The federal tax on transfers of wealth from estates has been with us since the passage of the Revenue Act of 1916, although there were similar temporary levies around the time of the Spanish-American War. This tax came to an end, albeit temporarily, on December 31, 2009.
Every year, many investors find themselves “buying a distribution” and incurring liabilities that could have been avoided or at least deferred.
Tax law requires that realized gains in a portfolio be distributed at least annually, typically in December. If you’re about to buy, it pays to check the next distribution “record date” prior to making a purchase.
We’re coming to the close of 2009. It’s been an eventful year, a year of change, and over the next few weeks you’ll be seeing a lot of articles putting it all in perspective.
It’s also the close of the tax year, and year-end planning should be commanding some of your attention. One of the few tools not blunted by this soured economy is tax-loss harvesting—a strategy that can shelter income and reduce portfolio risk. And one might say this has been a banner year for tax losses.
Ben Franklin definitely had it right when he said that nothing is certain except death and taxes. And you can be sure that as we get closer to the end of the year, we’ll hear lots of discussions on tax planning.
Usually, we read about potential tax legislation along with warnings to avoid making any major financial decisions until the ink is dry. But is this time different? As Laura Saunders stated succinctly in a recent Wall Street Journal article, “tax increases are coming.”
This comment on Steve Utkus’ recent post about retirement struck a major chord with me:
“Our children’s incomes are not increasing, and they have their own children to support, let alone saving for their own retirement. No one is to blame or is being stingy; we simply must plan for and take charge of our own later years.”
