are ones that are out of our individual hands. We know why they are happening but there is little we can do on our own to turn the tide. And that is why it is important to make good plans for the things you can control. Are you paying off debt at a rate you are comfortable with? Are you saving at a rate you are comfortable with? Are you confident that you know what your tax picture will look like when it comes to file again next year? Not only are those the questions you have greater power over, but when you answer them in satisfactory ways, you will be better equipped to handle the things that come up which you had less control over.

​Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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