McCarther & Associates

FSA Grace Period or $500 Carryover Did You Know? If you are having difficulty using up the funds in your medical flexible spending account (FSA) before the end of the year, your employer might offer you relief from the use it or lose it rule through a grace period or carryover. Under IRS regulations, employers that offer FSA plans can offer one (not both) of the following options for unused FSA funds:... A 2.5-month grace period, which means you will have until March 15, 2019 to use up your 2018 FSA funds. OR A carryover of up to $500 of your 2018 FSA funds into your 2019 FSA. The carried over amount will not count toward your maximum allowed contribution for 2019, and can be spent anytime during 2019. Although the law does not require employers to offer either option, most employers do offer one or the other. Check with your employer's benefits expert to find out if an FSA grace period or carryover is available to you.

2019 Mileage Rate Increase Starting on Jan. 1, 2019, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: - 58 cents for every mile of business travel driven, an increase of 3.5 cents from the rate for 2018.... - 20 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, an increase of 2 cents from the rate for 2018. - 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations. You also have the option of calculating the actual costs of using your vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

FINAL NOTICE: Healthcare Open Enrollment Deadline 12/15 This week is the last week to register for the HealthCare.gov open enrollment period with the deadline being Saturday, December 15th, 2018. Once the Open Enrollment period is over, you will only be able to enroll if there's a qualifying life event for the Special Enrollment Period. Enrollment can be done at https://Healthcare.gov, and a simple checklist of documents you'll need can be found here: https://marketplace.cms.gov//marketplace-application-check.

Reporting ACA Changes - Did You Know? The open enrollment period for 2019 health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is from November 1, 2018 to December 15, 2018. Even if you're keeping a current insurance plan that you purchased through the Exchange in your state, you should still report major life changes to the Exchange. Changes that should be reported include: - Increase or decrease in family size, including children turning 26 so they can no longer be covered ...on your health insurance plan - Change in tax filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately) - Change in income, including an expected increase or decrease in 2019 - Change of address (If you moved to a different state, you will need to re-apply for coverage.) - Anyone in your household gaining or losing access to health insurance plans offered by an employer (whether or not they signed up for one of those plans) You should also report these and similar changes to your state Exchange if they occur at any time during 2019. Any changes reported may affect the amount of your Advanced Premium Tax Credit (APTC), and therefore the monthly insurance premiums. Not reporting life changes may result in losing your eligibility for the APTC.

Giving Tuesday and Charitable Donations - Did You Know? Giving Tuesday is an annual event that highlights charitable giving after Thanksgiving. If you are considering charitable donations, you may be able to donate to a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) every two or three years instead of every year. This may qualify you to receive tax benefits now, allow the amount to grow tax-free, and the decision on which qualified charity to fund can be made later.... If you are 70.5 years or older, you may be able to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA this year, and this may satisfy all or part of the required minimum distribution (RMD) each year. The IRS has released a tool to make it easier to get information about qualified charitable organizations. The Exempt Organizations Select Check tool can be found at: https://www.irs.gov/charitie/tax-exempt-organization-search.

IRA Phase-Outs - Did You Know? If you or your spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan, the IRS has increased the phase-out ranges for making contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs): - Single: $64,000-$74,000 from $63,000-$73,000... - Married filing jointly (with one spouse making the contribution and covered by a workplace retirement plan): $103,000-$123,000 from $101,000-$121,000 See more

Saver's Credit Income Limits - Did You Know? The IRS has increased the income limit for the Saver's Credit for tax year 2019 (also known as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit): - Single and married individuals filing separately: $32,000 from $31,500... - Married couples filing jointly: $64,000 from $63,000 - Heads of households: $48,000 from $47,250 See more

401(k) and IRA Contribution Limits - Did You Know? The IRS has announced cost-of-living adjustments that increase the contribution limits for 2019. The limit for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans as well as the Thrift Savings Plan is increased from $18,500 to $19,000. For IRAs and Roth IRAs, the limit on annual contributions is increased from $5,500 to $6,000. If you are aged 50 or older, the catch-up contribution limit remained at $1,000 meaning you may now be able to contribute up to $7,000.

2019 Healthcare Open Enrollment Starts Today The 2019 Open Enrollment period for Marketplace health insurance starts today, November 1, 2018, and ends December 15, 2018. Plans will start January 1, 2019. Once the Open Enrollment period is over, you will only be able to enroll if there's a qualifying life event for the Special Enrollment Period.... Enrollment can be done at https://Healthcare.gov, and a simple checklist of documents you'll need can be found here: https://marketplace.cms.gov//marketplace-application-check.

2019 Healthcare Open Enrollment - Did You Know? The 2019 open enrollment period for Marketplace health insurance starts on November 1, 2018, and ends December 15, 2018. Plans will start January 1, 2019. Enrollment can be done at https://Healthcare.gov, and a simple checklist of documents you'll need can be found here: https://marketplace.cms.gov//marketplace-application-check.

2018 Personal Exemptions Did You Know? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 nearly doubled the standard deduction for most taxpayers, but eliminated personal exemptions for yourself, your spouse, and/or your dependents for at least the years 2018 through 2025. The higher standard deduction may or may not make up for the loss of personal and dependent exemptions.... We recommend scheduling an appointment to go over your specific situation.

Six Month Filing Extension Deadlines If you requested an extra six-month extension in April to file your 2017 personal income tax return, that deadline to file is coming up on Monday, October 15th. If you are an employer that makes contributions into employee Simplified Employee Pension IRA accounts, October 15th is also the six-month extension deadline to make those deposits.

HSA Accounts - Did You Know? Health savings accounts or HSAs are often referred to as another form of retirement plan for those with access to them. An HSA is a medical savings account that may offer triple tax advantages. Contributions are pre-tax, the money can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for qualified medical and related expenses and any interest earned is tax-free as well. For those who can afford to allow their HSA to accumulate for retirement, they can be used to pay f...or Medicare premiums and other healthcare costs in retirement as unused funds can be carried over year-to-year. If you are over age 65, withdrawals for non-qualified expenses can be made without penalty, but subject to taxes just like an IRA An HSA can only be opened in connection with a high deductible health insurance plan as defined by the IRS. Contribution limits for 2018 are $3,450 for single people and $6,900 (this was reduced to $6,850 in March but has since been restored) for families, with an extra $1,000 for anyone age 55 or over.