Once you reach age 73, tax law requires you to begin taking withdrawals — called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) — from your traditional IRA, SIMPLE IRA and SEP IRA. Since funds can’t stay in these accounts indefinitely, it’s important to understand the rules behind RMDs, which can be pretty complex. Below, we address some common questions to help you navigate this process.

What are the tax implications if I want to withdraw money before retirement? 

If you need to take money out of a traditional IRA before age 59½, distributions are taxable, and you may be subject to a 10% penalty tax. However, there are several ways that you can avoid the 10% penalty tax (but not the regular income tax). They include using the money to pay:

• Qualified higher education expenses,
• Up to $10,000 of expenses if you’re a first-time homebuyer,
• Expenses after you become totally and permanently disabled,
• Expenses of up to $5,000 per child for qualified birth or adoption expenses, and
• Health insurance premiums while unemployed.

These are only some of the exceptions to the 10% tax allowed before age 59½. The IRS lists them all in this chart.

When am I required to take my first RMD?

For an IRA, you must take your first RMD by April 1 of the year following the year in which you turn 73, regardless of whether you’re still employed. The RMD age used to be 72 but the Secure 2.0 Act raised it to 73 starting in 2023.

How do I calculate my RMD?

The RMD for any year is the account balance as of the end of the immediately preceding calendar year divided by a distribution period from the IRS’s “Uniform Lifetime Table.” A separate table is used if the sole beneficiary is the owner’s spouse who’s 10 or more years younger than the owner.

How should I take my RMDs if I have multiple accounts?

If you have more than one IRA, you must calculate the RMD for each IRA separately each year. However, you may aggregate your RMD amounts for all of your IRAs and withdraw the total from one IRA or a portion from each of your IRAs. You don’t have to take a separate RMD from each IRA.

Can I withdraw more than the RMD?

Yes, you can always withdraw more than the RMD. But you can’t apply excess withdrawals toward future years’ RMDs.

In planning for RMDs, you should weigh your income needs against the ability to keep the tax shelter of the IRA going for as long as possible.

Can I take more than one withdrawal in a year to meet my RMD?

You may withdraw your annual RMD in any number of distributions throughout the year, as long as you withdraw the yearly total minimum amount by December 31 (or April 1 if it is for your first RMD).

What happens if I don’t take an RMD?

If the distributions to you in any year are less than the RMD for that year, you’ll be subject to an additional tax equal to 50% of the amount that should have been paid but wasn’t.

Plan carefully

Contact us to review your traditional IRAs and analyze other retirement planning aspects. We can also discuss who you should name as beneficiaries and whether you could benefit from a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs are retirement savings vehicles that operate under a different set of rules than traditional IRAs. Contributions aren’t deductible, but qualified distributions are generally tax-free.

© 2025

As higher education costs continue to rise, you may be concerned about how to save and pay for college. Fortunately, several tools and strategies offered in the U.S. tax code may help ease the financial burden. Below is an overview of some of the most beneficial tax breaks and planning options for funding your child’s or grandchild’s education.

Qualified tuition programs or 529 plans 

A 529 plan allows you to buy tuition credits or contribute to an account set up to meet your child’s future higher education expenses. State governments or private institutions establish 529 plans.

Contributions aren’t deductible. They’re treated as taxable gifts to the child, but they’re eligible for the annual gift tax exclusion ($19,000 in 2025). If you contribute more than the annual exclusion limit for the year, you can elect to treat the gift as if it is spread out over five years. By taking advantage of the five-year gift tax election, a grandparent (or anyone else) can contribute up to $95,000 ($19,000 × 5) per beneficiary this year, free of gift tax.

Earnings on 529 plan contributions accumulate tax-free until the education costs are paid with the funds. Distributions are tax-free to the extent they’re used to pay “qualified higher education expenses,” which can include up to $10,000 in tuition per beneficiary for an elementary or secondary school. Distributions of earnings that aren’t used for qualified higher education expenses are generally subject to income tax plus a 10% penalty.

Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs)

You can establish a Coverdell ESA and make contributions of up to $2,000 for each child under age 18. This age limitation doesn’t apply to beneficiaries with special needs.

The right to make contributions begins to phase out once AGI is over $190,000 for married couples filing jointly ($95,000 for singles). If income is too high, the child can contribute to his or her own account. These thresholds haven’t been adjusted for inflation in many years.

