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What financial, business, or life priorities do you need to address for the coming year? Now is an excellent time to think about the investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could employ toward specific objectives, from building your retirement fund to managing your taxes. You have plenty of choices.

Remember that this article is for informational purposes only and not a replacement for real-life advice. The tax treatment of assets earmarked for retirement can change, and there is no guarantee that the tax landscape will remain the same in years ahead. A financial or tax professional can provide up-to-date guidance.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

Can you contribute more to your retirement plans this year? In 2023, the contribution limit for a Roth or traditional individual retirement account (IRA) remains at $6,000 ($7,000 for those making "catch-up" contributions). Your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) may affect how much you can put into a Roth IRA. With a traditional IRA, you can contribute if you (or your spouse if filing jointly) have taxable compensation. Still, income limits are one factor in determining whether the contribution is tax-deductible.1

Once you reach age 72, you must take the required minimum distributions from a traditional IRA in most circumstances. The I.R.S. taxes withdrawals as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59½, they may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty.

Roth 401(k)s offer their investors a tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings. Qualifying distributions must meet a five-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½. Such a withdrawal also qualifies under certain other circumstances, such as the owner's passing. Employer match is pretax and not distributed tax-free during retirement. The original Roth IRA owner is not required to take minimum annual withdrawals.

Make a charitable gift.You can claim the deduction on your tax return, provided you follow the Internal Review Service guidelines and itemize your deductions with Schedule A. The paper trail can be important here. If you give cash, you should consider documenting it. A bank record can demonstrate some contributions, payroll deduction records, credit card statements, or written communication from the charity with the date and amount. Incidentally, the IRS does not equate a pledge with a donation. If you pledge $2,000 to a charity this year but only end up gifting $500, you can only deduct $500.2

Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional before modifying your record-keeping approach or your strategy for making charitable gifts.

See if you can take a home office deduction for your small business. You may want to investigate this if you are a small business owner. You might be able to write off expenses linked to the portion of your home used to conduct your business. Using your home office as a business expense involves complex tax rules and regulations. Before moving forward, consider working with a professional familiar with the tax rules related to home-based businesses.

Open an HSA. A Health Savings Account (HSA) works like your workplace retirement account. There are also some HSA rules and limitations to consider. You are limited to a $3,850 contribution for 2023 if you are single; $7,750 if you have a spouse or family. Those limits jump by a $1,000 "catch-up" limit for each person in the household over age 55.3

If you spend your HSA funds for non-medical expenses before age 65, you may need to pay ordinary income tax and a 20% penalty. After age 65, you may need to pay ordinary income taxes on HSA funds used for non-medical expenses. HSA contributions are exempt from federal income tax; however, they are not exempt from state taxes in certain states.

Pay attention to asset location. Tax-efficient asset location is one factor to consider when creating an investment strategy. Asset location is different from asset allocation, which is an approach to help manage investment risk. Asset allocation does not guarantee against investment loss.

Review your withholding status. Should it be adjusted due to any of the following factors?

  • You tend to pay the federal or state government at the end of each year.
  • You tend to get a federal tax refund each year.
  • You recently married or divorced.
  • You have a new job with adjusted earnings.

Consider consulting your tax, human resources, or accounting professional before modifying your withholding status.

Did you get married in 2022? If so, it may be time to review the beneficiaries of your retirement accounts and other assets. The same goes for your insurance coverage. If you are preparing to have a new last name in 2023, you may want to get a new Social Security card. Additionally, retirement accounts may need to be revised or adjusted.

Are you coming home from active duty? If so, go ahead and check on the status of your credit. Check on any tax and legal proceedings your orders might have preempted, too.

Consider the tax impact of any upcoming transactions. Are you preparing to sell any real estate this year? Are you starting a business? Might any commissions or bonuses come your way in 2023? Do you anticipate selling an investment held outside of a tax-deferred account?

Vow to focus on your overall health and practice sound financial habits in 2023. And don't be afraid to ask for help from professionals who understand your situation.

Glen D. Smith, CFP®, CRPC®
Chief Executive Officer | Chief Investment Officer | Founder

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Investment advice offered through GDS Wealth Management, a registered investment adviser. GDS Wealth Management is an investment adviser in Texas. GDS Wealth Management is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. GDS Wealth Management only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration. A copy of GDS Wealth Management’s current written disclosure brochure filed with the SEC which discusses among other things, GDS Wealth Management’s business practices, services and fees, is available through the SEC’s website at: www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Please note, the information provided in this document is for informational purposes only and investors should determine for themselves whether a particular service or product is suitable for their investment needs. Please refer to the disclosure and offering documents for further information concerning specific products or services.

Nothing provided in this document constitutes tax advice. Individuals should seek the advice of their own tax adviser specific information regarding tax consequences of investments. Investments in securities entail risk and are not suitable for all investors. This site is not a recommendation nor an offer to sell (or solicitation of an offer to buy) securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

This document may contain forward-looking statements relating to the objectives, opportunities, and the future performance of the U.S. market generally. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of such words as; “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “planned,” “estimated,” “potential” and other similar terms. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, estimates with respect to financial condition, results of operations, and success or lack of success of any particular investment strategy. All are subject to various factors, including, but not limited to general and local economic conditions, changing levels of competition within certain industries and markets, changes in interest rates, changes in legislation or regulation, and other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technological factors affecting a portfolio’s operations that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Such statements are forward-looking in nature and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or examples. None of GDS Wealth Management or any of its affiliates or principals nor any other individual or entity assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, subsequent events or any other circumstances. All statements made herein speak only as of the date they were made.

Citations

  • 1. U.S. News and World Report, September 1, 2022
  • 2. irs.gov, November 23, 2021
  • 3. irs.gov, September 6, 2022

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