Returning Value Blog

Although the government has chipped away at some of the biggest tax shelters for individuals, at least one solid foundation is still standing: your home. During the period when you own a home, it can be a source of valuable tax deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes. Even better, if you sell the home at a huge profit, you may be able to pocket all or most of the gain from the sale—tax-free.

Whether it is a beach house, a cabin in the woods or some other place, a vacation home can be a valuable source of tax breaks, as well as rest and relaxation. For example, you can deduct property taxes along with your mortgage interest (assuming the combined acquisition debt of your main home and vacation home does not exceed $1 million).

Hypothetical situation: You decide to rent out your vacation home this upcoming summer when your family is not using it. The rental income you will receive can offset some of the costs of ownership. Of course, this income is taxable, but you may claim offsetting deductions for a portion of your expenses.

What to Look For

If you’re the owner of a profitable operating business selling into foreign countries, and most of your production costs are in the U.S., you may have an opportunity to gain considerable tax savings.

The Opportunity

Since the passage of the Jobs Act of 2004, any U.S. company that directly exports goods it manufactures here may create an Interest Charge (IC) Domestic International Sales Corporation (DISC), or IC-DISC, to act as the “selling agent” for your operating business. What does this mean? An IC-DISC is an underutilized tax incentive that is “the bucket of money in the parking lot.”

If you are expecting an income tax refund from the Alabama Department of Revenue, be aware that you may receive a letter in the mail asking you to go online to confirm your identity. This letter is legitimate and must be responded to in 30 days or, according to the letter, your refund will be denied.

Enhancement limit for 2014, reduction for 2015

For small-business owners who frequently buy new equipment and other assets for their business activities, the new tax law enacted at the end of 2014—the Tax Increase Prevention Act (TIPA)—provides a temporary reprieve. Signed on December 19, 2014, TIPA extended a Section 179 deduction retroactive to January 1, 2014. But this provision expired—again—on December 31, 2014. As things now stand, the maximum deduction will fall precipitously in 2015 unless Congress takes further action.