June 15th falls on the weekend this year, so the due date for the second installment of estimated taxes is the next business day, June 17, which is just around the corner. So, it is time to determine if your estimated tax payment should be lowered if you overestimated your income for 2019 or increased if you underestimated it.

Unlike employees, a self-employed individual must estimate his or her net earnings for the year and pay taxes on a quarterly basis according to that estimate. Failure to do so will result in interest penalties.

The self-employed are not the only ones who are subject to estimated tax requirements, which also apply to anyone who has income that is not subject to withholding taxes and even to those whose taxes are not sufficiently withheld. Thus, if you have income from stock sales, property sales, investments, alimony, partnerships, S-corporations, inherited pension plans, or other sources that are not subject to withholding, you may also be required to pay either estimated taxes or an underpayment penalty. Others subject to making estimated payments are individuals who must pay special taxes such as the 3.8% tax on net investment income or the employment tax on household employees.

Although these payments are called “quarterly” estimates, the periods they cover do not usually coincide with a calendar quarter.

Quarter	Period Covered	Months	Due Date*
First	January through March	3	April 15
Second	April and May	2	June 15
Third	June through August	3	September 15
Fourth	September through December	4	January 15

 

An underestimate penalty won’t apply if the tax due on a return (after withholding and refundable credits) is less than $1,000; this is the “de minimis amount due” exception. When the tax due is $1,000 or more, underpayment penalties are assessed.

These underpayment penalties are determined on a quarterly basis, so an underpayment in an earlier quarter cannot be made up for in a later quarter; however, an over payment in an earlier quarter is applied to the following quarter.

The amount of an estimated payment is determined by estimating one fourth of the taxpayer’s tax for the entire year; the projected tax is paid in four installments. When the income is seasonal, sporadic, or the result of a windfall, the IRS provides a special form, and the underpayment penalty is based on actual income for the period.

For individuals who do not want to take the time to estimate their quarterly taxes but who still want to avoid the underpayment penalty, Uncle Sam also provides safe-harbor estimates.

However, even these can be tricky. Generally, a taxpayer can avoid an underpayment penalty if his or her withholding and estimated payments are equal to or greater than:

• 90% of the current year’s tax liability or
• 100% of the prior year’s tax liability.

However, these safe harbors do not apply if the prior year’s adjusted gross income is over $150,000, in which case, the safe harbors are:

• 90% of the current year’s tax liability or
• 110% of the prior year’s tax liability.

Sometimes, individuals who have withholding on some (but not all) of their sources of income will increase that withholding to compensate for the additional income that comes from sources that have no withholding. Although this may work, withholding adjustments are not as precise as quarterly payments and should be used with caution. Similarly, when the safe harbor method based on the prior year’s tax liability is used, and the taxpayer has some withholding and also makes estimated tax payments, it’s important to monitor the current year’s withholding to be sure that the combined withholding and estimated installment prepayments will meet the safe harbor target amount.

We can assist you in estimating payments, adjusting withholding, and setting up safe-harbor payments. Please call for assistance at 562-404-7996 for more information.

June 10 – Report Tips to Employer

If you are an employee who works for tips and received more than $20 in tips during May, you are required to report them to your employer on IRS Form 4070 no later than June 10. Your employer is required to withhold FICA taxes and income tax withholding for these tips from your regular wages. If your regular wages are insufficient to cover the FICA and tax withholding, the employer will report the amount of the uncollected withholding in box 12 of your W-2 for the year. You will be required to pay the uncollected withholding when your return for the year is filed.

June 17 – Estimated Tax Payment Due

It’s time to make your second quarter estimated tax installment payment for the 2019 tax year. Our tax system is a “pay-as-you-earn” system. To facilitate that concept, the government has provided several means of assisting taxpayers in meeting the “pay-as-you-earn” requirement. These include:

• Payroll withholding for employees;
• Pension withholding for retirees; and
• Estimated tax payments for self-employed individuals and those with other sources of income not covered by withholding.

When a taxpayer fails to prepay a safe harbor (minimum) amount, they can be subject to the underpayment penalty. This penalty is equal to the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points, and the penalty is computed on a quarter-by-quarter basis.

