当税改的尘埃落定，大家纷纷在谈论这个话题。到底跟我们有多大关系，是不是真的可以少交税，最重要的是，2018年的税改，我们在2017年剩下的几天里可以做什么？可能很多人都已经知道了，你现在可做的就是先把2017的地产税全部付了。
这次税改的核心是大幅降低公司税，其所得税率将从35%降至21%，估计税改后10年将增多1.5万亿美元。这些跟我们普通打工族没有直接关系，当然那些自己开公司的，或许可以在年底之前把一些开销expenses尽早记在账上，不需等到明年，以得到税上的好处。(顺便说一句，我不是tax specialist).
这次税改是1986年以来第一次重大的税法(tax code)改革，你上网查一下就知道了，个人认为，跟我们最息息相关的有下面几条(我不多写，大家自己上网查)：
1).如果你是用standard deduction, 恭喜你，那么这个折扣额度增加了一倍。
2).原来如果在折扣后收入在$155,650以下的，每个人有$4050的个人免税额personal exemption, 这个被取消了，这个取消对每个家庭影响很大。Too bad!
3). 税率减低了0-4%, 看你的收入是哪一档(bracket).
4).原先Schedule A Itemized里(5) state and local tax, 和(6) property tax的抵扣额是没有限制的(unlimited), 但是2018年开始，只有$10,000的抵扣额。如果你有房子的，住在高房价区，付高地产税区，那就倒霉了。当然如果的收入高到有AMT，那可能又无关大雅，情况又不太一样。
5). 房子的利息抵扣税cap在$750,000, 原先以为跟我们关系不大，谁会贷款那么高，那非得被压的喘不过气来，一读报纸才知，有百分之八十以上的人其贷款超过$500,00。
在我看来，总体来说，对中产阶层，我们以后是会多交税，就如下文《华》报说言，"...is a middle class tax hike"。
今天 12/27/2017《华尔街日报》报道，各州的人们都在纷纷提起前支付property taxes. 我摘录其中几段如下。
网友们，你如果是有房族的，如果你的地产税还没付清，离年底还有三四天，赶紧付了！！
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Property Owners Rush to Prepay Tax Bills
WSJ 12/27/2017
Homeowners across the nation are rushing this week to prepay their property taxes for 2018 before the Republican tax law kicks in Jan. 1 and effectively raises the levy on higher-end homes.
The new legislation, which President Donald Trump signed into law last week, caps at $10,000 the amount of state and local taxes that filers can deduct from their federal tax bill. That means those whose tax bills regularly exceed that amount could benefit by paying more tax in 2017, when the deduction has no limit.
….
The new tax law “is a middle-class tax hike for us, and we’re trying to postpone at least some of that for at least one more year,” said Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer.
…
The $10,000 limit also covers state and local income and sales taxed, but lawmakers drafting the bill barred people from prepaying those other levies. “It left it up to the localities whether or not they would allow you to prepay” property taxes, said Nicole Kaeding, an economist at the Tax Foundation.
…
Nationwide, about a quarter of taxpayers deducted their real-estate taxes in 2015, the latest year available, shaving roughly $5000 from the average tax bill, according to Tax Policy Cneter data. At least one taxpayer in three deducted those taxes in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
“This matters most in areas that have higher levels of state and local income taxes,” Ms. Kaeding said, “Think the D.C. area, New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey.”
The drafters of the tax bill say unlimited deduction simply cost the federal government too much money and encouraged big spending by state and local governments.
…
Sacramento County, Calif., is allowing residents to pay by year-end a property-tax installment due next April. Some would pay even more if they could, but the county isn’t yet accepting payments for tax bills further out, county spokeswoman Kim Nava said.
Santa Clara County, in high-cost Silicon Valley, said collections for April 2018 installments already total $422 million, compared with $303 million at this time last year.
....
....
|
