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Home Sweet Domicile – There’s More to State Residence Than a Driver’s License
Voter registration, a drivers license, and day counting are what come to mind when people think about residence for state income tax purposes. There is no question that those basics are very important and ignoring them can kill your cause. Nonetheless, many other factors can enter into a determination, including church attendance and pets. That’s because you will generally be a resident of the state in which you have your “domicile.” And domicile as a concept borders on the mystical. It is your true home, it remains your domicile until you abandon it and establish a new one.
Yet, establishing your domicile in a state with no (or low) income taxes can be lucrative. In some cases, this can represent millions of dollars all by avoiding state income tax. The natural progression of a business owner’s life can also include exiting said business at substantial profit. Your domicile at the time of the transaction can be pivotal in determining how much of that profit you’ll be left with in retirement.
To learn more about how to do this, keep reading.
Tax Planning – It’s Not Just For the Wealthy – Part 1
It’s hard to escape the news covering numerous methods high net-worth clients use to minimize their taxes. A ProPublica (June 8, 2021) headline trumpets, “The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax.”
CNBC (September 20, 2021) highlights, “The wealthy may avoid $163 billion in taxes every year. Here’s how they do it.” Even Teen Vogue dives into the topic.
If you’re a taxpayer of more modest means, you may think, Hey, what about me? I can’t afford the team of high-priced tax advisers or consider many of these tax reduction techniques. Are there ways I can minimize my taxes that are legal, easy to implement, and affordable? The answer is a resounding YES. And how do I qualify?
Read on for some tax planning tips that will work for you. Part One (of this two-part series) covers strategies to reduce your adjusted gross income.
You Are Not Eligible for the Employee Retention Credit: Vague “Suspensions” Lead to Trouble
Far too many of these Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims are nonsense. Now don’t get me wrong. I enjoy helping businesses claim the ERC. I have written in these pages about the unique ways a business may qualify and how to use startup eligibility even for existing employers. But let’s be honest: People are manipulating this program beyond belief. The refund dollars are too attractive and have created far too large an incentive for shops charging high commission fees (I have seen fees charged between 10 to 35 percent of the refund).
In the coming years, numerous aggressive ERC shops may contact you if they haven’t already. How do you know whether a claim is legitimate or nonsense? Here, we will review the most prevalent bad arguments to help you avoid trouble.