Federal tax law does provide ways to avoid the underpayment penalty. If the underpayment is less than $1,000 (the “de minimis amount”), no penalty is assessed. In addition, the law provides “safe harbor” prepayments. There are two safe harbors:

• The first safe harbor is based on the tax owed in the current year. If your payments equal or exceed 90% of what is owed in the current year, you can escape a penalty.
• The second safe harbor is based on the tax owed in the immediately preceding tax year. This safe harbor is generally 100% of the prior year’s tax liability. However, for taxpayers whose AGI exceeds $150,000 ($75,000 for married taxpayers filing separately), the prior year’s safe harbor is 110%.

Example: Suppose your tax for the year is $10,000 and your prepayments total $5,600. The result is that you owe an additional $4,400 on your tax return. To find out if you owe a penalty, see if you meet the first safe harbor exception. Since 90% of $10,000 is $9,000, your prepayments fell short of the mark. You can’t avoid the penalty under this exception.

However, in the above example, the safe harbor may still apply. Assume your prior year’s tax was $5,000. Since you prepaid $5,600, which is greater than 110% of the prior year’s tax (110% = $5,500), you qualify for this safe harbor and can escape the penalty.

This example underscores the importance of making sure your prepayments are adequate, especially if you have a large increase in income. This is common when there is a large gain from the sale of stocks, sale of property, when large bonuses are paid, when a taxpayer retires, etc. Timely payment of each required estimated tax installment is also a requirement to meet the safe harbor exception to the penalty. If you have questions regarding your safe harbor estimates, please call this office as soon as possible.

CAUTION: Some state de minimis amounts and safe harbor estimate rules are different than those for the Federal estimates. Please call this office for particular state safe harbor rules.

June 17 – Taxpayers Living Abroad

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien living and working (or on military duty) outside the United States and Puerto Rico, June 17 is the filing due date for your 2018 income tax return and to pay any tax due. If your return has not been completed and you need additional time to file your return, file Form 4868 to obtain 4 additional months to file. Then, file Form 1040 by October 15. However, if you are a participant in a combat zone, you may be able to further extend the filing deadline (see below).

Caution: This is not an extension of time to pay your tax liability, only an extension to file the return. If you expect to owe, estimate how much and include your payment with the extension. If you owe taxes when you do file your extended tax return, you will be liable for both the late payment penalty and interest from the due date.

Combat Zone – For military taxpayers in a combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area, the deadlines for taking actions with the IRS are extended. This also applies to service members involved in contingency operations, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom. The extension is for 180 consecutive days after the later of:

• The last day a military taxpayer was in a combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area or served in a qualifying contingency operation, or have qualifying service outside of the combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area (or the last day the area qualifies as a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area), or
• The last day of any continuous qualified hospitalization for injury from service in the combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area or contingency operation, or while performing qualifying service outside of the combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area.

In addition to the 180 days, the deadline is also extended by the number of days that were left for the individual to take an action with the IRS when they entered a combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area or began serving in a contingency operation.

It is not a good idea to delay filing your return because you owe taxes. The late filing penalty is 5% per month (maximum 25%) and can be a substantial penalty. It is generally better practice to file the return without payment and avoid the late filing penalty. We can also establish an installment agreement, which allows you to pay your taxes over a period of up to 72 months.

Please contact this office for assistance with an extension request or an installment agreement.

If you forgot to include necessary information on your 2018 return, you are not alone. In addition, you may have received a revised 1099 or K-1 since filing your return. The IRS has struggled to deal with the enormity of the changes in the recent tax reform; despite significant pressure to update its regulations, forms, and publications, the IRS could not finish all of its tax-reform updates in a timely manner. Some IRS publications still have not been updated for 2018, and others even include errors. The new tax regulations have been dribbling out, but the IRS still has not provided sufficient guidance for some issues.

As a result of this uncertainty, you may receive a corrected 1099 or K-1. You may also need to update your return because, like most taxpayers, you did not fully comprehend all of the provisions of the new tax law thus failing to include an item of income, deduction, or credit. You also may have simply overlooked an item of income or missed a significant deduction. These mistakes happen, which is why the IRS and state tax agencies allow for amended tax returns.

