Want to help manage your year-end taxes? Here are some tax-saving planning tips to help you plan for your family. Donate to your favorite charity. Charitable contributions are an excellent way to decrease your taxable income, plus they help others. Do you have an older vehicle sitting around that nobody uses? What about older clothes? Donate them!

Make sure to get a receipt or written acknowledgment showing the dollar amount of your donation (this will be needed for tax purposes). The IRS does not consider a cancelled check alone as sufficient proof of a donation of $250 or more. Split your income. Consider shifting income to your children who are in a lower capital gains tax rate. Children only pay a 5 percent tax on capital gains, making it worthwhile to consider transferring some of your income to them to lower your taxes. For instance, consider giving your kids investments that defer income until that time. Stocks with an appreciated value are a popular vehicle for this tactic. Buy U. S. Cost savings Bonds.

These purchases are tax-free until the day time they are cashed. In other words, the income is usually deferred until the day you cash them in. Seek the services of your children. In case you own a business, consider hiring your children to shift a few taxable dollars to them. By hiring your kids to work in your business, you reduce your taxable salary and the kids receive tax-free income.

If they are too young to do easy jobs such as washing the company car, include their particular pictures within your company books. Older children can perform tasks such as filing and answering mobile phones. Open a stock option trust. Consider putting some or all of your non-qualified stock options in a trust for your children.

Although you need to pay income tax on the value of the options when they are exercised, you can considerably save on property and gift idea taxes. Most option programs need to be amended to allow this type of transfer. Consult with your financial planner for more details. Life insurance coverage proceeds. Yet another way of moving money to other people of your family is with life insurance coverage.

The recipient does not pay fees on the face value of the plan if the quantity is paid because the insured died. Life insurance coverage is considered a type of trust, whereby the insuring company may be the trustee. Interest received from your policy is usually taxable to the recipient, nevertheless. Distribution quantities (income) will be shown upon Form 1099-R. Gifts.

Consider providing gifts of either home or cash to help reduce your tax legal responsibility. Excluded coming from gross income would be the following: -Cumulative gifts to minors whom are twenty one years old or younger, only when held in a custodial account until that era. -Direct payments to educational institutions and health care facilities on behalf of ANY friends and family or non-family member.

-One-time lifetime/death-time exclusion of approximately $2, 000, 000 (actual quantity varies according to the year the gift is usually given). -One annual exclusion of up to $12, 000 like a donation receiver per taxpayer. There is no limit to the number of recipients.