A Health Savings Account (HAS) coupled with a high-deductible health plan can be a powerful tool for funding medical expenses on a tax-advantaged basis. For 2022, individuals with self-only coverage can make tax-deductible contributions to an HAS of up to $3,650 ($7,300 for family coverage). These limits are increased by $1,000 for individuals aged 55 [...]
The term “sandwich generation” was originally coined to describe baby boomers caught between caring for their aging parents and their children. These days the term applies to whichever generation is grappling with the problem. If you’re in the middle of the sandwich, it may be time for some honest discussions with the other parties about [...]
Even though COVID-19 remains a concern, many people have started traveling again – and are planning to take trips during the holiday season. Unfortunately, as travel demand has increased, so has travel-related fraud. For example, some fraud perpetrators posing as airline employees call would-be victims to try to elicit credit card numbers. Other scam, [...]
With the holidays and year-end approaching, you might be considering making gifts of stock or cash to family members and loved ones. By using your annual exclusion, those gifts-within generous limits-can reduce the size of your taxable estate. For 2022, the annual gift exclusion is $16,000. This covers gifts you make to each recipient [...]
A check kiting scheme relies on “float” time, which is the period between when a check is deposited and when the bank collects the funds on the check. Some banks accept check deposits and release funds immediately, in the interest of good customer service. That’s similar to providing accountholders with interest-free loans. In recent years, [...]
It’s difficult enough to divide a marital estate. But when a divorcing spouse owns a private business and attempts to artificially deflate its profits or hide assets, it may be time to engage a forensic accountant to investigate. WHAT TO ASK When working on divorce cases, fraud experts ask several questions about private business [...]