A strong financial portfolio results from smart planning, intelligent investing, and clever saving strategies. Though paying taxes is the rule of the land, a tax audit on your business will identify efficient ways to minimize them so you can reduce your tax burden. That’s where tax planning comes into the picture, helping you reduce the liability of taxes, so you can invest your tax savings in smart ways that will build your wealth.
Tax planning is not rocket science; knowing the basics of the taxation system can help you make smart tax decisions. Keep reading as we simplify tax planning, explaining context key concepts surrounding the rules of taxation.
Decoding Tax Planning
Tax planning is all about analyzing your finances with regard to the amount of taxes you’re obliged to pay. You then figure out the best possible ways to minimize your tax amount in a legally acceptable manner. Use online tools such as https://taxfyle.com/small-business-tax-calculator to know how much taxes you’re liable to pay depending on your income, purchases, expenditures, the timing of income, etc.
It’s essential to know the federal tax bracket you fall under as the first step towards tax planning. In the United States, people with higher incomes pay higher taxes. Once you calculate your taxes, it’s time to scour through investment plans and retirement accounts that will reduce your tax amount, while helping you build a secure fund for post-retirement expenses.
Key Concepts to Keep in Mind
When filing taxes, it’s important to understand the meaning of common terms such as tax deductions and tax credits. Understanding the basics helps you figure out how to reduce the amount of taxes you pay.
Tax deductions are expenses incurred that are not subject to taxation. You simply subtract those expenditures from your income, which lowers your taxable amount. Examples of tax deductions include interest paid on student title loans, charitable donations, mortgage interest you pay for your home, etc.
Tax credits are more effective at reducing taxes since they offer dollar-on-dollar credit, bringing down your actual tax bill by a significant amount. Common examples of tax credits include childcare and dependent care credit, child tax credit, 30% credit for installation of solar energy panels in residential homes, and more.
Standard Deductions vs. Itemized Deductions
Standard deductions are a convenient way of filing your taxes, where you pay the set amount as stipulated for your income bracket, with standard deductions applicable depending on your filing status. Itemizing is a more effective way of filing your taxes, where you consider each tax deduction you qualify for, one at a time. Itemizing deductions help you factor in custom deductions such as your mortgage interest, property taxes, etc. which easily surpass standard deductions. Though itemizing is a time-consuming way to prepare your taxes, it saves you more money.
With the help of good tax software or an expert tax advisor, it’s possible to file your taxes efficiently, so you can know what deductions you’re eligible for. Saving on taxes can help channel that amount towards smart investment decisions that will expand your financial portfolio, creating wealth and prosperity in years to come.
