(BPT) - With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 having been signed into law, here are some of the things you should be thinking about as tax season approaches, according to Robert Fishbein, vice president and corporate counsel, Prudential Financial Inc.

2017 tax returns

The new tax law is generally effective starting in 2018, which means that your 2017 income tax return is largely unaffected. However, there may be actions you can take now to benefit from the change. For example, assuming you are eligible, you could fund a traditional IRA before the due date of your tax return; the income exclusion may be more valuable under higher 2017 tax rates.

Lower tax rates and new withholding

The hallmark of the new tax law is lower marginal tax rates for individuals. The IRS has issued withholding tables employers started using in February to reflect these lower rates. While this could mean lower tax withholding and more take-home pay, you should evaluate your personal income tax position to determine if you will pay more or less under the new law and adjust your withholding accordingly.

If you make estimated tax payments, you should also estimate your tax liability under the new tax law and make necessary adjustments to your quarterly tax payments.

Assuming your withholding or estimated tax payments need no adjustment may create an unpleasant surprise if you are under-withheld and owe penalty tax and interest when you file your 2018 income tax return.

Higher standard deduction

The new higher standard deduction of $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples will greatly reduce the number of taxpayers that itemize deductions. If you did not itemize in 2016, and your tax position is similar now, you will probably not itemize in 2017. The increased standard deduction, combined with lower marginal rates, may mean your tax liability will go down.

If you itemized in 2016, compare your total itemized amount to the new standard deduction. If less, and assuming a similar tax position in 2017, you will likely no longer need to itemize.

For many, this provision will turn out to be the greatest simplification aspect of the new tax law, since they no longer must track itemized deductions or complete multiple associated forms.

No personal exemptions

Some taxpayers will need to look more closely to determine if they will pay less or even more. The new law eliminates personal exemptions and reduces deductible items, such as limiting the total deduction for state and local income taxes to $10,000, reducing the amount of deductible mortgage interest and eliminating the deduction for interest paid on a home equity line of credit. Therefore, if you itemized deductions in 2017 and your deductions were greater than the applicable standard deduction, you will have to consider what deductions are available in 2018 and estimate your tax liability.

In states with higher income taxes and property taxes, it is possible that the loss of itemized deductions will be greater than the benefit of lower rates and your tax liability could increase.

Increased child and dependent credits

The new law increases the child tax credit for children under 17 to $2,000. The income limits to phase out the credit are also significantly increased so more taxpayers will be eligible. In addition, there is a $500 credit for other qualifying dependents. Depending on your tax bracket, this could be better or worse than getting an exemption for each dependent.

Increased AMT exemption

Adding one more layer of complexity to your 2018 planning is the new tax law’s modification of the Alternative Minimum Tax or AMT. The AMT is a parallel tax system that requires you to calculate your income tax under the normal rules and then again under AMT rules, paying the higher of the two. The new tax law increases the AMT exemption, or the amount you can earn and not be subject to this alternative tax. If you have been subject to AMT in the past, you should review the new increased exemption and whether that will change.

The bottom line

The bottom line for most is whether they will pay more or less income tax in 2018 than in 2017. While it is likely many will pay less, you need to consider all the above before you know how you will be impacted by the new tax law.
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Please consult your legal or tax advisor concerning your particular circumstances. The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark NJ and its affiliates.

(BPT) - Every year, nearly eight out of 10 taxpayers receive a federal tax refund. Many of them are more than happy to see that “extra” money drop into their bank accounts. In fact, according to a recent TaxAct survey, 61 percent of tax filers said they’d rather receive a big refund than a larger paycheck throughout the year.

Unfortunately, many of those taxpayers don’t realize they could have that “extra” money throughout the year. That’s right — receiving a refund means overpaying the government in the form of a 12-month, interest-free loan.

“Receiving a refund check simply means you’re getting the money you already earned in the past year,” says Mark Jaeger, director of Tax Development for TaxAct. “It’s money you could have used to pay for things like car payments, student loans, groceries and medical bills — or even that island getaway you wanted to take last summer.”

Fortunately, there is something you can do about it. By making the necessary withholding adjustments to your Form W-4, you can have that money a lot sooner than tax season. Follow these three steps to take control of your finances and help give yourself a raise this year — not a refund next year.

1. Review your current withholdings.

To control your tax withholding and paycheck, you need to adjust the number of allowances (withholding exemptions) you claim on Form W-4. If you’re unfamiliar with Form W-4, it’s the tax document you complete each time you start a job to let your employer know how much money to withhold from your paycheck for federal taxes. To better understand how allowances work, think about it this way:
* To increase your paycheck, claim more allowances to withhold fewer taxes.
* To increase your refund, claim fewer allowances to withhold more taxes.

With one simple form you can make the necessary adjustments to give yourself a raise and put more money in your paycheck instead of waiting to receive it in the form of a tax refund. Take a moment to review your withholdings along with your current financial situation. Is it better for you to receive a larger refund or would additional money in each paycheck benefit you more?

