Ashley, a 49-year-old single taxpayer, earned $94,000 in wages. She is not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. What is her maximum allowable contribution to a traditional IRA for 2023?

$0
$6,500
$7,500
$22,500

11 answers

For the tax year 2023, the maximum allowable contribution to a traditional IRA for a single taxpayer who is not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan is $6,500. Additionally, if the individual is aged 50 or older, they can make a catch-up contribution of an additional $1,000, bringing the total to $7,500.

Since Ashley is 49 years old, her maximum allowable contribution to a traditional IRA for 2023 is $6,500.

Which of the following statements is TRUE about both Roth and traditional IRAs?
Contributions made to traditional and Roth IRAs are always tax-deductible.
Distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA are always taxed when the money is withdrawn.
Taxpayers may contribute to traditional and Roth IRAs for the same tax year.
Taxpayers may contribute up to $22,500 to their traditional and Roth IRA each year.

The true statement about both Roth and traditional IRAs is:

Taxpayers may contribute to traditional and Roth IRAs for the same tax year.

Here's a brief explanation of why the other statements are not true:

  1. Contributions made to traditional and Roth IRAs are always tax-deductible. - This is not true. Contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax-deductible. For traditional IRAs, tax deductibility can be affected by factors such as income level and whether the taxpayer is covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

  2. Distributions from a traditional or Roth IRA are always taxed when the money is withdrawn. - This is not true. Distributions from a traditional IRA are generally taxed as ordinary income, but qualified distributions from a Roth IRA are not taxed.

  3. Taxpayers may contribute up to $22,500 to their traditional and Roth IRA each year. - This is incorrect for the 2023 tax year. The contribution limit for an individual to either a Roth or a traditional IRA is $6,500 (or $7,500 if age 50 or older), but this limit is for each account type, not a combined total of $22,500.

Therefore, the correct statement is that taxpayers may contribute to both types of IRAs in the same tax year.

In 2020, Niesha purchased her principal residence for $450,000. On January 15, 2023, when she owed $380,000 on the original mortgage, she took out a home equity loan. In January 2023, the fair market value of the home was $490,000. The home equity loan proceeds were used to purchase a new car and pay off credit cards. It was not used to build, buy, or improve her home. During the year, she paid $6,200 in interest on her first mortgage and $1,580 in interest on the home equity loan. What amount of mortgage interest can Niesha deduct on her Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions?
$1,580
$4,620
$6,200
$7,780

To determine how much mortgage interest Niesha can deduct on her Schedule A (Form 1040) for the tax year 2023, we need to consider the type of debt and how the home equity loan was used.

  1. Mortgage Interest on First Mortgage:

    • Niesha paid $6,200 in interest on her first mortgage, which is fully deductible.
  2. Home Equity Loan Interest:

    • Niesha paid $1,580 in interest on the home equity loan. For the interest on the home equity loan to be deductible, the loan must be used to buy, build, or improve the home. Since Niesha used the proceeds of the home equity loan to purchase a new car and pay off credit cards, the interest on this home equity loan is not deductible.

Therefore, the only deductible mortgage interest is from the first mortgage, which amounts to $6,200.

Thus, the total amount of mortgage interest that Niesha can deduct on her Schedule A (Form 1040) is $6,200.

Megan brings in receipts and verifications for the following charitable contributions she made in 2023:
Local church, $3,000 by check.
American Red Cross, $500 through payroll deductions.
Campaign fund of a City Council candidate, $300 cash.
Habitat for Humanity, work valued at $250.
Girl Scouts, drove 200 miles in her car for volunteer work.
How much will Megan be able to deduct for charitable contributions on Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions?
$3,500
$3,528
$3,778
$4,078

To determine how much Megan can deduct for charitable contributions on Schedule A (Form 1040) for 2023, we need to analyze each of her contributions:

  1. Local Church ($3,000 by check): This is a deductible contribution as it is a cash contribution to a qualified charitable organization. Deductible amount: $3,000.

  2. American Red Cross ($500 through payroll deductions): Payroll deductions for contributions to recognized charities are also deductible, as long as she has the necessary documentation. Deductible amount: $500.

  3. Campaign fund of a City Council candidate ($300 cash): Contributions to political candidates or campaigns are not tax-deductible. Deductible amount: $0.

  4. Habitat for Humanity (work valued at $250): While volunteer work is admirable, you cannot deduct the value of your time or services. However, if Megan incurred any out-of-pocket expenses related to her volunteer work (such as supplies purchased for the work), those expenses could be deductible. However, based on the information provided, we will assume no out-of-pocket expenses were reported. Deductible amount: $0.

  5. Girl Scouts (drove 200 miles in her car for volunteer work): While volunteers can deduct certain costs incurred while volunteering (like gas), the deductible amount is based on the IRS standard mileage rate. For 2023, the standard mileage rate for charity is 14 cents per mile. Therefore: \[ 200 \text{ miles} \times 0.14 = 28 \] Deductible amount: $28.

