• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
CMR ASSOCIATES CPA - TAX ACCOUNTING | SPEED ACCURACY | SOLUTIONS

CMR Associates - Tax | Accounting | Staffing

Accuracy | Solutions | Speed

  • Services
    • Tax Accounting
    • Business Accounting and Fractional CFO
    • Business System Implementation
    • Remote CPA Staffing
    • Business Valuation
  • Industries
    • Construction & Job Costing Industries
    • Real Estate Accounting
    • Restaurants and Hospitality Accounting
    • Doctors
    • Retail
    • Musicians
  • About Us
  • New Clients
    • Onboarding
    • Pricing
  • Resources
    • Client Portal
    • IRS Authorization
  • Contact Us
  • Show Search
Hide Search

admin

Most individual tax rates go down under the TCJA

Certified Public Accountant individual tax ratesMost individual tax rates go down under the TCJA

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) generally reduces individual tax rates for 2018 through 2025. It maintains seven individual income tax brackets but reduces the rates for all brackets except 10% and 35%, which remain the same.

It also makes some adjustments to the income ranges each bracket covers. For example, the 2017 top rate of 39.6% kicks in at $418,401 of taxable income for single filers and $470,701 for joint filers, but the reduced 2018 top rate of 37% takes effect at $500,001 and $600,001, respectively.

Below is a look at the 2018 brackets under the TCJA. Keep in mind that the elimination of the personal exemption, changes to the standard and many itemized deductions, and other changes under the new law could affect the amount of your income that’s subject to tax. Contact us for help assessing what your tax rate likely will be for 2018.

Single individuals

Taxable income Tax
Not over $9,525 10% of the taxable income
Over $9,525 but not over $38,700 $952.50 plus 12% of the excess over $9,525
Over $38,700 but not over $82,500 $4,453.50 plus 22% of the excess over $38,700
Over $82,500 but not over $157,500 $14,089.50 plus 24% of the excess over $82,500
Over $157,500 but not over $200,000 $32,089.50 plus 32% of the excess over $157,500
Over $200,000 but not over $500,000 $45,689.50 plus 35% of the excess over $200,000
Over $500,000 $150,689.50 plus 37% of the excess over $500,000

Heads of households

Taxable income Tax
Not over $13,600 10% of the taxable income
Over $13,600 but not over $51,800 $1,360 plus 12% of the excess over $13,600
Over $51,800 but not over $82,500 $5,944 plus 22% of the excess over $51,800
Over $82,500 but not over $157,500 $12,698 plus 24% of the excess over $82,500
Over $157,500 but not over $200,000 $30,698 plus 32% of the excess over $157,500
Over $200,000 but not over $500,000 $44,298 plus 35% of the excess over $200,000
Over $500,000 $149,298 plus 37% of the excess over $500,000

Married individuals filing joint returns and surviving spouses

Taxable income Tax
Not over $19,050 10% of the taxable income
Over $19,050 but not over $77,400 $1,905 plus 12% of the excess over $19,050
Over $77,400 but not over $165,000 $8,907 plus 22% of the excess over $77,400
Over $165,000 but not over $315,000 $28,179 plus 24% of the excess over $165,000
Over $315,000 but not over $400,000 $64,179 plus 32% of the excess over $315,000
Over $400,000 but not over $600,000 $91,379 plus 35% of the excess over $400,000
Over $600,000 $161,379 plus 37% of the excess over $600,000

Married individuals filing separate returns

Taxable income Tax
Not over $9,525 10% of the taxable income
Over $9,525 but not over $38,700 $952.50 plus 12% of the excess over $9,525
Over $38,700 but not over $82,500 $4,453.50 plus 22% of the excess over $38,700
Over $82,500 but not over $157,500 $14,089.50 plus 24% of the excess over $82,500
Over $157,500 but not over $200,000 $32,089.50 plus 32% of the excess over $157,500
Over $200,000 but not over $300,000 $45,689.50 plus 35% of the excess over $200,000
Over $300,000 $80,689.50 plus 37% of the excess over $300,000

© 2018

The TCJA temporarily expands bonus depreciation

Certified Public Accountant Bonus DepreciationThe TCJA temporarily expands bonus depreciation

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enhances some tax breaks for businesses while reducing or eliminating others. One break it enhances — temporarily — is bonus depreciation. While most TCJA provisions go into effect for the 2018 tax year, you might be able to benefit from the bonus depreciation enhancements when you file your 2017 tax return.

Pre-TCJA bonus depreciation

Under pre-TCJA law, for qualified new assets that your business placed in service in 2017, you can claim a 50% first-year bonus depreciation deduction. Used assets don’t qualify. This tax break is available for the cost of new computer systems, purchased software, vehicles, machinery, equipment, office furniture, etc.

