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• Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
  • AMT Repeal, for Most
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• General Taxation
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  • Reference Room
    • Tax Brackets and Other Figures
      • 2013 Tax Brackets
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      • 2014 Tax Figures Adjusted for Inflation
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      • 2015 Tax Brackets
      • 2015 Tax Figures Adjusted for Inflation
      • 2015 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2016 Tax Brackets
      • 2016 Tax Figures Adjusted for Inflation
      • 2016 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2017 Tax Brackets
      • 2017 Tax Figures Adjusted for Inflation
      • 2017 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2018 Tax Brackets
      • 2018 Tax Figures Under Old Law
      • 2019 Tax Brackets
      • 2019 Tax Figures Adjusted for Inflation
      • 2019 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2020 Tax Brackets
      • Tax Figures for 2020 and 2021
      • 2020 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2021 Retirement Account and HSA Figures
      • 2021 Tax Brackets
    • Legislation
      • Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014
      • Surface Transportation Act of 2015
  • Deductions
    • Pease Reduction in Itemized Deductions
    • Personal Exemption Phaseout
  • Guide to Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
    • Alternative Minimum Tax 101
    • Top Ten Things that Cause AMT Liability
    • AMT and Long-Term Capital Gain
    • AMT Capital Loss Trap
  • Estimated Tax
    • Estimated Tax 101
    • Who Must Pay
    • How Much to Pay
    • Voluntary Payments
    • Increasing Your Withholding
    • Making Estimated Tax Payments
    • Penalty for Underpayment
    • Estimated Tax Penalty Waiver for 2018
  • Relief from Spousal Liability
    • Spousal Liability in General
    • Innocent Spouse Rule
    • Separate Liability Election
    • Equitable Relief
    • Community Property States
    • Injured Spouse Rule
• Retirement
  • Rollovers and Direct Transfers
    • Relief from the 60-Day Rollover Deadline
  • Roth IRA and Other Roth Retirement Accounts
    • What Hath Roth Wrought
      • Tax Features of IRAs
      • Roth to the Rescue
      • Roth IRA 101
    • To Roth or Not to Roth
      • Roth IRA Rules of Thumb
      • Roth Accounts Are Bigger
      • Advantages of Conversion
    • Contributions to Roth Accounts
      • How to Start a Roth IRA
      • Basic Rules for Regular Contributions
      • Qualifying Income for IRA Contributions
      • Spousal Roth IRA
      • Roth IRA Phase-Out Rules
      • Modified Adjusted Gross Income
      • Backdoor Roth IRA Contributions
      • Possible Challenge to Backdoor Roth Contributions?
      • Retirement Savings Contribution Credit
      • Regular Contribution to a Conversion Roth IRA
      • Roth IRAs for Minors
      • Roth IRA for College Savings
      • Excess Contributions to Roth IRAs
    • Roth Conversions
      • Conversion Preliminaries
      • Conversion Eligibility
      • Roth Conversion Early in the Year
      • Partial Conversion
      • Conversion Consequences
      • How Much Conversion Tax?
      • Source of Funds for Tax on Conversion
      • Periodic Payments and Conversions
      • Post-Retirement Roth Conversion
      • Regulation Spikes Annuity Abuse
      • Isolating Basis for a Roth Conversion
        • Using the New Basis Isolation Rules
        • Isolating IRA Basis
        • Basis Recovery from Employer Plans
        • Separate Subaccount Treatment
        • Simple Payout
        • Using an IRA to Isolate 401k Basis
        • Split Rollover Methods
    • Recharacterizations
      • Recharacterization Overview
      • Recharacterization Rules
      • Roth IRA Reconversion to Reduce Taxes
      • Extended Deadline for Recharacterizations
      • Recharacterization Blues
    • Managing Your Retirement Account
      • One Rollover Per Year
    • Roth Distributions
