As everyone in the U.S. knows, we have just passed one of our most "favorite" times of the year: income tax season. If you are going to create and sustain wealth, it is inevitable that you will have to address your personal tax situation.
By "address," what I really mean is take control. This is true whether you live in the U.S. or just about any other country. Agree or disagree with the "fairness" of taxes, this is a subject that you must obtain some basic understanding if you want to significantly increase your wealth.
Before I start, let me say that I am certainly not a tax expert. And space does not permit going into detailed tax strategy. The purpose of this article is to explain why it is so important for you to take up the study of basic tax law and strategies, and even more important seek out the advice of a true tax expert.
Why is it important to understand taxes?
In most cases, taxes are your largest expense. This is probably the key reason that wealthy people spend so much time, effort, and money doing their best to minimize their tax expense. Depending on your tax bracket, your federal taxes may be as high as 28%-35% of your income! And then there are social security, state income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, etc., etc. If you are generating all of your income from your wages (earned income), you may be lucky to actually keep 50% of what you really earn.
That is a staggering figure when you think about it. That means that if you have a salary of $50,000, you may be only keeping $25,000 of your earnings for your own purposes.
If you think I am exaggerating, pull out your last paycheck and look at the tax withholdings for taxes that have been taken off the top of your earnings. If you take your net earnings and divide them by the gross earnings, what is that percentage? Don't be shocked if it isn't about 40%. Then take a look at your sales taxes. In California, the sale tax is around 8.25%. So just doing a quick estimate, I'm already at about 48% in tax expense (assuming most of the money is spent on taxable items).
The cost of ignoring your tax expense and not doing everything legally possible to minimize it is huge. Of course, tax law can be exceedingly complex, and the penalties of making a mistake are high. So a large number of people, simply accept this large tax expense as inevitable. They concede defeat without really even trying to take any type of action to minimize the impact.
What are some actions that you can take?
1) Recognize that you can take action to reduce your tax expense. Too many people blindly assume that it is impossible to significantly reduce their tax expense. Either they think it is too complicated, too much trouble, or they are afraid that if they take deductions that are legitimate, that the government will come after them. If you assume there is nothing you can do (learned helplessness), you are right. If you assume you can improve your tax position, you're right. The fact is that while you must pay your legal share of taxes, the government actually wants you to take advantage of tax deductions and credits. That's why the laws were passed to allow for them.
2) Make a commitment to study basic tax law so that you have at least enough knowledge to speak with a tax advisor with a certain degree of intelligence. You can't take deductions that you are not aware of. Because of the potential savings, the study of tax law needs to be a fundamental part of your financial literacy education. Your two highest priorities must be to create wealth in the most efficient manner and protect it. And any protection strategy must include protecting it from over taxation. Don't just limit your study to books. Also seek out college classes, night-school, and seminars. But be careful of seminars as they can be a lot more expensive and not as thorough as a class from a community college.
3) Seek out a CPA and/or Certified Financial Planner to come up with a long range plan to minimize your taxes and increase your wealth. Start with the most experienced person you can afford and plan to pay for even more expert advice as your wealth increases. Ultimately, it will probably be less expensive to pay for outstanding advice than to over pay on your taxes. If you wait until tax time to come up with your plan, you have waited too long.
4) If you haven't already, start keeping detailed financial records. This is a good habit to get into even if you don't yet have a business. If you keep detailed records (using a computer program!) as you go through the year, it makes it much easier to turn over your records to your tax preparer when tax time comes.
5) When you record your income from your paycheck, be certain to record all deductions taken from your check. Don't just record the net. If you actively track your tax expenses deducted from the top of your wages, you will be more motivated to do everything possible to legitimately reduce that expense. If you simply record the net wages, you have probably fallen prey to the tax trap without a fight.
6) If you are an employee, make certain you are taking full advantage of your 401k and medical flex spending plan if available. Money set aside for your 401k (usually matched by your employer) helps reduce your taxable income. You have to pay taxes eventually, but hopefully by the time that happens you will be in a lower tax bracket. Medical flex spending plans help you pay for medical costs (including over-the-counter medicines, dental work, glasses, etc.) using pre-tax dollars. Flex spending plans are also available for child day care.
7) As soon as possible, replace your income from wages with income from your own business and unearned income from investments. Of course, this is easier said than done, but the benefits are huge. If your income comes from a business that you own, it's much easier to pay for expenses with pre-tax dollars. Obviously, you have to have a real business (not just a hobby) and the expenses must be legitimate business expenses, but this allows you to have a lot more flexibility in your tax planning. Realize that you can (I would say must) still start a business even if you have a full-time job. If you want to create great wealth (and minimize your tax expense), don't let fear, unbelief, or lack of knowledge prevent you from starting your own business. You must take action to overcome those obstacles.
