Insights
Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010
On December 16, 2010, Congress passed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. President Obama signed the Bill on December 17. This legislation, negotiated by the White House and select members of the House and Senate, provides for a short-term extension of tax cuts made in 2001. It also addresses the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Estate, Gift and Generation-skipping Transfer taxes.
Alliant Wealth Advisors has prepared the following highlights to provide you with key information from the bill. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 703-878-9050.
HIGHLIGHTS
Two-year extension of all current tax rates through 2012
- Rates remain 10, 25, 28, 33, and 35 percent
- 2-year extension of reduced 0 or 15 percent rate for capital gains & dividends
- 2-year continued repeal of Personal Exemption Phase-out (PEP) & itemized deduction limitation (Pease)
Temporary modification of Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax for 2010, 2011, 2012
- Reunification of estate and gift taxes
- 35% top rate and $5 million exemption for estate, gift and GST
- Alternatively, taxpayer may choose modified carryover basis for 2010
- Unused exemption may be transferred to spouse
- Exemption amount indexed for inflation in 2012
AMT Patch for 2010 and 2011
- Increases the exemption amounts for 2010 to $47,450 ($72,450 married filing jointly) and for 2011 to $48,450 ($74,450 married filing jointly). It also allows the nonrefundable personal credits against the AMT.
Extension of “tax extenders” for 2010 and 2011, including:
- Tax-free distributions of up to $100,000 from individual retirement plans for charitable purposes
- Above-the-line deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses
- Expanded Coverdell Accounts and definition of education expenses
- American Opportunity Tax Credit for tuition expenses of up to $2,500
- Deduction of state and local general sales taxes
- 30-percent credit for energy-efficiency improvements to the home (IRC section 25C)
- Exclusion of qualified small business capital gains (IRC§1202)
Temporary Employee Payroll Tax Cut
Provides a payroll tax holiday during 2011 of two percentage points. Employees will pay only 4.2 percent on wages and self-employed individuals will pay only 10.4 percent on self-employment income up to $106,800.