A failure to report an item of income will generate an IRS inquiry; this typically happens a year or so after the filing of the original return—which is after the interest and penalties have built up. On the other hand, if you forgot a deduction and are owed a refund, you should not let that go by the wayside.

In some cases, marital problems lead taxpayers to file incorrectly—for instance, by incorrectly claiming children or not allocating income correctly. These and myriad other issues can be corrected by amending the returns. As warning, please note that, if you are married and filed a joint return, you cannot amend to file separate returns. However, a married couple’s separate returns can be amended into a single joint return.

Regardless of the issue, the solution is to file an amended return as soon as possible. This will minimize the penalties and interest in the case of omitted income and will also prevent you from getting those annoying letters from the IRS. Amended returns can also be used to claim an overlooked credit, to correct your filing status or number of dependents, to report an omitted investment transaction, to submit a delayed K-1, or to include any other information that should have been on the original return.

If an overlooked item results in a tax increase, filing the amended return quickly will mitigate the penalties and interest. Procrastination will lead to further complications when the IRS eventually determines that information is missing, so it is always best to take care of the issue right away.

Generally, to claim a refund on an amended return, you must file the amendment within three years of the date when you filed the original return, or within two years of the date when you paid the tax—whichever is later.

If any of these issues apply to you, please give this office a call so that we can prepare the necessary amended returns.

April 15 is a date Americans often dread. But this year, as millions of families finished filing their taxes, most were in for a pleasant surprise: a much lower bill from Uncle Sam.

Today marks the first “Tax Day” under President Donald J. Trump’s new, simplified tax code. “When government loosens its grip, there is no summit we cannot reach,” the President said before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed into law in 2017. He promised that historic tax cuts would “breathe new life into the American economy.”

He was right. Here are some of the big wins for working families under the new code:

• A doubled Child Tax Credit—from $1,000 to $2,000 per child
• A nearly doubled Standard Deduction
• More than $2,000 in savings for an average family of four earning $75,000
• $5.5 trillion in total tax cuts, nearly 60 percent of which goes to families

Just as important, President Trump fixed the business tax code to put American companies—and our workers—on a level playing field with the rest of the world. In addition to lowering our sky-high statutory corporate tax rate, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also allowed businesses to immediately deduct expenses to invest in growing their companies.

America is open for business again as a result of those reforms:

• Real GDP growth hit 3 percent recently for the first time since 2005
• Half a trillion dollars in investment poured back into the U.S in 2018 alone
• For the first time ever, there are more job openings than unemployed workers
• Small business optimism soared a record high in 2018

CLICK HERE to continue reading

Tax day is just a couple days away and we have already seen some surprises for people filing their first income tax returns under President Donald Trump’s 2017 law.

Most Americans are paying less in taxes overall and have been startled to find that their refunds have barely changed or are down — making them feel like they lost even though they’re still coming out ahead.

Below are some ways to look at who’s winning and losing under the law.

winners

1. Most US taxpayers
2. Most Wealthy People
3. Heirs
4. Some Business Owners
5. Red state filers who depend on refunds
6. People taking the standard deduction
7. Corporations

losers

1. Blue state filers who depend on refunds
2. People who thought a tax cut would mean a bigger refund
3. People who thought they were getting a refund
4. The US Treasury

CLICK HERE to read more.

Article Highlights:

• Extensions
• Balance-Due Payments
• Contributions to Roth or Traditional IRAs
• Estimated Tax Payments for the First Quarter of 2019
• Individual Refund Claims for the 2015 Tax Year

As a reminder to those who have not yet filed their 2018 tax returns, April 15, is the due date to either file a return (and pay the taxes owed) or file for an automatic six-month extension (and pay the an estimate of the taxes owed). Caution should be exercised when preparing the extension application, which is IRS Form 4868. Even though this form is described as “automatic,” the extension is automatically granted only if it includes a reasonable estimate of the 2018 tax liability and only if that anticipated liability is paid along with the extension voucher. It is not uncommon for taxpayers to enter zero as the estimated tax liability without figuring the actual estimated amount. These taxpayers risk the IRS classifying their forms as having been improperly completed, which in turn makes the extensions invalid. If you need an extension, please contact this office so that we can prepare a valid extension for you.

