With the tip of 2022 quick approaching, year-end monetary planning conversations with shoppers are probably already beginning to take form. It’s been a 12 months of fascinating developments—from pandemic-related aid that has come and gone to the emergence of recent packages round scholar mortgage debt—and shoppers shall be seeking to you to assist navigate these modifications. Having this guidelines in your again pocket could make your planning conversations with shoppers extra productive and assist them keep on monitor.
1. Improve Retirement Contributions to the Max

Office accounts. Encourage shoppers to contemplate maximizing contributions to their office plans and to take full benefit of any employer match profit. For 2022, the utmost worker deferral for 401(ok), 403(b), and 457 accounts is $20,500, and people ages 50 and older can defer an extra catch-up contribution of $6,500. For SIMPLE IRAs, the deferral stays $14,000 and the catch-up is $3,000.
Conventional IRAs. Maxing out contributions to a conventional IRA is an alternative choice. For 2022, the contribution restrict is $6,000 or 100% of earned revenue, whichever is much less, with a $1,000 catch-up for shoppers ages 50 and older. Modified adjusted gross revenue (MAGI) limits for contributions to conventional and Roth IRAs elevated in 2022, so remember to evaluate MAGI eligibility thresholds.
2. Spend FSA {Dollars} and Contribute to HSAs

If permitted below an employer’s plan, a person can carry over unused well being versatile spending account (FSA) quantities, with a most carryover quantity of $570. Though the rollover possibility applies to the employer’s plan 12 months quite than the calendar 12 months, this year-end evaluation is an effective reminder to ensure your shoppers are on monitor. As well as, shoppers with dependent care FSAs can save as a lot as $5,000 (household restrict) or $2,500 (married submitting individually) in 2022.
Now can be a good time to debate most well being financial savings account (HSA) contributions with shoppers who’ve high-deductible well being plans (HDHPs). Though this generally is a pretty advanced planning space, usually, right here’s how HSA limits work: In 2022, the utmost contribution for a person HSA is $3,650, and the utmost for a household HDHP is $7,300.
Plus, shoppers ages 55 and older can contribute an extra $1,000. Don’t neglect to debate prorated vs. “final month rule” contributions for shoppers who had an HDHP for a part of 2022.
3. Assess Marginal and Capital Good points Tax Issues

Shoppers on the edge of a tax bracket could possibly put themselves within the decrease one by deferring some revenue to 2023. Listed below are just a few thresholds to remember:
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37 % marginal tax fee: Taxable incomes exceeding $539,900 (particular person), $647,850 (married submitting collectively), $539,900 (head of family), and $323,925 (married submitting individually)
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20 % capital beneficial properties tax fee: Taxable incomes exceeding $459,750 (particular person), $517,200 (married submitting collectively), $488,500 (head of family), and $258,600 (married submitting individually)
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Further Medicare tax: For shoppers with W-2 or self-employed revenue above sure MAGI thresholds, complete Medicare taxes shall be 2.35 % and three.8 %, respectively
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3.8 % surtax on funding revenue: The lesser of web funding revenue or the surplus of MAGI higher than $200,000 (particular person), $250,000 (married submitting collectively), $200,000 (head of family), and $125,000 (married submitting individually)
4. Assessment and Rebalance Portfolios

Yr-end monetary planning ought to embody a evaluate of capital beneficial properties and losses to your shoppers and an evaluation of whether or not it’s time to rebalance consumer portfolios. This course of could reveal tax planning alternatives, equivalent to harvesting losses to offset capital beneficial properties.
5. Faucet into the Tax Advantages of Charitable Giving

Charitable contributions donated on to a professional charity or a donor-advised fund might help obtain a federal tax deduction. Bear in mind, nonetheless, that this technique will solely be useful if itemizing deductions. So, it’s worthwhile for shoppers to debate with their tax professionals if their charitable contributions, along with different deductions, will surpass their commonplace deduction.
Deductions on contributions to donor-advised funds are capped at 60 % of AGI for money and 30 % of AGI for long-term appreciated securities.
Certified charitable distribution (QCD) guidelines haven’t modified, so shoppers older than 70½ could make a QCD of as much as $100,000 on to a charity; married joint filers could exclude as much as $100,000 donated from every partner’s IRA. Additional, a QCD might be useful from a tax perspective, because it reduces taxable revenue whereas additionally satisfying the RMD requirement.
6. Put together a Technique for Inventory Choices

Different minimal tax (AMT) exemption limits elevated in 2022 to $75,900 for single tax filers and $118,100 for married joint filers. Relying on AMT projections, shoppers could wish to wait till January 2023 to train incentive inventory choices.
7. Plan for Estimated Taxes and RMDs

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A retiree’s first RMD should be accomplished by April 1 of the 12 months after they flip 72. After the primary 12 months, they need to fulfill their annual RMD distribution by December 31 for each ensuing 12 months. If a taxpayer chooses to delay the primary RMD till April 1, they might want to take one other RMD earlier than year-end (i.e., basically two RMDs in that first 12 months, in the event that they delay).
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Shoppers who could also be topic to an estimated tax penalty can request that employers (by way of Type W-4) regulate their withholding to cowl shortfalls. The IRS tax withholding estimator generally is a priceless useful resource right here. They may additionally discover utilizing Type 1040-ES to make their estimated quarterly funds for revenue that’s not topic to withholding.
8. Get Able to Repay Pupil Loans

Pupil mortgage funds are set to restart on the graduation of 2023. Below the Biden administration’s one-time scholar mortgage debt aid plan, funds can be decreased to five % of discretionary revenue for many undergraduate loans. Extra info on this plan shall be introduced within the coming days and weeks. To get the newest, your shoppers can seek the advice of this beneficial truth sheet and join updates on the U.S. Division of Schooling web site.
9. Consider Property Plans

It’s at all times a good suggestion to evaluate property plans as a part of year-end monetary planning. Relying on a consumer’s web value, establishing a faulty grantor belief, spousal lifetime entry belief, or irrevocable life insurance coverage belief could also be an efficient technique to cut back property tax publicity.
When you evaluate a consumer’s property plan, remember to replace beneficiary designations and evaluate trustee appointments, energy of lawyer provisions, and well being care directives.
Be a Trusted Useful resource and Information
Though this year-end monetary planning guidelines covers loads of floor, it’s supposed to function a springboard to your planning conversations with shoppers.
You’ll have an excellent start line to speak by high-level points and deadlines which are most related to them and have the chance to succeed in out proactively—and supply to collaborate with—CPAs, attorneys, and different professionals they work with. These planning conversations are simply one of many many alternatives you must display the worth you ship and deepen your consumer relationships.
After all, it’s probably that many consumers could have extra difficult points to contemplate. Find out how having a crew of consultants at your fingertips might be a sport changer to your apply and your shoppers.
Commonwealth Monetary Community® doesn’t present authorized or tax recommendation. It is best to seek the advice of a authorized or tax skilled relating to your particular person scenario. Third-party hyperlinks are supplied to you as a courtesy and are for informational functions solely. We make no illustration as to the completeness or accuracy of knowledge supplied at these web sites.
Editor’s Observe: This publish was initially revealed in October 2021, however we’ve up to date it to carry you extra related and well timed info.