12/04/2020
Covid-19 has created a wide range of economic business and individual impacts on a our Nation. As a result there are many changes in the tax laws that may affect your 2020 filing relative to Covid-19.
The Cares Act make some of the following changes:
Economic Impact Payments received by individuals and families is not taxable. It will not be added to your 2020 income or any other year.
The payments were as follows:
$1,200.00 for single filers. $2,400.00 for Married filing jointly. Also you were entitled to receive $500.00 per child listed on your tax return
Charitable Contributions of $300.00 is now available above the line for taxpayers who do not itemize.
Itemized deductions. If you itemize you can now only deduct up to $10,000 single and $5,000 for married filing separately for state and local real estate and income taxes. However, you can deduct mortgage interest up to a million dollars
Affordable Care Act. Taxpayers without health insurance will be faced with a penalty of up to 2.5% of the households adjusted gross income( AGI) for failure to maintain health insurance coverage.
College Tuition. There will be an above-the-line deduction of up to $4,000.00 you paid to a qualified College Institution
Cancellation of Debt. The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS)considers cancelled debt for default on credit cards car loans and the like treats the amount of the default as income and must be reported on your tax return as income accordingly. However, mortgage defaults are exempt.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA'S) . You will still be able to deduct contributions to a traditional IRA under certain conditions, If you take a distribution from an IRA or 401k before the age 59 and 1/2 you will be assessed a 10% penalty by the IRS on the amount you withdraw. However, you are age 55 and lost your job got laid off or fired or out of work you'll be allowed to pull money out of your 401k from your former employer without the imposition of the penalty
New Forms for Senior citizens.
Form 1040SR is available as an optional alternative to Form 1040. It makes it easy for taxpayers who are 65 and older.