The New Tax Act Means Big Changes for Taxpayers
February 6, 2018
The Healthcare Individual Mandate Penalty Stays in Place Until 2019.
The shared responsibility penalty (also known as the individual mandate) in the Affordable Care Act is effectively repealed by the tax reform legislation, but not right away. The penalty is set to zero in 2019, but remains in place for 2018.
Bringing Clarity
You still need to retain your Forms 1095 this year in order to provide evidence of your healthcare coverage. Without proof of coverage, you may have to pay the higher of $695 or 2.5 percent of your income. Unless there are further changes coming, 2018 may be the last year you’ll need to worry about the individual mandate penalty.
“Big tax law changes mean even bigger opportunities for taxpayers”
More Changes to Consider for 2018 Tax Planning.
We’re experiencing some of most significant tax law changes since the 1980s. There will be a lot of things to consider for tax planning this year. Here are some of the most significant:
- Reduced income tax rates
- Doubled standard deductions
- Suspension of personal exemptions
- New limits on itemized deductions, including:
- Combined state and local income, property and sales tax deduction limited to $10,000
- Casualty losses limited to federally declared disaster areas
- Elimination of miscellaneous deductions subject to the 2 percent of adjusted gross income threshold
- Boosts to:
- The child tax credit ($2,000 in 2018)
- A new $500 family tax credit
- 529 education savings plan expansion for K-12 private school education
- The estate tax exemption (doubled)