The extension must be filed in a timely manner; at this office, we can file your extension electronically before the due date. If you are mailing an extension, be advised that the envelope with the extension form must only be postmarked on or before the April 15 due date. However, there are inherent risks associated with dropping an extension form in a mailbox; for instance, the envelope might not be postmarked in a timely fashion. Thus, those who have estimated tax due should mail their extension forms using registered or certified mail so as not to risk late-filing penalties.

In addition, the April 15 deadline also applies to the following:

• Balance-Due Payments for the 2018 Tax Year – Be aware that Form 4868 is an extension to file, NOT an extension to pay. The IRS will assess late-payment penalties (with interest) on any balance due, even when the extension has been granted. Taxpayers who anticipate having a balance due need to estimate this amount and include payment for that balance, either along with the extension request (as indicated above) or electronically (through the IRS website).
• Contributions to a Roth or Traditional IRA for the 2018 Tax Year – April 15 is the last day for 2018 contributions to either a Roth or a traditional IRA. Form 4868 does not provide an extension for making IRA contributions.
• Individual Estimated Tax Payments for the First Quarter of 2019 – Taxpayers – especially those who have filed for extension – should be aware that the first installment of estimated taxes for the 2019 tax year is due on April 15. Taxpayers who fail to prepay the minimum (“safe-harbor”) amount can be subject to a penalty for the underpayment of the estimated tax. This penalty is based on the interest on the underpayment, which is calculated using the short-term federal rate plus 3 percentage points. The penalty is computed on a quarter-by-quarter basis, so even people who have prepaid the correct overall amount for the year may be subject to the penalty if the amounts are not paid proportionally or in a timely way. Federal tax law does provide ways to avoid the underpayment penalty. For instance, if the underpayment is less than $1,000 (referred to as the de minimis amount), no penalty is assessed. In addition, there are two safe-harbor prepayments:

  1. The first safe-harbor prepayment is based on the tax owed on the current year’s return. There is no penalty when the prepayments (including both withholding and estimated payments) equal or exceed 90% the owed amount.

  2. The second safe-harbor prepayment is based on the total tax amount (not including credits for prepayments) on the return for the immediately preceding tax year. This is generally set at 100% of the prior year’s tax liability. However, taxpayers with adjusted gross income exceeding $150,000 (or $75,000 for married taxpayers filing separately) must pay 110% of the prior year’s tax liability.

• Individual Refund Claims for the 2015 Tax Year – The regular three-year statute of limitations expires for the 2015 tax return on April 15 of this year. Thus, no refund will be granted for a 2015 return (original or amended) that is filed after April 15. Taxpayers could risk missing out on the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, the refundable American Opportunity Tax Credit for college tuition, and the refundable child credit for the 2015 tax year if they do not file before the statute of limitations ends. Caution: The statute does not apply to balances due for unfiled 2015 returns.

If your return is still pending because of missing information, please forward that information to this office as quickly as possible so that we can ensure that your return meets the April 15 deadline. Keep in mind that the last week of tax season is very hectic, and your returns may not be completed in time if you wait until the last minute. If you know that the missing information will not be available before the April 15 deadline, then please let us know right away so that we can prepare an extension request (and 2019 estimated-tax vouchers, if needed).

If you have not yet completed your returns, please call this office right away so that we can schedule an appointment and/or file an extension.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning about a new twist on the old IRS impersonation phone scam. In this version of the scam, criminals try to convince taxpayers that they are calling from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS).

The TAS is an independent organization within the IRS. Its missions is to protect your rights as a taxpayer and to help you with tax problems you can’t resolve on your own. TAS does not initiate calls to taxpayers; generally, you reach out to TAS for help, and only then would TAS make a call or otherwise contact you. You can check out the TAS website here.

In the most recent scam variation, callers “spoof” the telephone number of the IRS TAS office in Houston or Brooklyn. When calls are spoofed, the scammers have changed the caller ID to make it look like they are calling from the agency, such as the IRS TAS.