      • Distribution Overview
      • Tax-Free Distributions from Roth IRAs
      • First-Time Homebuyer
      • Taxable Distributions from Roth IRAs
      • Distributions After a Roth IRA Conversion
      • Inherited Roth IRA
    • Designated Roth Accounts
      • Designated Roth Account Overview
      • Roth Account Compared with Traditional Account
      • Designated Roth Account Compared with Roth IRA
      • A Roth Account Means More Wealth
      • Contributing to a Designated Roth Account
      • Who’s Eligible for a Designated Roth Account?
      • Rollovers from Designated Roth Accounts
      • Contributions Over the Limit
      • Distributions from Designated Roth Accounts
      • Five-Year Requirement for Designated Roth Accounts
  • Social Security
    • Overview of Social Security Retirement Benefits
    • Covered Wages and Social Security Tax
    • Social Security Full Retirement Age
    • Understanding the Social Security Benefit Calculation
    • Social Security Change When You Work an Additional Year
    • Choosing When to Start Receiving Social Security Retirement Benefits
    • Earnings Test for Early Retirees
    • Social Security Reduction for Early Start
    • Social Security Increase for Late Start
    • Understanding Life Expectancy
• Taxation of Investments
  • Guide to Capital Gains and Losses
    • Capital Gain Basics
      • Capital Gains and Losses 101
      • Capital Gain FAQs
      • Purchase and Sale Step by Step
      • Capital Gain and Loss Categories
    • Capital Losses
      • Loss Limitation and Carryover
      • Capital Loss with Little or No Income
      • Capital Loss Whipsaw
      • Claiming a Loss for Worthless Securities
    • Tax Rules for Stock Sales
      • Trade Date and Settlement Date
      • Last Day to Sell
      • Multiple Lots of Shares
      • FIFO: First-In, First-Out
      • How to Identify Shares
      • Cash Received in Mergers
      • In Defense of Share Identification
    • Stock Basis and Holding Period
      • Basis of Stock You Purchase
      • Acquiring Stock Through a DRIP
      • Stock Received as a Gift
      • Acquiring Stock from Your Spouse
      • Inherited Stock
      • Property Received from 2010 Decedents
      • Exercising an Option
      • ISOs or Nonqualified Options
      • Stock from Nonqualified Options
      • Stock from ISOs
      • Stock Dividends and Splits
    • The Wash Sale Rule
      • Wash Sales 101
      • Wash Sales and IRAs
      • Substantially Identical Securities
      • Wash Sales and Replacement Stock
      • Wash Sale Matching Rules
      • Wash Sales and Options
      • Short Sales and the Wash Sale Rule
      • Same Day Rule for Wash Sales
      • Traders and Wash Sales
    • Selling Mutual Fund Shares
      • Overview of Cost Basis Methods
      • Changes in the Averaging Rules
      • Separate Lots vs. Averaging
      • Electing a Cost Basis Method
      • Using the Separate Lot Method for Mutual Fund Shares
      • Using the Average Basis Method
      • Changing Cost Basis Methods
      • Special Rule for Gift Shares
      • Double-Category Averaging Method
      • Sales Load Deferral Rule
      • Shares Held Six Months or Less
    • Capital Gains Reporting
      • Covered Securities and Noncovered Securities
      • Easier Capital Gains Reporting
    • Planning for Capital Gains
      • Basic Capital Gain Planning
      • Using Excess Capital Losses
  • Mutual Fund Tax Guide
    • Mutual Funds 101
    • Mutual Funds and Retirement Savings
    • Mutual Fund Ordinary Dividends
    • Capital Gain Distributions
    • Exempt Interest Distributions
    • Federal Interest Dividends
    • Nondividend Distributions
    • Foreign Tax Paid
    • Capital Gain Allocations
    • Other Issues for Mutual Fund Dividends
  • Tax Guide for Traders
    • Introduction to Trader Status
    • Benefits of Trader Status
    • The Disturbing State of the Law
    • Definition of “Trader”
    • Filing as a Trader
    • IRS Guidance on Trader Taxation
    • Mark-to-Market Accounting
    • Identifying Investment Holdings
    • Making the Mark-to-Market Election (part 1)
