So what if there is dysfunction in Washington – Good Times Continue. You can still complete family gifting with favorable exemptions and THERE IS STILL TIME for high income earners to cash in. Yes, tax rates are slightly higher, but you can offset that by taking advantage of the generous deductions that are still allowed for purchases completed by year end. See our tax tip below for more details!

So we all now know, Congress did not disappoint us last December. It did act. We did not go over the “fiscal cliff”. On January 2, 2013 Pres. Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, (“ATRA”) which had been approved by both houses of Congress one day earlier. ATRA is notable for averting the tax side of the so-called “fiscal cliff” by extending or making permanent favorable tax legislation passed in 2001, 2003, 2009 and 2010.
Indeed ATRA is perhaps the most significant tax legislation in nearly 12 years. Its primary focus was preserving income tax breaks only for those in the lower tax brackets. So, for married couples earning more than $450,000 annually, the marginal tax rate rose from 35% to 39.6% and the capital gains rates increased from 15% to 23.8% including the 3.8% Obama surtax, but there is one last loophole left. See below:

TAX TIP – BUY TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR BUSINESS USE!
You only have several weeks to take advantage of the ATRA’s one year extension of the higher expensing limits and 50% bonus depreciation by buying depreciable tangible personal property for use in your trade or business. For example, on an $800,000 purchase, you would get a $500,000 IRS Section 179 deduction and another $180,000 in depreciation deductions. This very generous deduction goes away on December 31st.

So buy that bulldozer, copier, truck, van, or whatever personal property assets your business might need and do it before year end. You can even finance it. Preserve your cash flow and get a huge tax reduction in April.