Eventually, you need to target making the ultimate shift to getting your income from unearned income rather than wages. Unearned income is taxed at a lower rate than earned income. That's one of the ironies of our tax law: the more income that is "unearned" the lower your tax expense.
Some Power Affirmations Related to Helping you Take Control of Your Tax Expense
1) I am now in confident control of my tax expenses.
2) I have a clear understanding of basic tax law and strategies.
3) I regularly seek out sound tax advice from seasoned professionals.
4) My unearned income from investments is increasing everyday.
5) I record all financial transactions regularly and take advantage of every legitimate tax deduction.
6) I now take maximum advantage of my employee benefits including my 401k and flexible spending accounts.
7) I pay as many expenses as possible with pre-tax dollars.
8) I enjoy studying basic tax law, because I enjoy the savings my knowledge brings.
9) I am absolutely committed to increasing my financial intelligence everyday.
10) I now take full advantage of every legal tax deduction available to me.
11) I track my tax expenses and take every action possible to minimize that expense.
12) By studying books, taking college-level classes, and attending seminars, my financial intelligence is increasing everyday.
Copyright (c) 2005 Bill Marshall - All rights reserved. Feel free to republish this article provided you include the copyright information and the weblinks where possible.
For practical self-improvement tips, visit http://www.poweraffirmations.com. Get my new free e-book, "Power Affirmations: Power Positive Conditioning for Your Subconscious Mind"
Mercedes Benz s500 rentals Salem ..Most people trying to make a crust online (or offline... Read More
Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to... Read More
If you have recently started an Internet or home business,... Read More
IRS Tax forms can be confusing.Am I a 1099 or... Read More
Does your incorporated business pay alternative minimum tax ["AMT]? If... Read More
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also called the Public Company Accounting Reform... Read More
Hit a big one? With more and more gambling establishments,... Read More
Haven't done your taxes yet? No problem. Now there is... Read More
Marketing is a necessary expense in running practically any business... Read More
Anyone who is closely related to an accountant knows that... Read More
When buying a business, how the "purchase price" is made... Read More
Following is a reproduction of the IRS's rules and requirements... Read More
Small Businesses Filing Amended Federal Tax Returns to... Read More
Deducting Your Auto ExpensesAuto deductions are a very complex topic.... Read More
Many small businesses complain when confronted with the expense of... Read More
It may not be high on the list of wedding... Read More
Why a Corporation Helps Save You TaxesThe Tax Rates (Notice... Read More
Emerging Legal issues of Tax compliance of e-business Self-assessment system... Read More
If you are a Small Business Owner or Self-Employed Person,... Read More
"Settle for Pennies on the Dollar! IRS debts settled for... Read More
Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names... Read More
With gas prices at an all time high before Hurricane... Read More
Choosing the right tax preparer for your business is a... Read More
Managing a business small, medium or big requires you to... Read More
It's that time again, the April 15 tax deadline is... Read More
Dowagiac cheap limo service ..While there are many equally valid reasons to incorporate, saving... Read More
Beware of advertisements that claim to settle tax debts for... Read More
As tax time approaches, many home-based business owners begin completing... Read More
According to the IRS, taxpayers underpay their taxes by some... Read More
Donating your used car to charity is a win-win situation;... Read More
As a small business owner, it's wise to familiarize yourself... Read More
Assume a buyer in Pakistan downloads software from the Internet... Read More
If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become... Read More
Statistics for IndividualsUnfortunately, the IRS increased its rate of auditing... Read More
Misconceptions, misinterpretations and just plain "untruths" are floating about income... Read More
Import duties continue to be significant elements in the cost... Read More
It may not be high on the list of wedding... Read More
If you paid someone to care for a child so... Read More
"Depreciation." For business owners, this word is the one most... Read More
In trying to comply with tax laws for your e-business,... Read More
Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to... Read More
Ever wish that, as a business owner, you knew exactly... Read More
The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What... Read More
The knock on the door from a Tax Inspector is... Read More
Running a home based business reaps many wonderful tax deductions... Read More
The Internal Revenue Service has certified the 2006 Toyota Highlander... Read More
So, you were pleasantly surprised to learn that you are... Read More
At the present time a company incorporated in the Isle... Read More
The federal tax code is complex. This complexity generally arises... Read More
Does this scene sound familiar? It's April 7. You haven't... Read More
Tax |