April 2016 Newsletter

Special Report on the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015
Last December, President Obama signed the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 into law. The new law contains several tax benefits for individuals and companies.
Higher Education Tax Breaks
In 2009, Congress replaced the Hope Scholar-ship Tax Credit with the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). Compared with the Hope credit, the AOTC offers more annual tax savings and is available to people with higher incomes. Moreover, the AOTC can be claimed during a student’s first four years of higher education, whereas the Hope credit was limited to the first two years.
Tax-Free Investment Gains
For more than 20 years, Section 1202 of the tax code has offered benefits to investors in certain small companies. Generally, non-corporate investors can use this tax break if they buy stock in companies that met specified criteria. After a holding period of at least 5 years, any gain on a sale will be taxed favorably.
Business Tax Benefits
The tax code includes Section 179, which permits first-year deduction (expensing) of amounts spent for business equipment. This provision formerly allowed annual deductions up to $25,000. After $200,000 of equipment outlays, the allowance phased out, dollar-for-dollar.
April Tax Calendar
Use our Tax Calendar for important dates and reminders for April of 2016.