The window for many tax-saving opportunities closes on December 31st. It’s important to evaluate your tax situation, while there’s still time to affect your bottom line for the 2021 tax year. Your specific circumstances should be considered, so please reach out if you have any questions about 2021 Year-End Tax Planning.

Charitable Contributions

There are a few ways to save some tax dollars when making charitable donations.

In 2021, taxpayers can deduct $300 (or $600 for married filing jointly) above-the-line for cash contributions to a qualified charitable organization.

Alternatively, those over age 70.5 can also make gifts directly to qualified charitable organizations from their IRA accounts. This way the IRA distribution is not taxable and does not increase your income. This can also be used to fulfil a required minimum distribution.

Other ways of giving include gifting appreciated securities directly from your taxable accounts.

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

RMDs were not required in 2020 but ARE required in 2021. Those over age 72 with IRA accounts or qualified retirement plans must take a distribution by December 31st or April 1st if they turned 72 this year.

Timing is Everything

Consider any opportunities you have to defer income to 2022. For example, you may be able to defer a year-end bonus, or delay the collection of business debts, rents, and payments for services. Doing so may allow you to postpone paying tax on the income until next year. If there is a chance that you will be in a lower income tax bracket next year, deferring income could mean paying less tax on the income as well.

Similarly, consider ways to accelerate deductions into 2021. If you itemize deductions, you might accelerate some deductible expenses like medical expenses, qualifying interest, or state and local taxes by making payments before year-end. Or you might consider making next year’s charitable contribution this year instead.

Sometimes, however, it may make sense to take the opposite approach — accelerating income into 2021 and postponing deductible expenses to 2022. That might be the case, for example, if you can project that you will be in a higher tax bracket in 2022; paying taxes this year instead of next might be outweighed by the fact that the income would be taxed at a higher rate next year.

IRAs and Retirement Plans

Take full advantage of tax-advantaged retirement savings vehicles. Traditional IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k) plans allow you to contribute funds on a deductible (if you qualify) or pre-tax basis, reducing your 2021 taxable income. Contributions to a Roth IRA (assuming you meet the income requirements) or a Roth 401(k) aren’t deductible or made with pre-tax dollars, so there’s no tax benefit for 2021. But qualified Roth distributions are completely free from federal income tax, which can make these retirement savings vehicles appealing.

For 2021, you can contribute up to $19,500 to a 401(k) plan ($26,000 if you’re age 50 or older) and up to $6,000 to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA ($7,000 if you’re age 50 or older). The window to make 2021 contributions to an employer plan typically closes at the end of the year, while you generally have until the April tax return filing deadline to make 2021 IRA contributions.

Roth Conversions

Year-end is a good time to evaluate whether it makes sense to convert a tax-deferred savings vehicle like a traditional IRA or a 401(k) account to a Roth account. When you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, or a traditional 401(k) account to a Roth 401(k) account, the converted funds are generally subject to federal income tax in the year that you make the conversion (except to the extent that the funds represent nondeductible after-tax contributions).

If a Roth conversion does make sense, you will want to give some thought to the timing of the conversion. For example, if you believe that you’ll be in a better tax situation this year than next (e.g., you would pay tax on the converted funds at a lower rate this year), you might think about acting now rather than waiting. (Whether a Roth conversion is appropriate for you depends on many factors, including your current and projected future income tax rates.)

2021 Deadlines

All end-of-year tax planning activities should be submitted by December 3, 2021 to ensure they are honored. Activities after December 3, 2021 will be honored on a best-efforts basis. We will make every effort ensure that requests submitted in 2021 are processed as quickly as possible.

Talk To a Professional

When it comes to year-end tax planning, there’s always a lot to think about. A tax professional can help you evaluate your situation, keep you apprised of any legislative changes, and determine whether any year-end moves make sense for you.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors, PLLC (“LRIA”), is an SEC registered investment adviser located in the State of Washington. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For information pertaining to the registration status of LRIA, please contact LRIA or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov).Thisis provided for general information only and contains information that is not suitable for everyone. As such, nothing herein should be construed as the provision of specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances.

To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances.

These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable — we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.