Although Coverdell ESA contributions aren’t deductible, income in the account isn’t taxed, and distributions are tax-free if spent on qualified education expenses. If the child doesn’t attend college, you must withdraw the money when the child turns 30, and any earnings will be subject to tax plus a penalty. However, you can transfer unused funds tax-free to a Coverdell ESA of another family member who isn’t 30 yet. The age 30 requirement doesn’t apply to individuals with special needs.

Savings bonds 

Series EE U.S. savings bonds offer two tax-saving opportunities when used for college expenses:

• You don’t have to report the interest on the bonds for federal tax purposes until the bonds are cashed in, and
• Interest on “qualified” Series EE (and Series I) bonds may be exempt from federal tax if the proceeds are used for qualified college expenses.

To qualify for the college tax exemption, you must purchase the bonds in your name (not the child’s) or jointly with your spouse. The proceeds must be used for tuition, fees, etc. — not room and board. If only some proceeds are used for qualified expenses, only that part of the interest is exempt. The exemption is phased out if your modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain amounts.

Education tax credits

Beyond saving vehicles, there are also tax credits you may be able to claim while paying college expenses:

• American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). This is worth up to $2,500 per eligible student each year for the first four years of undergraduate study. It is subject to income limits and is partially refundable (up to $1,000). That means you could receive a refund even if you owe no tax.
• Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC). This is worth up to $2,000 per tax return (20% of up to $10,000 of qualified education expenses). There’s no limit on how many years you can claim it, so this credit can benefit graduate studies or professional development courses. It’s also subject to income limits.

You can’t claim the AOTC and the LLC for the same student in the same year. However, you can claim each credit for different students in the same household if you meet eligibility requirements.

Plan ahead

These are just some of the tax-wise ways to save and pay for college. Contact us to discuss the best path forward in your situation.

© 2025

Saving for retirement is a crucial financial goal and a 401(k) plan is one of the most effective tools for achieving it. If your employer offers a 401(k) or Roth 401(k), contributing as much as possible to the plan in 2025 is a smart way to build a considerable nest egg.

If you’re not already contributing the maximum allowed, consider increasing your contribution in 2025. Because of tax-deferred compounding (tax-free in the case of Roth accounts), boosting contributions can have a significant impact on the amount of money you’ll have in retirement.

With a 401(k), an employee elects to have a certain amount of pay deferred and contributed to the plan by an employer on his or her behalf. The amounts are indexed for inflation each year and they’re increasing a modest amount. The contribution limit in 2025 is $23,500 (up from $23,000 in 2024). Employees age 50 or older by year end are also generally permitted to make additional “catch-up” contributions of $7,500 in 2025 (unchanged from 2024). This means those 50 or older can generally save up to $31,000 in 2025 (up from $30,500 in 2024).

However, under a law change that becomes effective in 2025, 401(k) plan participants of certain ages can save more. The catch-up contribution amount for those who are age 60, 61, 62 or 63 in 2025 is $11,250.

Note: The contribution amounts for 401(k)s also apply to 403(b)s and 457 plans.

Traditional 401(k)s

A traditional 401(k) offers many benefits, including:

• Pretax contributions, which reduce your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) and can help you reduce or avoid exposure to the 3.8% net investment income tax.
• Plan assets that can grow tax-deferred — meaning you pay no income tax until you take distributions.
• The option for your employer to match some or all of your contributions pretax.

If you already have a 401(k) plan, look at your contributions. In 2025, try to increase your contribution rate to get as close to the $23,500 limit (with any extra eligible catch-up amount) as you can afford. Of course, the taxes on your paycheck will be reduced because the contributions are pretax.

Roth 401(k)s

Your employer may also offer a Roth option in its 401(k) plans. If so, you can designate some or all of your contributions as Roth contributions. While such amounts don’t reduce your current MAGI, qualified distributions will be tax-free.

Roth 401(k) contributions may be especially beneficial for higher-income earners because they can’t contribute to a Roth IRA. That’s because the ability to make a Roth IRA contribution is reduced or eliminated if adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds specific amounts.

Planning for the future

Contact us if you have questions about how much to contribute or the best mix between traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions. We can also discuss other tax and retirement-saving strategies for your situation.

© 2024

When considering the advantages of U.S. Treasury savings bonds, you may appreciate their relative safety, simplicity and government backing. However, like all interest-bearing investments, savings bonds come with tax implications that are important to understand.

Deferred interest

Series EE Bonds dated May 2005 and after earn a fixed rate of interest. Bonds purchased between May 1997 and April 30, 2005, earn a variable market-based rate of return.