Calls may be “robo-calls” or automated calls that request a call back. Once the taxpayer returns the call, the scammer requests personal information, like your Social Security number or other personally identifiable information.

In previous variations of the IRS impersonation phone scam, fraudsters demand immediate payment of taxes by a prepaid debit card, wire transfer or gift cards. Scammers may also tell potential victims that they are entitled to a large refund, but the refund can’t be released until the taxpayers provide personal information.

No matter the details, the scams typically have these things in common:

• Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers to identify themselves.
• Scammers may know the last four digits of the taxpayer’s Social Security number.
• Scammers spoof caller ID to make the phone number appear as if the IRS or another local law enforcement agency is calling.
• Scammers may send bogus IRS emails to victims to support their bogus calls.
• Potential victims may hear background noise of other calls to mimic a call site (many of these calls come from fraudulent call centers like this one).
• After threatening potential victims with jail time or other punishment, scammers may hang up and call back pretending to be from local law enforcement agencies or the Department of Motor Vehicles (again, spoofing calls so that the caller ID again supports the claim).

As a reminder, the IRS will never:

• Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the IRS call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
• Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

Despite increased publicity about these kinds of scams, reports of phone scams increased in 2018, with the IRS reporting receipt of thousands of such complaints each week. These phone scams are “a major threat to taxpayers” and as such, continued to hold down a top spot on the IRS “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams.

Don’t engage or respond with scammers. Here’s how to protect yourself:

• If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, and you do not owe tax, or if you are immediately aware that it’s a scam, don’t engage with the scammer and do not give out any information. Just hang up.
• If you receive a telephone message from someone claiming to be from the IRS, and you do not owe tax, or if you are immediately aware that it’s a scam, don’t call them back.
• If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be with the IRS, and you owe tax or think you may owe tax, do not give out any information. Call the IRS back at 1.800.829.1040 to find out more information.
• Never open a link or attachment from an unknown or suspicious source.
• If you’re not sure about the authenticity of an email, don’t click on hyperlinks. A better bet is to go directly to the source’s main Web page.
• Use security software to protect against malware and viruses found in phishing emails.
• Use strong passwords to protect online accounts and use a unique password for each account. Longer is better, and don’t hesitate to lie about important details on websites since crooks may know some of your personal details.
• Use two or multifactor authentication when possible. Two-factor authentication means that in addition to entering your username and password, you typically enter a security code sent to your mobile phone or other device.

Don’t fall for the tricks. Keep your personal information safe by remaining alert. And, when in doubt, assume it’s a scam.

Have you been ignoring your future retirement needs? This tends to happen when people are young; because retirement is far in the future, they believe that they have plenty of time to save for it. Some people even ignore the issue until late in life, which causes them to scramble to fund their retirement. Others even ignore the issue altogether, assuming that they will qualify for Social Security and that the resulting income will take care of their retirement needs.

Did you know that you can make retirement savings contributions after the close of the tax year and that these contributions may be deductible? With the April tax deadline in the near future, the window of opportunity is closing to maximize contributions to retirement and special-purpose plans for 2018. Many of these retirement contributions will also deliver tax deductions or tax credits for the 2018 tax year.

Contribution Opportunities – Some 2018 retirement contributions are available after the close of the year.
Traditional IRAs – For 2018, the maximum traditional IRA contribution is $5,500 (or $6,500 if the taxpayer is at least 50 years old on December 31, 2018). A 2018 traditional IRA contribution can be made until April 15, 2019. However, for taxpayers who have other retirement plans, some or all of their IRA contributions may not be deductible. To be eligible to contribute to IRAs (of any type), taxpayers—or spouses if married and filing jointly—must have earned income such as wages or self-employment income.

Roth IRAs – A Roth IRA is a nondeductible retirement account, but its earnings are tax-free upon withdrawal—provided that the requirements for the holding period and age are met. Roth IRAs are a good option for many taxpayers who aren’t eligible for deductible contributions to a traditional IRA. For 2018, the contribution limits for a Roth IRA are the same as for a traditional IRA: $5,500 (or $6,500 if the taxpayer is at least 50 years old). A 2018 Roth IRA contribution can also be made until April 15, 2019.