Now we can total the deductible contributions:

  • Local Church: $3,000
  • American Red Cross: $500
  • Campaign Fund: $0
  • Habitat for Humanity: $0
  • Girl Scouts (mileage): $28

Total deductible amount: \[ 3,000 + 500 + 0 + 0 + 28 = 3,528 \]

Therefore, Megan will be able to deduct $3,528 for charitable contributions on her Schedule A (Form 1040), Itemized Deductions.

Paula purchased a home with her husband, Lincoln, in January of 2022 for $700,000. In June of 2022, Paula and Lincoln separated. On December 31, 2023, they were still legally married but did not live together all year. They do not live in a community property state. Lincoln refused to file a joint return with Paula. Paula filed her return using the married filing separately filing status. Paula is living in the home and has continued to make the mortgage payments using funds from her own account. Paula will be itemizing her deductions. On what portion of the acquisition debt will interest be deductible on Paula's tax return for 2023?
$0
$350,000
$375,000
$700,000

To determine how much of the acquisition debt interest Paula can deduct on her tax return for 2023, we need to consider the following points:

  1. Acquisition Debt Limits: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits the mortgage interest deduction on acquisition debt to interest paid on the first $750,000 of the mortgage if the mortgage was taken out after December 15, 2017. Since Paula and Lincoln purchased their home for $700,000 in January 2022, the entire amount is subject to the rules for acquisition debt.

  2. Marital Status: Paula is still legally married but is filing as married filing separately. In this case, each spouse can deduct interest on the mortgage debt associated with their ownership share of the home.

  3. Ownership of the Home: Typically, if there are two borrowers, both parties are considered to hold the mortgage equally unless otherwise agreed. Since they are not in a community property state and Paula is the one living in the home and making the mortgage payments, we can assume she can deduct half the interest since she owns half of the mortgage.

  4. Interest Deductibility: If Paula and Lincoln do not have an agreement that specifies a different arrangement concerning the division of the mortgage debt, the interest deduction would apply based on Paula's share of the acquisition debt.

Given that they purchased the home for $700,000, the entire amount of acquisition debt is considered for interest deduction. Thus, the mortgage interest would be deductible based on Paula's share of the $700,000 mortgage.

However, since Paula and Lincoln filed separately and are still married, the interest is limited to the portion that relates to Paula being responsible for the mortgage payments. Assuming no specific agreements exist about the division of the mortgage between them, Paula can deduct interest on her share of the $700,000 of acquisition debt.

Thus, the answer is: $700,000.

Paula's portion of the acquisition debt on which she can deduct interest is $700,000, which is the entire amount of the mortgage since she is legally married and assuming no specific agreements dictate otherwise.

Latoya is single, 42 years old, and has an adjusted gross income of $70,000 for the tax year. She had the following medical expenses:
Prescriptions: $1,480.
Doctor copays: $950.
Dental bills: $2,800.
Elective tummy tuck surgery: $6,500.
Health insurance premiums (after tax): $1,800.
What is the amount of allowable medical and dental expenses she can report on Schedule A (Form 1040), line 4?
$1,780
$5,250
$7,030
$8,280

To determine the amount of allowable medical and dental expenses that Latoya can report on Schedule A (Form 1040), we need to first calculate the total medical expenses and then apply the IRS threshold for deductibility.

Total Medical Expenses:

  1. Prescriptions: $1,480
  2. Doctor copays: $950
  3. Dental bills: $2,800
  4. Elective tummy tuck surgery: $6,500 (Note: While elective cosmetic surgery is generally not deductible, tummy tucks can be deductible if they are deemed medically necessary, but given that they are elective and for cosmetic reasons, we will assume this expense is not deductible.)
  5. Health insurance premiums (after tax): $1,800

Calculation of Total Medical Expenses:

Let's sum up only the deductible medical expenses:

  • Prescriptions: $1,480
  • Doctor copays: $950
  • Dental bills: $2,800
  • Health insurance premiums: $1,800

Total deductible medical expenses: \[ 1,480 + 950 + 2,800 + 1,800 = 8,030 \]

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Threshold for Medical Expenses:

For tax year 2023, the IRS allows taxpayers to deduct unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of their adjusted gross income (AGI).

First, calculate 7.5% of Latoya's AGI: \[ 0.075 \times 70,000 = 5,250 \]

Amount of Allowable Deduction:

Next, we subtract this threshold from her total medical expenses to find the deductible amount: \[ 8,030 - 5,250 = 2,780 \]

Conclusion:

Latoya can report $2,780 of her medical and dental expenses on Schedule A (Form 1040).

Since the answer options provided do not include $2,780, we might need to reassess which expenses might not qualify or any figures that are misinterpreted.

Considering the options given, the closest amount to the possible deductibles would be $5,250, which is the amount representing the threshold.

So, if you have to report only the deductible amount that meets the threshold: For specifically the reported amount being more reasonable with choices presented, Latoya should report $2,780 confirming correct figure for medical expenses that exceed the threshold of $5,250 which may align results better to reevaluate qualifying shred expense criterion given certain electively denoted along original explore then assuming resettling of query.