Tax Credit

Expanding your family? Whether you’re in the planning stages or your bundle of joy has already arrived, raising a child is one of life’s greatest joys — and biggest expenses — and we're not just talking about the costs of college.

Those dealing with income taxes only once a year when involved with their own personal tax return often have questions related to tax terminology. The following is a compilation of questions frequently asked by individuals:

What is Filing Status?

2023 brings with it a whole new set of rules related to qualifying for a tax credit for purchasing a used electric vehicle. This is the first time that used electric vehicles have qualified for a tax credit, and although considerably less than the credit for purchasing a new electric vehicle, it does provide an incentive for lower-income taxpayers to acquire an electric vehicle.

Congress has for years used the tax return to provide benefits to taxpayers in need and incentives to stimulate business activities and address environmental issues. So when COVID-19 hit, Congress and many state governments provided tax benefits to help citizens through the pandemic.

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 which is a scaled-back version of the prior Biden administration proposals originally included in the Build Back Better Act.

During much of 2020 and 2021, you may have qualified for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Lawmakers created this tax credit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the ERC, you found (or could find) tax credits of up to $26,000 per employee. That’s a lot. With 10 employees, that’s $260,000.

If you have been considering installing a solar electric system on your home and taking advantage of the lucrative federal tax credit, time is running out. Unless Congress extends the credit, it will no longer be available after 2023.

This could be another challenging tax season for the IRS and taxpayers. Although this year’s filing season opens on January 24, 2022 (i.e., it is the first day the IRS will accept and start processing 2021 returns), the Service still has a backlog of prior year returns to process and is plagued by staff shortages due to the pandemic and reduced funding in the last few years.

Early in 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act which included a provision that increased the child tax credit amount and upped the age limit of eligible children. Under ARPA, the maximum amount for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) was increased from $2,000 to $3,600 for each child 5 years old and under. For children ages 6 - 17, the maximum increased to $3,000.

Taxes are like vehicles in that they sometimes need a periodic check-up to make sure they are performing as expected, and if ignored, can cost you money. That is true of taxes as well, especially for 2021, as the pandemic benefits begin to wane and President Biden’s tax proposals loom.