Caution: For those who have both traditional and Roth IRA contributions, the combined limit for 2018 is also $5,500 (or $6,500 if the taxpayer is at least 50 years old).

Spousal IRA Contributions – A nonworking spouse can open and contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA based on the working spouse’s earned income. The spouses are subject to the same contribution limits, and their combined contributions cannot exceed the working spouse’s earned income. Spousal IRA contributions for 2018 must also be made by April 15, 2019.

Simplified Employee Pension IRAs – Simplified Employee Pension IRAs are tax-deferred plans for sole proprietorships and small businesses. This is probably the easiest way to build retirement dollars, as it requires virtually no paperwork. The maximum contribution depends on a business’s net earnings. For 2018, the maximum contribution is the lesser of 25% of the employee’s compensation or $55,000. A 2018 contribution to such a plan can be made up to the return’s due date (including extensions). Thus, unlike a traditional or Roth IRA, a Simplified Employee Pension IRA can be established and funded for 2018 as late as October 15, 2019 (if an extension to file a 2018 Form 1040 has been granted).

Solo 401(k) Plans – A growing number of self-employed individuals are forsaking the Simplified Employee Pension IRA for a newer type of retirement plan called a Solo 401(k) or Self-Employed 401(k). This plan is available to self-employed individuals who do not have employees, and it is notable mostly for its high contribution levels.

For 2018, Solo 401(k) contributions can equal 25% of compensation, plus a salary deferral of up to $18,500. The total contributions, however, can’t exceed $55,000 or 100% of compensation. Note that an individual must have established the Solo 401(k) account by December 31, 2018, to make 2018 contributions. However, contributions to an established account can then be made up to the return’s due date (which can be extended to October 15, 2019, for most taxpayers). Taxpayers who did not establish a Solo 401(k) account by the end of 2018 can still open one now for 2019 contributions.

Health Savings Accounts – Health savings accounts are only available for individuals who have high-deductible health plans. For 2018, this refers to plans with a deductible of at least $1,350 for individual coverage or $2,700 for family coverage. These accounts allow individuals to save money to pay for their medical expenses.

Money that an individual does not spend on medical expenses stays in that person’s account and gains (tax-free) interest, just like in an IRA. Because unused amounts remain available for later years, health savings accounts can be used as additional retirement funds. The maximum contributions for 2018 are $3,450 for individual coverage and $6,900 for family coverage. The annual contribution limits are increased by $1,000 for individuals who are at least 55 years old. Contributions to a health savings account for 2018 can be made through April 15, 2019.
Please note that the information provided above is abbreviated. Contact this office for specific details on how each option applies to your situation.

Saver’s Credit – Low- and moderate-income workers are eligible for a saver’s credit that helps them offset part of the first $2,000 that they contribute to an IRA or a qualified employer-based retirement plan. This credit helps individuals who don’t normally have the resources to set money aside for retirement, and it is available in addition to the other tax benefits that are associated with retirement-plan contributions.

This credit is provided to encourage taxpayers to save for retirement. To prevent taxpayers from taking distributions from existing retirement savings and then re-depositing them to claim this credit, the qualifying retirement contributions used to figure the credit are reduced by any retirement-plan distributions taken during a “testing period”: the prior two tax years, the current year, and the portion of the subsequent tax year up to the return’s due date (including extensions).

Children with Earned Income – Many children hold part-time jobs, and after the recent tax reform, the standard deduction allows these children to earn $12,000 tax-free. This earned income also qualifies children for IRA contributions. Although children may balk at contributing their hard-earned income to an IRA, their parents or grandparents can gift Roth IRA contributions to children. That Roth IRA will significantly increase in value by the time the child reaches retirement age, 45 or 50 years later.

Individuals’ financial resources, family obligations, health, life expectancy, and retirement expectations vary greatly, and there is no one-size-fits-all retirement strategy. Events such as purchasing a home or putting children through college can limit retirement contributions; these events must be accounted for in any retirement plan.

If you have questions about any of the retirement vehicles discussed above or if you would like to discuss how retirement contributions will affect your 2018 tax return, please give this office a call.