It is always a jarring time for you and your family when you get notified that you will be deploying. As your mind races about your job, your family, and your mission, it can seem like there are thousands of things for you to do, and often there actually is! A deployment can also be a time of opportunity, for you personally and financially. One of the benefits afforded to you as a servicemember deployed to a combat zone is that the income you earn as a member of the military in the combat zone is excluded from income taxes (you still pay social security and medicare taxes). The tax-free
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), passed just at the end of 2017, made some of the most significant changes to the tax code in decades, and you have probably heard numerous takes on how good or bad the legislation is. This is not going to be a discussion of the merits of the bill, but instead, I will highlight three changes that taxpayers can use to their advantage starting as early as 2018. Just one big note, this is for 2018 taxes, due in April 2019. For your 2017 taxes, due in April of 2018, the old tax rules still apply.
As we move into the holiday season and with the end of the year fast approaching, it is always good to take some time out and make sure you are doing some year-end planning with regard to taxes. Regardless of your personal situation, there may be some small steps you can take (or have to take) to stay in compliance with the IRS or to take advantage of the tax laws to avoid a bad situation come April 15th.
Individual retirement accounts can be a fantastic vehicle for helping individuals save money for retirement. They can be used in conjunction with workplace retirement plans and social security to help provide income for retirees when they have left the workforce. When it comes to IRAs, they come in two different flavors, traditional and Roth. We will discuss how these two types of retirement accounts are the same, how they are different, and which one may be right for you.