Paper Series EE Bonds, issued between 1980 and 2012, were sold at half their face value. For example, you paid $25 for a $50 bond. The bond isn’t worth its face value until it matures. New electronic EE Bonds earn a fixed rate of interest that’s set before you buy the bond. They earn that rate for the first 20 years, and the U.S. Treasury may change the rate for the last 10 years of the bond’s 30-year life. Electronic EE bonds are sold at their face value. For example, you pay $100 for a $100 bond.

The minimum ownership term is one year, but a penalty is imposed if the bond is redeemed in the first five years.

Series EE bonds don’t pay interest currently. Instead, accrued interest is reflected in the redemption value of the bond. The U.S. Treasury issues tables showing redemption values. Series EE bond interest isn’t taxed as it accrues unless the owner elects to have it taxed annually. If the election is made, all previously accrued but untaxed interest is reported in the election year. In most cases, the election isn’t made so that the benefit of tax deferral can be enjoyed. On the other hand, if the bond is owned by a taxpayer with little or no other current income, it may be beneficial to incur the income in low or no tax years to avoid future inclusion. This may be the case with bonds owned by children, although the “kiddie tax” may apply.

If the election isn’t made, all the accrued interest is taxed when the bond is redeemed or otherwise disposed of (unless it was exchanged for a Series HH bond). The bond continues to accrue interest even after reaching its face value but at “final maturity” (after 30 years) interest stops accruing and must be reported (again, unless it was exchanged for an HH bond).

If you own EE bonds (paper or electronic), check the issue dates on your bonds. If they’re no longer earning interest, you probably want to redeem them and put the money into something more profitable.

Bonds adjusted for inflation 

Series I savings bonds are designed to offer a rate of return over and above inflation. The earnings rate is a combination of a fixed rate, which will apply for the life of the bond, and the inflation rate. Rates are announced each May 1 and November 1.

Series I bonds are issued at par (face amount). An owner of Series I bonds may either:

1. Defer reporting the increase in the redemption value (interest) to the year of final maturity, redemption or other disposition, whichever is earlier, or
2. Elect to report the increase each year as it accrues.

If the second choice is made, the election applies to all Series I bonds then owned by the taxpayer, those acquired later, and any other obligations purchased on a discount basis, (for example, Series EE bonds). You can’t change to the first option unless you follow a specific IRS procedure.

State and local taxes, education expenses

Although the interest on EE and I bonds is taxable for federal income tax purposes, it’s exempt from state and local taxes.

And using the money for higher education may keep you from paying federal income tax on the interest. However, there’s an income limit for this tax break. In 2025, the interest exclusion from U.S. savings bonds for taxpayers who pay qualified higher education expenses begins to phase out for modified adjusted gross incomes (MAGIs) above $149,250 for joint returns and $99,500 for all other returns. (These are up from $145,200 and $96,800, respectively, in 2024.) The exclusion in 2025 is completely phased out for MAGIs of $179,250 or more for joint returns and $114,500 or more for all other returns. (These are up from $175,200 and $111,800, respectively, in 2024.)

Contact us with any questions you have about savings bond taxation.

© 2024

There are two tax breaks that help eligible parents offset the expenses of adopting a child. In 2025, adoptive parents may be able to claim a credit against their federal tax for up to $17,280 of “qualified adoption expenses” for each child. This is up from $16,810 in 2024. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of tax.

Also, adoptive parents may be able to exclude from an employee’s gross income up to $17,280 in 2025 ($16,810 in 2024) of qualified expenses paid by an employer under an adoption assistance program. Both the credit and the exclusion are phased out if the parents’ income exceeds certain limits detailed below.

Parents can claim both a credit and an exclusion for the expenses of adopting a child. But they can’t claim both a credit and an exclusion for the same expenses.

Which expenses qualify?

To be eligible for the credit or the exclusion, the expenses must be “qualified adoption expenses.” These are the reasonable and necessary adoption fees, attorneys’ fees, court fees, travel expenses (including meals and lodging), and other costs directly related to the legal adoption of an “eligible child.”

Qualified expenses don’t include those incurred when adopting a spouse’s child or arranging a surrogate parent. They also don’t include expenses that violate state or federal law or those paid using funds received from a government program. Expenses reimbursed by an employer don’t qualify for the credit, but benefits provided by an employer under an adoption assistance program may be eligible for the exclusion.

