Single taxpayers should plan these moves throughout the year to reduce taxable income and increase tax deductions. Here are the areas where you should look for tax savings:
Work
Give yourself a raise.
If you got a big tax refund this year, it meant that you're having too much tax taken out of your paycheck every payday. Filing a new W-4 form with your employer (talk to your payroll office) will insure that you get more of your money when you earn it. If you're just average, you deserve about $225 a month extra.
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Go for a health tax break.
Be aggressive if your employer offers a medical reimbursement account — sometimes called a flex plan. These plans let you divert part of your salary to an account which you can then tap to pay medical bills. The advantage? You avoid both income and Social Security tax on the money, and that can save you 20% to 35% or more compared with spending after-tax money. The maximum you can contribute to a health care flex plan is $2,500.
Switch to a Roth 401(k).
But if you are concerned about skyrocketing taxes in the future, or if you just want to diversify your taxable income in retirement, considering shifting some or all of your retirement plan contributions to a Roth 401(k) if your employer offers one. Unlike the regular 401(k), you don't get a tax break when your money goes into a Roth. On the other hand, money coming out of a Roth 401(k) in retirement will be tax-free, while cash coming out of a regular 401(k) will be taxed in your top bracket. Just remember that you'll have to pay income taxes on the amount you convert.
Tally job-hunting expenses.
If you count yourself among the millions of Americans who are unemployed, make sure you keep track of your job-hunting costs. As long as you're looking for a new position in the same line of work (your first job doesn't qualify), you can deduct job-hunting costs including travel expenses such as the cost of food, lodging and transportation, if your search takes you away from home overnight. Such costs are miscellaneous expenses, deductible to the extent all such costs exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income.
Keep track of the cost of moving to a new job.
If the new job is at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job was, you can deduct the cost of the move even if you don't itemize expenses. If it's your first job, the mileage test is met if the new job is at least 50 miles away from your old home. You can deduct the cost of moving yourself and your belongings. If you drive your own car, you can deduct 23.5 cents per mile for a 2014 move, plus parking and tolls.
Pay tax sooner than later on restricted stock.
If you receive restricted stock as a fringe benefit, consider making what's called an 83(b) election. That lets you pay tax immediately on the value of the stock rather than waiting until the restrictions disappear when the stock "vests." Why pay tax sooner rather than later? Because you pay tax on the value at the time you get the stock, which could be far less than the value at the time it vests. Tax on any appreciation that occurs in between then qualifies for favorable capital gains treatment. Don't dally: You only have 30 days after receiving the stock to make the election.
Pay back a 401(k) loan before leaving a job.
Failing to do so means the loan amount will be considered a distribution that will be taxed in your top bracket and, if you're younger than 55 in the year you leave the job, hit with a 10% penalty, too.
Ask your boss to pay for you to improve yourself.
Companies can offer employees up to $5,250 of an educational assistance tax free each year. That means the boss pays the bills but the amount doesn't show up as part of your salary on your W-2. The courses don't even have to be job related and even graduate-level courses qualify.
Home
Use a Roth to save for your first home.
Sure, the “R” in IRA stands for retirement, but a Roth IRA can be a powerful tool when you're saving for your first home. All contributions can come out of a Roth at any time, tax- and penalty-free. And, after the account has been opened for five years, up to $10,000 of earnings can be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free for the purchase of your first home. Assume $5,000 goes into a Roth each year for five years, and the account earns an average of 8% a year. At the end of five years, the Roth would hold about $31,680 — all of which could be withdrawn tax- and penalty-free for a down payment.
College and Other Expenses
Let Uncle Sam pay part of your education expenses.
If you're paying your own tuition for a graduate course or other training, you may qualify for a Lifetime Learning Credit that's worth 20% of up to $10,000 of qualifying expenses. That could knock as much as $2,000 of your tax bill. The right to claim this tax saver phases out if your income exceeds $50,000 on a single return or $100,000 on a joint return.
Deduct expenses even if you don't itemize.
Taxpayers who claim the standard deduction often complain that itemizers get the better deal. But that's not true. The only reason to use the no-questions-asked standard deduction is if it's bigger than the total you could deduct if you itemized. And, you can deduct a lot of things even if you don't itemize, including student loan interest, job-related moving expenses, costs incurred by reservists and performing artists and contributions to health savings accounts and IRAs.
Deduct interest paid by mom and dad.
When parents make payments on a child's student loan, the child can claim a tax deduction for the interest, as long as the parents can't claim him or her as a dependent, even if he or she doesn't itemize.
Family Planning
Time your wedding.
If you're planning a wedding near year-end, put the romance aside for a moment to consider the tax consequences. The tax law still includes a "marriage penalty" that forces some pairs to pay more combined tax as a married couple than as singles. For others, tying the knot saves on taxes. Consider whether Uncle Sam would prefer a December or January ceremony.
Marry your withholding, too.
Tying the knot means a lot to your Uncle Sam, too. Before the wedding, spouses-to-be should get a W-4 form and figure how to arrange withholding from your paychecks to match your new tax status.
Inheritance
Roll over an inherited 401(k).
A recent change in the rules allows a beneficiary of a 401(k) plan to roll over the account into an IRA and stretch payouts (and the tax bill on them) over his or her lifetime. This can be a tremendous advantage over the old rules that generally required such accounts be cashed out, and all taxes paid, within five years. To qualify for this break, you must be named as the beneficiary of the 401(k). If the account goes to the owner’s estate and then to you, the old five-year rule applies.
Investments and Retirement Savings
Check the calendar before you sell.
You must own an investment for more than one year for profit to qualify as a long-term gain and enjoy preferential tax rates. The "holding period" starts on the day after you buy a stock, mutual fund or other asset and ends on the day you sell it.
Don't buy a tax bill.
Before you invest in a mutual fund near the end of the year, check to see when the fund will distribute dividends. On that day, the value of shares will fall by the amount paid. Buy just before the payout and the dividend will effectively rebate part of your purchase price, but you'll owe tax on the amount. Buy after the payout, and you'll get a lower price, and no tax bill.
Make your IRA contributions sooner rather than later.
The sooner your money is in the account, the sooner it begins to earn tax-deferred or, if you use a Roth IRA, tax-free returns. Over a long career, this can make an enormous difference.
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