The American Families Plan hasn’t yet become law, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare for the changes that may be coming.
Video recap: https://youtu.be/DFVgJZPwEIc
In this episode we consider the planning opportunities that could arise with the changes in tax legislation. Our goal is to ensure that you have all the tools in your toolbox so that you can minimize your tax burden.
The current tax law comes from the Trump administration and dates back to 2017. Prior to the current tax cuts, the marginal tax rate for those making over $400,000 was 39%. The present marginal tax rate is 35% for married couples who earn $650,000 or more.
The American Families Plan essentially reverts the tax cuts back to the pre-2017 rates. Those most affected by the proposed tax plan are higher-income earners. The current administration sees the tax changes as a way for high-income earners to pay their fair share of taxes rather than burdening those at lower income rates.
If the American Families Plan passes and becomes law then the new income tax structure would go into effect in January of 2022 which doesn’t leave much time for tax planning.
In addition to the changes in marginal income tax rates and compressing the income brackets, there are proposed changes to the capital gains tax. The original capital gains tax plan had been to keep the capital gains tax at the income tax rate, but new changes to the legislation have dropped that rate to 25% for those who earn $400,000 or more.
Unlike the income tax plan, the capital gains tax proposal would take effect the day it was written which was in September of 2021. This leaves no time for advanced tax planning, however, Grayson Blazek offers plenty of ideas in this episode on how you can best prepare for any upcoming changes in the tax code.
The backdoor Roth has been a strategy that high-income earners have been able to utilize for years to continue to fund Roth IRAs. Under the new proposal, the backdoor Roth would disappear. Rather than lamenting the loss of this useful tax tool, a better outlook is to be thankful that you were able to implement it when you could. To ensure that you take full advantage of what could be the last year of the backdoor Roth, make sure to get all of your backdoor Roth contributions in by January 31, 2021.
The main way that this proposed legislation will affect families is by the extension of the expanded child tax credit. The American Rescue Plan increased the child tax credit up to $3000 per child and the American Families Plan would ensure the continuation of this credit. In addition, American families would continue to receive the benefit monthly as they have in the latter part of 2021.
Make sure to listen to the entire episode to hear the rest of the highlights of the proposed legislation. We want to keep you informed of all the potential effects of the changes in the tax code so that you can make careful decisions in your tax planning. If you have any questions regarding these changes or are looking for an advisor that stays on top of the latest in tax planning legislation, please reach out to us at FinancialSymmetry.com.