2. Use tools to help calculate the appropriate withholding.

If you are unsure of what number of allowances is appropriate for your tax situation, a variety of tax tools can make calculating your withholdings easier. The Paycheck Plus calculator, for example, will use information like your income and tax deductions to help you determine how to make changes to your W-4 to receive a boost in your refund or more money in your paycheck.

By answering a few quick questions, you can easily adjust your withholdings to see how they impact your paycheck and your tax liability. The tool will also auto-populate your new Form W-4 if you choose to adjust your withholdings.

Using a tool like the Paycheck Plus calculator not only takes the stress out of estimating your withholdings on your own, it also lets you quickly see the potential impact on your finances before you make any official changes.

3. Assess recent life events.

As life changes, so do your taxes. Generally, you should consider adjusting your W-4 any time a major life event occurs, to ensure the right amount of tax is withheld from your paycheck. For example, did you start a new job this year or get a pay raise in your current position? A change in household income can impact your tax situation and require you to modify your allowances.

Did you recently tie the knot? Saying “I do” can affect your tax rate, especially if you and your spouse are both employed. Filing a joint return can lower your tax rate and qualify you for deductions you didn’t have as a single person. The same is true if the opposite occurs — divorce. Untying the knot will place you back in single status and take away many of the tax benefits available to those who are married.

A new baby is also a major life event that greatly influences your tax situation. This is true even if you adopt. Not only can you claim an additional allowance for your new dependent, you may also qualify for various credits, like the Child Care Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Both of those decrease your tax liability. If your withholdings remain the same, you may receive a larger refund, but you will miss out on extra dollars in your paycheck to cover the costs of added expenses, like diapers and formula.

(BPT) - It's probably safe to say handing cash to Uncle Sam does not top the list of your favorite things. When it comes to filing taxes, making a small mistake can mean paying more taxes than you need to or forking over cash to cover penalties.

Fortunately, there's an easy way to make sure your tax return is mistake-free: just take a little extra time to double check your work. Here's a closer look at the six most common tax-filing errors and tips to help you avoid making them.

1. Mistake: Not reporting all income. Reporting your income is easy if your employer sends you a wage statement (called Form W-2) documenting what you made throughout the year. But what about the money you earned from any freelance work? Unfortunately, many people forget to report extra income from side jobs such as photography shoots, design projects and Etsy shops.

How to avoid the error: Depending on how much you earned, you may receive an "information return" called Form 1099 from the institution that paid you. There are numerous 1099 forms that report different types of income earned during the year, but in some cases you may not receive the document. For example, if you earn less than $600 as a freelance writer, the institution is not required to send you Form 1099-MISC. However, you still need to include the amount earned in your total annual income so it's important to keep your own records of each transaction.

"To help accurately report your income, review last year's return and match your income sources item by item," says TaxAct Director of tax development, Mark Jaeger. "If you discover you haven't received a 1099 for your work, last year's return will serve as a reminder to ask about it. Keep in mind, all freelance or side-gig income is reported on Schedule C as part of your Form 1040."

2. Mistake: Mistyping bank accounts and personal information. Believe it or not, incorrect bank account numbers or personal information - like Social Security Numbers - is one of the main reasons tax returns are rejected. Using a nickname or a shortened version of your legal name also lands near the top of the list.

How to avoid the error: Double - or triple - check any personal or bank account information before you submit your completed tax return. "If you need help figuring out account information, don't be afraid to ask your bank for assistance," Jaeger says.

3. Mistake: Paying too much to file your taxes. Whether you tap a tax professional or choose a DIY tax provider that charges an arm and a leg for their product, paying too much to file your return is a mistake.

How to avoid the error: Fortunately, filers have more affordable options to choose from. When looking for DIY options, do some comparison shopping. The leading tax preparation software providers offer similar features and benefits, but the price points can widely vary. In many cases, prices increase as the filing deadline nears. Look for a provider like TaxAct that not only offers a low price, but also guarantees your price won't increase if you start your online return but wait to file later.

4. Mistake: Not e-filing. While 91 percent of tax returns were e-filed in 2016, there are still filers who file a paper return. Going the pencil and paper route often means longer tax return processing times.

How to avoid the error: Electronic filing (e-filing) is the quickest and most accurate way to file your tax return. In fact, the IRS typically processes e-filed returns within 48 hours. If you're due a refund, you'll get it quicker if you e-file and choose direct deposit.

5. Mistake: Incorrect calculations. When the IRS receives your tax return, one of the first steps the agency takes is to check the figures to make sure they add up. Unfortunately, it's easy to miscalculate numbers - especially if you're in a rush or aren't sure what to add or subtract.

How to avoid the error: First, take your time and double check all numbers. Second, consider using DIY tax software so you don't have to do the math on your own.

6. Mistake: Using the wrong filing status. Choosing the wrong filing status, like Head of Household instead of Single, can have a great impact on your tax rates, the number of personal exemptions you can claim, your qualifications for certain tax deductions, credits and more.

How to avoid the error: Before starting your return, review the five different filing statuses to help you select the one most appropriate for your tax situation. Carefully selecting the right one will help you feel confident you're taking the right steps to maximize your tax outcome.