Individual Extenders in the 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act

           Individual extenders in the 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act

In addition to permanently extending the Bush-era tax cuts for most taxpayers, revising tax rates on ordinary and capital gain income for high-income individuals, modifying the estate tax, providing permanent relief from the AMT, and imposing limits on the deductions and exemptions of high-income individuals, the recently enacted 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act extends a host of important tax breaks for individuals. I’m writing to give you an overview of these key tax breaks that were extended by the new law. Please call our office for details of how the new changes may affect you.

The new law extends the following items for the period indicated beyond their prior termination date as shown in the listing:

… The deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013;

… The exclusion for discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness, which applied for discharges before Jan. 1, 2013 and which is now continued to apply for discharges before Jan. 1, 2014;

… Parity for the exclusions for employer-provided mass transit and parking benefits, which applied before 2012 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013;

… The treatment of mortgage insurance premiums as qualified residence interest, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013;

… The option to deduct State and local general sales taxes, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013;

… The special rule for contributions of capital gain real property made for conservation purposes, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013;

… The above-the-line deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013; and

… Tax-free distributions from individual retirement plans for charitable purposes, which expired at the end of 2011 and which is now revived for 2012 and continued through 2013. Because 2012 has already passed, a special rule permits distributions taken in 2012 to be transferred to charities for a limited period in 2013. Another special rule permits certain distributions made in 2013 as being deemed made on Dec. 31, 2012.