EpsteinProject.org

House Oversight — Estate records

HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_022361

Brief

Pages
6
Text
Searchable

Text as released

Machine-read from the scan. Names, dates and numbers can be misread — check anything you rely on against the original page.

Blanche Lark Christerson
Managing Director, Senior Wealth Planning Strategist
Tax Topics
2013-05
04/29/13
Fiscal Year 2014 Budget issued
On April 10 th , President Obama issued his Fiscal Year 2014 budget. Shortly thereafter, the Treasury
Department issued its “Green Book,” which explains the tax provisions in the budget. Although most of
these provisions are familiar and have appeared in previous budgets, a few were new. Here is a selected
overview of some of these provisions, most of which would apply (assuming Congress enacts them) as of
2014:
• Limit the value of certain tax benefits. As in previous budgets, the current budget proposes to limit
the value of various tax benefits so that they only reduce or shelter income that would be taxed at 28%
or less. In other words, taxpayers with income that would be taxed at the 33%, 35% or 39.6% rate
would see tax benefits curtailed, including ALL itemized deductions (these include deductions for
mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes), tax-exempt municipal bond
interest, employer and employee contributions to employer-sponsored health insurance, employee
contributions to retirement plans such as 401(k)s, contributions to health savings accounts and Archer
medical savings accounts, interest on education loans and certain higher education expenses. Because
an affected taxpayer’s pre-tax contribution to her retirement account would be taxed, the account’s
“basis” would be increased accordingly.
Comments. This proposal is not new, but the basis adjustment for retirement accounts is an equitable
provision that was previously missing. Also, because the proposal would apply to income that is taxed
at 33%, 35% or 39.6%, it would increase taxes on some of those President Obama has previously
pledged to insulate from higher taxes – namely, individuals with income under $200,000 or married
couples filing jointly with income under $250,000. That is, in 2013, the 33% tax rate applies to taxable
income

[…]

Open in the archive