TAX CREDIT FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS! THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO HELP COVER THE COSTS!

If you adopted a child in 2011, you could be eligible for up to $13,360 to cover the costs!

The Federal Affordable Care Act’s Adoption Tax Credit has recently been expanded to help adoptive parents cover the costs of adopting a child. This is great news for adoptive parents as the amount of the credit has been raised and the credit has been made refundable. This means that, even if your tax liability is zero, you can still receive the money you qualify for as a check sent to your mailbox!

Under the Credit’s guidelines, a parent(s) who adopted a child during 2011 is eligible to receive a refund on qualifying expenses relating to the legal process of adoption. These expenses could include the costs of paying for a lawyer, court costs, expenses related to travel, and, of course, the adoption fees themselves. To qualify, the child must be under 18 years of age, or mentally or physically unable to care for themselves. For 2012, you can still claim the credit, it just is no longer refundable.

If you welcomed a new member into your family in the past year, then just think of how many diapers $13,360 can buy!

VETERANS – LISTEN UP! BUSINESSES WANT YOU!

On November 21, 2011, a new law was enacted that creates employment incentives designed to get unemployed veterans back to work after their service.  This should create a much smoother transition for vets to getting back into the workplace and give the businesses that hire them an incentive to do so.  Veterans’ experience can prove to be invaluable in private enterprise and combined with this new law, will give businesses an even greater advantage when employing a vet.

The law provides for a “Returning Heroes Tax Credit” for businesses hiring unemployed veterans.  The tax credit provides:

• $2,400 maximum for vets unemployed for at least one month
• $5,600 maximum for vets unemployed for at least six months

The law retains the “Work Opportunity Credit” providing:

• Maximum credit of $4,800 for hiring unemployed veterans with service-related disabilities

Lastly, the law creates a “Wounded Warrior Tax Credit” providing:

• Maximum of $9,600 for hiring vets who have service-related disabilities and who have been unemployed for longer than six months

Get those resumes ready!

Inflation = Increased Tax Benefits? Yes for 2012!

Today’s economy sometimes makes us feel like the flower in the picture, which leaves us asking is there any benefit from the situation. Well I do have good news amongst all the bull (referring to the picture of course). Uncle Sam is increasing various tax breaks effective for the 2012 tax year including:

Each personal and dependent exemption will be $3,800, which is up $100 from this year.

The new standard deduction is $11,900 for married couples filing jointly, $5,950 for single individuals and those couples that are filing separate, and $8,700 for people filing as head of household. These increased by various amounts as much as $300 from this year.

Tax-bracket thresholds have increased for each filing status. This essentially means that more of the money you make will be taxed at more favorable rates. Most will not notice a huge difference in overall tax savings, but everything helps.

Additionally, many other deductions and credits have been adjusted for inflation as well. Among these is the Earned Income Credit which will increase by various amounts depending on filing status and amount of dependents claimed. The foreign income deduction, income thresholds for education benefits, and medical savings account deductible amounts will all rise slightly in 2012 just to mention a few. At least in these inflationary times we will see some benefit; however slight it might be in the overall picture!