President Signs Eleventh-Hour Agreement To Avert Fiscal Cliff
The 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act answers many questions and raises others, this is a comprehensive and complicated bill. This post is Part 2 of 3 this week as we take a closer look at a few of the key points in this new legislation. Please note that I will not be posting the complete text of the bill here, however a full copy can be provided to you upon request. For specific discussions on how these changes may impact you and your tax situation feel free to contact Paul Muret at (918) 301-1100.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act “patches” the AMT for 2012 and subsequent years by increasing the exemption amounts and allowing nonrefundable personal credits to the full amount of the individuals regular tax and AMT. Additionally, the American Taxpayer Relief Act provides for an annual inflation adjustment to the exemption amounts for years beginning after 2012.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act increases the 2012 exemption amounts to $50,600 for unmarried individuals; $78,750 for married taxpayers filing jointly and surviving spouses; and $39,375 for married taxpayers filing separately. The 2013 AMT exemption amounts are projected to be $80,750 for married filing jointly and qualified widow(er)s, $51,900 for single and head of household, and $40,375 for married taxpayers filing separately.
Without the AMT patch, the AMT exemption amounts for 2012 would have been $33,750 for unmarried individuals; $45,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly and surviving spouses; and $22,500 for married taxpayers filing separately, down dramatically from the $48,450/$74,450/$37,225 levels of 2011. The latest patch immediately saves over 60 million taxpayers from being subject to AMT on returns about to be filed for the 2012 tax year.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act provides that all nonrefundable personal credits are allowed to the full extent of the taxpayer’s regular tax and AMT liability, effective for tax years beginning after 2011.
Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller estimated that 80 to 100 million taxpayers may experience a delay in filing their 2012 returns if Congress failed to enact an AMT patch before year-end 2012.
Although a “permanent” AMT patch is welcomed by many taxpayers, the future of the AMT itself could be decided later this year or next year if Congress tackles comprehensive tax reform. The AMT could, as some lawmakers have proposed, be abolished. President Obama previously proposed to replace at least part of the AMT with the so-called Buffett Rule as a part of comprehensive tax reform. The White House has explained the Buffett Rule in general terms as ensuring that taxpayers making over $1 million annually would pay an effective tax rate of at least 30 percent. In 2012, the Senate rejected the Paying a Fair Share Act, which would implement the Buffett Rule. It is unclear if Democrats will reintroduce the bill or whether it will be considered within the overall framework of possible tax reform later in 2013.
NO GRAND BARGAIN
The American Taxpayer Relief Act is nowhere close to the grand bargain as envisioned by the President and many lawmakers after the November elections. Effectively, it is a stop-gap measure to prevent the onus of the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts from falling on middle income taxpayers. Congress must still address sequestration. Congress is likely to revisit tax policy and spending cuts when it tackles the expected increase on the nation’s debt limit in February. Slowing the growth of entitlements, such as through a “chained-CPI” is certain to be a controversial topic in upcoming debates.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act permanently provides for a maximum federal estate tax rate of 40 percent with an annually inflation-adjusted $5 million exclusion for estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2012.
The maximum estate tax rate for estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2010 and before January 1, 2013 is 35 percent with a $5 million exclusion (indexed for inflation for 2012 at $5.12 million). Effective January 1, 2013, the maximum federal estate tax rate was scheduled to revert to 55 percent with an applicable exclusion amount of $1 million (not indexed for inflation), its levels before enactment of estate tax reform in 2001 and subsequent legislation.
The federal estate tax almost appeared to be a deal-breaker in the Senate. Republicans wanted complete repeal while the President insisted on a 45 percent rate with a $3.5 million exemption.
The most recent estate tax legislation, the 2010 Tax Relief Act, provided for a complicated application of the tax depending on the year in which the decedent died. First, the 2010 Tax Relief Act provided for a maximum estate tax rate of 35 percent for decedents dying after December 31, 2009 and before January 1, 2013, and an applicable exclusion amount of $5 million for decedents dying after December 31, 2009 and before January 1, 2013, Second, the 2010 Tax Relief Act allowed estates of decedent’s dying in 2010 to opt out of the revived estate tax. Estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2009 and before January 1, 2011 had the option to elect not to apply the estate tax regime under the 2010 Tax Relief Act. Such estates could have elected to apply either (1) the estate tax based on the 2010 Tax Relief Act’s 35 percent top rate and $5 million applicable exclusion amount, with stepped-up basis or (2) no estate tax and modified carryover basis rules under EGTRRA.
Portability
The American Taxpayer Relief Act makes permanent “portability” between spouses. Prior to the permanent extension, portability was only available to the estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2010 and before January 1, 2013.
Portability allows the estate of a decedent who is survived by a spouse to make a portability election to permit the surviving spouse to apply the decedent’s unused exclusion (the deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (DSUE)) to the surviving spouse’s own transfers during life and at death.
State Death Tax Credit/Deduction
The American Taxpayer Relief Act extends the deduction for state estate taxes.
Before 2005, a credit was allowed against the federal estate tax for state estate, inheritance, legacy, or succession taxes. EGTRRA repealed the state death tax credit for decedents dying after 2004 and replaced the credit with a deduction.
More Estate Tax Provisions
The American Taxpayer Relief Act extends a number of provisions affecting qualified conservation easements, qualified family-owned business interests (QFOBIs), the installment payment of estate tax for closely-held businesses for purposes of the estate tax, and repeal of the five percent surtax on estates larger than $10 million.
Gift Tax
The American Taxpayer Relief Act provides a 40 percent tax rate and a unified estate and gift tax exemption of $5 million (inflation adjusted) for gifts made after 2012.
The 2010 Tax Relief Act provided that for gifts made after December 31, 2010, the gift tax was reunified with the estate tax, with a tax rate through 2012 of 35 percent and an applicable lifetime unified exclusion amount of $5 million (adjusted annually for inflation).
GST Tax
The American Taxpayer Relief Act provides for a 40 percent GST tax rate with a $5 million exemption and extends a number of GST tax-related provisions scheduled to expire after 2012. They include the GST deemed allocation and retroactive allocation provisions; clarification of valuation rules with respect to the determination of the inclusion ratio for GST tax purposes; provisions allowing for a qualified severance of a trust for purposes of the GST tax; and relief from late GST allocations and elections.
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