Expenses related to an unsuccessful attempt to adopt a child may qualify. Expenses connected with a foreign adoption (the child isn’t a U.S. citizen or resident) qualify only if the child is adopted.

Taxpayers who adopt a child with special needs are deemed to have qualified adoption expenses in the tax year in which the adoption becomes final in an amount sufficient to bring their total aggregate expenses for the adoption to $17,280 in 2025 ($16,810 in 2024). They can take the adoption credit or exclude employer adoption assistance up to that amount, whether or not they had those actual expenses.

Who is an eligible child? 

An eligible child is under age 18 at the time you pay a qualified expense. A child who turns 18 during the year is eligible for the part of the year he or she is under age 18. A person who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for him- or herself is eligible, regardless of age.

A special needs child refers to one whom the state has determined can’t or shouldn’t be returned to his or her parents and who can’t be reasonably placed with adoptive parents without assistance because of a specific factor or condition. Only a child who is a citizen or resident of the U.S. is included in this category.

What are the phaseout amounts? 

The credit allowed in 2025 begins to phase out for taxpayers with adjusted gross incomes (AGIs) over $259,190 ($252,150 for 2024) and is eliminated when AGIs reach $299,190 ($292,150 in 2024).

Note: The adoption credit isn’t “refundable.” So, if the sum of your refundable credits (including any adoption credit) for the year exceeds your tax liability, the excess amount isn’t refunded to you. In other words, you can only claim the credit up to the amount of your tax liability.

Need help unlocking tax relief?

Contact us with any questions. We can help ensure you get the full benefit of the tax savings available to adoptive parents.

© 2024

Medicare health insurance premiums can add up to big bucks — especially if you’re upper-income, married, and you and your spouse both pay premiums. Read on to understand how taxes fit in.

Premiums for Part B coverage 

Medicare Part B coverage is commonly called Medicare medical insurance. Part B mainly covers doctors’ visits and outpatient services. Eligible individuals must pay monthly premiums for this benefit. Medicare is generally for people 65 or older. It’s also available earlier to some people with disabilities, and those with end-stage renal disease and ALS.

The monthly premium for the current year depends on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), as reported on your Form 1040 for two years earlier. MAGI is the adjusted gross income (AGI) number on your Form 1040 plus any tax-exempt interest income.

For 2025, most individuals will pay the base monthly Part B premium of $185 per covered person.

Higher-income individuals must pay a surcharge on top of the base premium. For 2025, a surcharge applies if you: 1) filed as an unmarried individual for 2023 and reported MAGI above $106,000 for that year or 2) filed jointly for 2023 and reported MAGI above $212,000 for that year.

For 2025, Part B monthly premiums, including surcharges if applicable, for each covered individual can be found on this web page.

Part B premiums, including any surcharges, are withheld from your Social Security benefit payments and are shown on the annual Form SSA-1099 sent to you by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Premiums for Part D drug coverage

Medicare Part D is private prescription drug coverage. Base premiums vary depending on the plan. Higher-income individuals must pay a surcharge on top of the base premium.

For 2025, surcharges apply to those who: 1) filed as an unmarried individual for 2023 and reported MAGI above $106,000 for that year or 2) filed a joint return for 2023 and reported MAGI above $212,000. You can find the 2025 monthly Part D surcharges for each covered person on this web page.

You pay the base Part D premium, which depends on the private insurance company plan you select, to the insurance company. Any surcharge will be withheld from your Social Security benefit payments and reflected on the annual Form SSA-1099 sent to you by the SSA.

Deducting Medicare premiums

You may be able to combine premiums for Medicare insurance with other qualifying health care expenses to claim an itemized medical expense deduction. Your deduction equals total qualifying expenses to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

Your 2024 tax return and 2026 Medicare premiums 

Decisions reflected on your 2024 Form 1040 can affect your 2024 MAGI and, in turn, your 2026 Medicare health insurance premiums. This issue is especially relevant if you’re self-employed or an owner of a pass-through business entity (LLC, partnership or S corporation) because you have more opportunities to micro-manage your 2024 MAGI at tax return time. For example, you may choose to make bigger or smaller deductible contributions to a self-employed retirement plan and maximize or minimize depreciation deductions for business assets.

While your 2026 Medicare health insurance premiums may seem to be an issue in the distant future, 2026 will be here before you know it.

Optimize your situation

As you can see, Medicare health insurance premiums can add up. In addition, what you do on your yet-to-be-filed 2024 tax return can impact your 2026 premiums. We can help you make the best decisions to optimize your overall situation.

© 2024