In addition, 50% bonus depreciation can be claimed for qualified improvement property, which means any qualified improvement to the interior portion of a nonresidential building if the improvement is placed in service after the date the building is placed in service. But qualified improvement costs don’t include expenditures for the enlargement of a building, an elevator or escalator, or the internal structural framework of a building.

TCJA expansion

The TCJA significantly expands bonus depreciation: For qualified property placed in service between September 28, 2017, and December 31, 2022 (or by December 31, 2023, for certain property with longer production periods), the first-year bonus depreciation percentage increases to 100%. In addition, the 100% deduction is allowed for not just new but also used qualifying property.

The new law also allows 100% bonus depreciation for qualified film, television and live theatrical productions placed in service on or after September 28, 2017. Productions are considered placed in service at the time of the initial release, broadcast or live commercial performance.

Beginning in 2023, bonus depreciation is scheduled to be reduced 20 percentage points each year. So, for example, it would be 80% for property placed in service in 2023, 60% in 2024, etc., until it would be fully eliminated in 2027.

For certain property with longer production periods, the reductions are delayed by one year. For example, 80% bonus depreciation would apply to long-production-period property placed in service in 2024.

Bonus depreciation is only one of the business tax breaks that have changed under the TCJA. Contact us for more information on this and other changes that will impact your business.

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Metairie, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Metairie CPA Services
Metairie CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Mandeville, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Mandeville CPA Services
Mandeville CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Baton Rouge CPA Services
Baton Rouge CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Covington, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Covington CPA Services
Covington CPA News

Mandeville Notary Public Services
Madisonville Notary Public Services
Covington Notary Public Services

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Key provisions affecting individuals

Certified Public Accountant Tax Cuts and JobsTax Cuts and Jobs Act: Key provisions affecting individuals

On December 20, Congress completed passage of the largest federal tax reform law in more than 30 years. Commonly called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA), the new law means substantial changes for individual taxpayers.

The following is a brief overview of some of the most significant provisions. Except where noted, these changes are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.

  • Drops of individual income tax rates ranging from 0 to 4 percentage points (depending on the bracket) to 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%
  • Near doubling of the standard deduction to $24,000 (married couples filing jointly), $18,000 (heads of households), and $12,000 (singles and married couples filing separately)
  • Elimination of personal exemptions
  • Doubling of the child tax credit to $2,000 and other modifications intended to help more taxpayers benefit from the credit
  • Elimination of the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act requiring taxpayers not covered by a qualifying health plan to pay a penalty — effective for months beginning after December 31, 2018, and permanent
  • Reduction of the adjusted gross income (AGI) threshold for the medical expense deduction to 7.5% for regular and AMT purposes — for 2017 and 2018
  • New $10,000 limit on the deduction for state and local taxes (on a combined basis for property and income taxes; $5,000 for separate filers)
  • Reduction of the mortgage debt limit for the home mortgage interest deduction to $750,000 ($375,000 for separate filers), with certain exceptions
  • Elimination of the deduction for interest on home equity debt
  • Elimination of the personal casualty and theft loss deduction (with an exception for federally declared disasters)
  • Elimination of miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% floor (such as certain investment expenses, professional fees and unreimbursed employee business expenses)
  • Elimination of the AGI-based reduction of certain itemized deductions
  • Elimination of the moving expense deduction (with an exception for members of the military in certain circumstances)
  • Expansion of tax-free Section 529 plan distributions to include those used to pay qualifying elementary and secondary school expenses, up to $10,000 per student per tax year — permanent
  • AMT exemption increase, to $109,400 for joint filers, $70,300 for singles and heads of households, and $54,700 for separate filers
  • Doubling of the gift and estate tax exemptions, to $10 million (expected to be $11.2 million for 2018 with inflation indexing)

Be aware that additional rules and limits apply. Also, there are many more changes in the TCJA that will impact individuals. If you have questions or would like to discuss how you might be affected, please contact us.

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Key provisions affecting businesses

Certified Public Accountant Tax CutsTax Cuts and Jobs Act: Key provisions affecting businesses

The recently passed tax reform bill, commonly referred to as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (TCJA), is the most expansive federal tax legislation since 1986. It includes a multitude of provisions that will have a major impact on businesses.

Here’s a look at some of the most significant changes. They generally apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, except where noted.

