 
Wishing
you a very Merry Christmas and the best for the new year!
Joe's practice focuses around Tax Returns, Financial Service, 401K roll overs,
Estate planning and Income Distribution Planning.
Joe holds the AICPA certification of "Personal Financial Specialist" and is a
member of the PFP "Personal Financial Planning section of the AICPA.
The
AICPA’s Personal Financial Planning Section is the premier provider of information,
tools, advocacy and guidance for CPAs who specialize in providing estate, tax, retirement,
risk management and investment planning advice to individuals and closely held entities.
CPA e-mail should be sent to hicks.j@tx.rr.com
.
Important Tax & Financial Calculators
What
is my potential estate tax liability-
2011 federal income
tax estimator
Capital gains (and losses) tax
estimator
How
much of my social security benefit may be taxable-
Should I itemize or take the
standard deduction-
Tax freedom
day
Do I have too
much debt-
Advantages
of a 529 College Savings Plan
How much
home can I afford-
Should
I convert to a bi-weekly payment schedule-
How much life
insurance do I need-
What is my life expectancy-
What are my needs for burial
and final expenses-
What may my 401(k) be worth-
What may my 457
Plan be worth-
What is my risk tolerance-
|
|
Fall 2011
Office hours Monday through Thursday 10:00am
to 5:00pm by appointment
Friday - in and out of office, call before coming. Drop box by the door
Business phone answered most any time.
Financial Services, Estate & Tax News
Home Page
|
| Lets Talk about
Dividends The
tax treatment on dividends is currently quite low by historical standards. Through the end
of 2012, those in the 25% tax bracket and above will pay a 15% tax rate on qualified
dividends, while those in the 10% and 15% tax brackets will owe no taxes at all on their
qualified dividend payouts. (Note that dividend tax treatment is scheduled to return to
pre-2003 levels in 2013.
But
what makes a dividend qualified? And more to the point, what types of dividends don't
count as qualified?
According
to the IRS,
a dividend qualifies for the favorable, long-term capital gains treatment if it meets
certain criteria. Specifically, the dividend must have been paid by a U.S. corporation, by
a foreign corporation that is eligible for benefits under a U.S. tax treaty, or by a
corporation whose shares trade on a U.S. exchange. Finally, for dividends to be taxed as
capital gains, the stockholder must have held the stock for more than 60 days during the
121-day period that begins 60 days before the ex-dividend date.
Dividends
in certain categories won't qualify for the low tax treatment. They include the following.
REITs
Certain
Foreign Stocks
Some
Equity-Income Funds
Securities
Held for a Short Time
|
What
is a CPA Personal Financial Specialist?
A
Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who meets the
financial planning requirements established by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (AICPA). The credential is awarded only to CPAs who demonstrate the requisite
experience, education, examination, and ethical standards established by the AICPA.
What
are the requirements?
In
order to obtain the PFS credential, an applicant must:
- Be a CPA in good standing
- Be a member in good standing with the AICPA
- Earn a minimum of 80 hours of personal financial planning
education
- Pass a comprehensive Personal Financial Planning exam
- Have at least two years (or 3,000 hours equivalent) of
full-time financial planning business experience
- Agree to be bound by the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
- Meet continuing education requirements
In addition Joe has passed the 66 & 7 securities exams and is insurance
licensed in the State of Texas |
Link
to our Location
Additional
information can always be found at the IRS Web site, http://www.irs.gov.
Credit Card and Interest Rate Information
ABC Guides Bank Rate Monitor
Visit our Music P
U.S. Savings Bonds on the Web
Our Background
Resume
|
