When Congress changes federal tax law, it always dominates the headlines, but the IRS' portion of a taxpayer’s income is only part of the story. Every state has their own unique set of tax rules, and it is not enough for financial advisors to be versed in the rules of their home state. Eight states have no individual income tax. For the other states, there are 42 different sets of rules on what type of income is taxed, how it is taxed, at what rate it is taxed and whether where you work or where you live is more important. Then one could wade into local taxes, with nearly 5,000 jurisdictions in 17 states imposing a local income tax, which can treat nonresidents differently than residents.
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When it comes to financial advisors and tax strategies, they often sound like old fishermen telling the story of “the one that got away,” except the stories are about ultra-obscure tax strategies that they have never used. This tendency to tell stories about the tax strategies that got away is so prolific that anytime an advisor approaches me about a tax scenario, I immediately ask for the name of the client to ensure we are talking about real life versus tax fantasyland.
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“I send tons of clients to my local CPA, but she never sends me a single client back!” As an advocate of advisors working closely with tax preparers, and as a tax preparer myself, I hear the complaint of unreciprocated referrals all the time from financial advisors.
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When I last Googled “IRS RMD Table,” the first result that popped up was a link to an active IRS web page with the outdated RMD information. Millions of people who clicked on the first link provided by Google were given, by the IRS, incorrect information. Countless other examples of incorrect tax information, ranging from capital gains rates to Medicare premiums to gifting limits and especially the math on Roth conversions can be found prominently displayed across the internet, including on some of the most reputable websites.
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Many financial advisors will object to the headline of this article, but advisors represent an incredibly small percentage of all taxpayers. Very few taxpayers care to be able to describe the difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. What they want to know is which option is right for them and what action they should take.
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There is a fantastic opportunity for advisors to add value for their clients by checking in midyear and reviewing a pay stub to make sure their clients are on track.
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A powerful strategy to discuss with clients interested in gifting is funding Roth accounts on behalf of children or grandchildren.
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Bringing on another professional to assist in planning can be daunting, but it can add value for clients.
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The default approach to tax preparation does little to ensure tax planning, and with it tax savings, are actually happening. This creates a huge opportunity for financial advisors who are willing to be proactive.
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