*By Carlo Versano*
For many of us, the impact of the tax overhaul that went into effect a year ago won't be felt until we file our 2018 returns. Here are some things to remember as tax season approaches (W-2s should start appearing in mailboxes in a month), courtesy of Katelynn Minott, a CPA at Bright!Tax:
2018 returns have big increases in the standard deduction, which is now:
* $12,000 for single filers
* $18,000 for heads of households
* $24,000 for married couples filing jointly
While standard deductions have roughly doubled, the personal exemption has been eliminated. That means you can no longer reduce your taxable income by the $4,050 per household member. The standard deduction increase is generally positive for single and married people, but negative for anyone with dependents.
Filers will also no longer be able to deduct costs associated with job searches and working from home, which will negatively impact freelancers and anyone who spent more than 2 percent of their adjusted gross income on job-related expenses.
The new law also makes it harder to deduct mortgage interest and property taxes.
Filers should be prepared to get acquainted with a vastly different 1040 form, Minott said. And if you had a major life event in the last 12 months ー marriage, job change, child ー don't forget to update your W-4 to reflect that change.
And if you're expecting a refund and need the cash, don't forget the IRS works on a first-come, first-serve basis after you file.
"The earlier you file, the earlier your return will come back to you," Minott said.
The airlines announced the cuts Tuesday morning after markets suffered their biggest drop since the 2008 recession. The shock came as demand for flights sunk worldwide.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 7.8%, its steepest drop since the financial crisis of 2008, as a free-fall in oil prices and worsening fears of fallout from the spreading coronavirus outbreak seize markets. The sharp drops triggered the first automatic halts in trading in two decades.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee discussed how athletes can only focus on what they have control over in terms of the Tokyo games, and that women in sports need to keep pressing for change.
Melissa Ben-Ishay, funder and owner of Baked by Melissa, presented her baked treats on the show and said the Cheddar logo inspired the colorful dessert design.
Amid disasters from tornadoes to epidemics, the singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow is helping, persevering, smiling, and still making music.
Officials at the World Health Organization said Monday that of about 80,000 people who have been sickened by COVID-19 in China, more than 70 percent have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
Stocks are falling sharply Monday on Wall Street on a combination of coronavirus fears and plunging oil prices, triggering a brief, automatic halt in trading to let investors catch their breath.
Lenore Hawkins, chief macro strategist for Tamatica Research, told Cheddar that the combination of the COVID-19 outbreak and the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia is an unprecedented set of circumstances for investors.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 1,500 points, or 6%, following similar drops in Europe after a fight among major crude-producing countries jolted investors already on edge about the widening fallout from the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, March 9, 2020.