  • Replacement of graduated corporate tax rates ranging from 15% to 35% with a flat corporate rate of 21%
  • Repeal of the 20% corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT)
  • New 20% qualified business income deduction for owners of flow-through entities (such as partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations) and sole proprietorships — through 2025
  • Doubling of bonus depreciation to 100% and expansion of qualified assets to include used assets — effective for assets acquired and placed in service after September 27, 2017, and before January 1, 2023
  • Doubling of the Section 179 expensing limit to $1 million and an increase of the expensing phaseout threshold to $2.5 million
  • Other enhancements to depreciation-related deductions
  • New disallowance of deductions for net interest expense in excess of 30% of the business’s adjusted taxable income (exceptions apply)
  • New limits on net operating loss (NOL) deductions
  • Elimination of the Section 199 deduction, also commonly referred to as the domestic production activities deduction or manufacturers’ deduction — effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, for noncorporate taxpayers and for tax years beginning after December 31, 2018, for C corporation taxpayers
  • New rule limiting like-kind exchanges to real property that is not held primarily for sale
  • New tax credit for employer-paid family and medical leave — through 2019
  • New limitations on excessive employee compensation
  • New limitations on deductions for employee fringe benefits, such as entertainment and, in certain circumstances, meals and transportation

Keep in mind that additional rules and limits apply to what we’ve covered here, and there are other TCJA provisions that may affect your business. Contact us for more details and to discuss what your business needs to do in light of these changes.

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Metairie, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Metairie CPA Services
Metairie CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Mandeville, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Mandeville CPA Services
Mandeville CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Baton Rouge CPA Services
Baton Rouge CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Covington, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Covington CPA Services
Covington CPA News

Mandeville Notary Public Services
Madisonville Notary Public Services
Covington Notary Public Services

401(k) retirement plan contribution limit increases for 2018; most other limits are stagnant

Certified Public Accountant 401k401(k) retirement plan contribution limit increases for 2018; most other limits are stagnant

Retirement plan contribution limits are indexed for inflation, but with inflation remaining low, most of the limits remain unchanged for 2018. But one piece of good news for taxpayers who’re already maxing out their contributions is that the 401(k) limit has gone up by $500. The only other limit that has increased from the 2017 level is for contributions to defined contribution plans, which has gone up by $1,000.

Type of limit 2018 limit
Elective deferrals to 401(k), 403(b), 457(b)(2)
and 457(c)(1) plans
$18,500
Contributions to defined contribution plans $55,000
Contributions to SIMPLEs $12,500
Contributions to IRAs $5,500
Catch-up contributions to 401(k), 403(b), 457(b)(2)
and 457(c)(1) plans
$6,000
Catch-up contributions to SIMPLEs $3,000
Catch-up contributions to IRAs $1,000

If you’re not already maxing out your contributions to other plans, you still have an opportunity to save more in 2018. And if you turn age 50 in 2018, you can begin to take advantage of catch-up contributions.

Higher-income taxpayers should also be pleased that some limits on their retirement plan contributions that had been discussed as part of tax reform didn’t make it into the final legislation.

However, keep in mind that there are still additional factors that may affect how much you’re allowed to contribute (or how much your employer can contribute on your behalf). For example, income-based limits may reduce or eliminate your ability to make Roth IRA contributions or to make deductibletraditional IRA contributions.

If you have questions about how much you can contribute to tax-advantaged retirement plans in 2018, check with us.

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Metairie, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Metairie CPA Services
Metairie CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Mandeville, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Mandeville CPA Services
Mandeville CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Baton Rouge CPA Services
Baton Rouge CPA News

Tax Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Business Consulting for Covington, Louisiana
Industry Specific Accounting
Covington CPA Services
Covington CPA News

Mandeville Notary Public Services
Madisonville Notary Public Services
Covington Notary Public Services

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 21
  • Page 22
  • Page 23
  • Page 24
  • Page 25
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 31
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Tax. Accounting. Solutions.

Need a good accountant? We can help. Serving clients globally, we embrace distributed work environments. Book a call to learn more.

Book an appointment with Personnel Calendar using SetMore

About CMR Associates

Covington CPA and Tax Accountants Team

Tax Accounting and Business Consulting: We provide tax accounting, business accounting, Outsourced CFO, back-office CPA staffing, business system implementation, payroll, business valuation, consulting, and strategic planning services. …

Publication by CMR Associates

Charles Renwick CPA

All of the latest publications from the directors and staff at CMR …

TAX NEWS AND ADVICE

  • Business Tax Advice
  • Individual Tax Advice
  • Outsourced Accounting
  • Personal Finance
  • Remote Work

Terms and Conditions
Outsourced Accountant CPA
All the Presidents’ Taxes

Get solutions today with CMR Assocaites. Learn More

CMR Associates - Tax | Accounting | Staffing

© 2025 · Sitemap

  • Services
  • Industries
  • About Us
  • New Clients
  • Resources
  • Contact Us