    • Making the Mark-to-Market Election (part 2)
    • The Section 481(a) Adjustment
• How to Handle Stock Options and Other Equity Compensation
  • Laying the Foundation
    • Equity Compensation 101
    • When Stock is Vested
    • Fair Market Value of Stock
    • Withholding on Stock Compensation
  • Restricted Stock
    • Grants or Awards of Stock
    • Buying Employer Stock
    • Section 83b Election
  • Nonqualified Options
    • Nonqualified Options in General
    • Nonqualified Stock Options Before Exercise
    • Exercising Nonqualified Stock Options
    • Cashless Exercise of Nonqualified Options
    • Nonqualified Option Exercise Using Stock
    • Sale of Stock from Nonqualified Options
    • Nonqualified Options and Capital Gain
  • Incentive Stock Options
    • Incentive Stock Options in General
    • Incentive Stock Options Before Exercise
    • Exercising ISOs
    • Cashless Exercise of ISOs
    • ISO Exercise Using Stock
    • Early Disposition of ISO Stock
    • Sale of Mature ISO Stock
    • $100,000 Limit for ISOs
    • $100,000 Limit and Early Exercise
    • Refundable AMT Credit
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plans
    • Overview of Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs)
    • Buying Shares Through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
    • Dispositions of ESPP Stock
    • Tax Reporting for Disqualifying Dispositions of ESPP Shares
    • Tax Reporting for Qualifying Dispositions of ESPP Shares
    • Flipping ESPP Shares
  • Tax Reporting for Equity Compensation
    • The Sorry State of IRS Guidance on Nonqualified Options
    • Reporting Sales of Nonqualified Option Stock
• Kids and College
  • Taxation of Minors
    • Tax Returns for Minors
    • Standard Deduction and Personal Exemption for Minors
    • Minors Taxed at Special Rates: the Kiddie Tax
    • Reporting Your Child’s Income on Your Return
    • Capital Losses for Minors
  • UGMA & UTMA Custodial Accounts for Minors
    • Custodial Accounts 101
    • Advantages of Custodial Accounts
    • Problems with Custodial Accounts
    • What Expenditures Are Proper?
    • Custodial Account Used for Support
    • The Minor’s Right to the Money
    • UTMA Regret: When Custodial Accounts Turn Sour
    • UTMA Regret: Strategies
    • UTMA Regret: More Strategies
    • UTMA Regret: Still More Strategies
    • UTMA Transfer to a 529 Account
    • UTMA to 529: Making the Transfer
    • UTMA to 529: Quest for Control
    • UTMA to 529: Tax Consequences
  • 529 Accounts
    • Changing 529 Account Investments
    • Transfer from UTMA Account
  • Coverdell Education Savings Accounts
    • Coverdell Accounts Overview
    • How a Coverdell Account Works
    • How to Start a Coverdell Account
    • Contributions to Coverdell Accounts
    • Investments in Coverdell Accounts
    • Earnings and Losses in Coverdell Accounts
    • Tax-Free Withdrawals from Coverdell Accounts
    • Using Coverdell Accounts with Other Tax Breaks
    • Taxable Withdrawals and Penalty Rules
    • Moving a Coverdell Account
    • Changing the Beneficiary of a Coverdell Account
    • Special Needs Beneficiary of a Coverdell Account
    • Estate and Gift Tax Treatment of a Coverdell Account
• Tax Planning
  • Tax Planning in 100 Words
• Investing
  • Investing in 100 Words
  • How Bonds Lose Value
  • Covered Call Caution
• Books from Fairmark Press
  • That Thing Rich People Do
  • Go Roth!
  • Capital Gains, Minimal Taxes
  • Consider Your Options
  • Equity Compensation Strategies

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Tax essentials

• Income Tax 101
• Your Tax Bracket
• Tax Rules for Gifts

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Free online guides

General taxation

• Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
• Estimated Tax

Equity compensation

• Compensation in Stock and Options

Retirement

• Roth IRA, 401k, 403b
• Social Security

Taxation of investments

• Capital Gains
• Mutual Funds
• Traders

Kids/college

• Taxation of Minors
• UGMA/UTMA Accounts
• Coverdell Accounts

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