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If you son or daughter had a summer or after-school job this year you should seriously consider opening up a ROTH IRA account.

To be eligible for an IRA your child must have “earned income”, such as wages that are reported on a W-2 or “net earnings from self-employment”. Money you give your child for doing chores around the house won’t count as earned income, but earnings from babysitting or mowing lawns may qualify.

You can contribute 100% of your child’s earnings to the account, up to a maximum of $4,000.00 for 2005. If your son earned $2,400.00 for the year you can contribute $2,400.00 to a ROTH for him. If he earns $4,500.00 you can contribute $4,000.00. You have until April 17, 2006 to open the account and make your contribution for 2005.

If you are self employed you can hire your child to work in your business and pay him, or her, a salary. A sole-proprietor who pays a salary to his or her child who is under age 18 does not have to pay the federal, and probably state, government any payroll tax on the wages. Of course the child must be paid a reasonable salary for doing actual work. You can put the wages, up to the $4,000.00 maximum, into a ROTH IRA.

Your child will not get a current tax deduction for contributions to a ROTH IRA, but then most teen-agers don’t need the deduction. A dependent child can earn $5,000.00, including up to $250.00 in interest, dividends and capital gains, before having to pay any federal income tax.

Distributions from a ROTH, after age 59 1/2, will be exempt from federal and state income tax, assuming, of course, Congress does not change the rules in the future. Even if Congress was to revise the ROTH rules down the road it is very unlikely that any changes would be retroactive, so earnings on a ROTH up to the point of change should remain tax-free.

You can use a ROTH IRA as an incentive to encourage your children to work or to save. If your son earns $4,000.00 in a part-time job put $4,000.00 into a ROTH IRA for him. Or, if your daughter agrees to put $1,000.00 of her salary in a ROTH give her a 3-for-1 match and put in another $3,000.00.

There is nothing in the tax code that says that the money deposited in an IRA for your son or daughter has to come from the child’s funds.

The $4,000.00 maximum applies for tax Read more…

A tax credit is a credit that reduces the amount of taxes you must pay the Federal Government. It can save you substantial money because, unlike a deduction, a tax credit reduces the amount of income subject to taxation. For example, if you purchased a more efficient water heater (AFUE 95), and a solar heating system, you might be able to reduce your taxable income by as much as $2,150

What qualifies for a tax credit?

Please be aware of the fact that not all EnergyStar homes and products qualify for a tax credit. Tax credits are reserved and available for a number of products but they must offer the highest efficiency levels. This means they normally cost more than standard products.

Tax credits are available for many types of home improvements, including adding insulation, replacement windows and certain high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. The maximum amount of homeowner credit for all improvements combined is $500 during the two-year period of the tax credit. This credit applies to improvements made from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007.

Tax credits for automobiles

Tax credits are available to buyers of hybrid gasoline-electric, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel and fuel cell vehicles. The tax credit amount is based on a formula determined by vehicle weight, technology and fuel economy compared to base year models. These credits are available for vehicles placed in service starting Jan. 1, 2006.

Where you can find complete details

The Government has a section titled Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Read more…

Income tax is a charge on one’s income that is paid to the government. Most countries around the world today are governed by democratically elected governments. These governments need revenue to finance the costs that they incur to run their countries. A large part of this revenue comes from collecting income tax.

Income tax is normally charged as a percentage of the income earned. The percentage of the tax may vary depending upon the different types of incomes. In some cases, there may be no tax at all. The tax rate may be progressive or flat. With a progressive tax rate, taxes are payable differentially based on how much income has been earned by a person. On the other hand, a flat tax rate treats all incomes the same. An income tax system may allow losses from one type of income to be deducted against profits or gains from another. For example, a loss on the stock market may be deducted against income earned from a business or profession.

Income tax was first introduced in Britain by William Pitt, in his budget presented in 1798. The tax was levied to pay for weapons and equipment, which were being prepared for the Read more…

The tax imposed by the U.S. government on the taxable incomes of individuals, corporations, trusts and estates is known as federal income tax. Personal income taxes are payable on the total income of the individual (after some permissible deductions). Corporate income taxes are payable on the gross profit, the difference between the total receipts and total direct and indirect expenses.

Federal income tax was imposed for the first time by the U.S. government in 1861 to finance the Civil War. A tax of 3 percent was levied on incomes above $600, which rose to 5 percent for incomes above $10,000. These rates were raised in 1864. A new income tax act was enacted in the late 1800s. After the Civil War, income tax was rescinded in 1872.

In the present scenario, the revenues of the federal government mainly accrue from personal and corporate income taxes. Earlier, tariffs on imported goods constituted a large chunk of the government?s revenues, but, at present tariffs represent only a minor portion of federal revenues. Other non-tax fees are also levied, which recompense agencies for services or fill specific trust funds.

Several specific taxes, in addition to the general income tax, are also collected by the federal government. For example, the social support programs such as social security and Medicare are funded by taxes on personal earned income. Estate taxes are also levied on inheritances.

It is income tax that forms the bulk of the Read more…