Tax guru and author Gordon D'Angelo shares year-end financial planning tax tips that will come in handy as tax season approaches in the new year.
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LIKE A SPEEDING LOCOMOTIVE,
THE UNITED STATES IS HEADING
TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS A FISCAL
CLIFF.
AND AT MIDNIGHT ON
DECEMBER 31ST, YOU'RE TAXES
ARE GOING UP.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO EASE
THE IMPACT?
YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT
FROM A TAX GURU.
Reporter: GORDON
D'ANGELO WAS AN ORIGINAL
FOUNDER OF THE SECOND
LARGEST TAX SERVICE, JACKSON
HUHEWLET, AND TODAY HE
HANDLES OVER $16 MILLION IN
ASSETS.
GORDON REVEALS HIS UNIQUE
PATHWAY TO ACHIEVING
WEALTH.
NOW GORDON SHARES HIS
YEAR-END TIPS AND TAX-SAVING
DEDUCTIONS SO YOU WON'T PAY
UNCLE SAM MORE THAN YOU HAVE
TO THIS YEAR.
Pat: WELL, WELCOME TO
"THE 700 CLUB."
GORDON D'ANGELO, THE AUTHOR
OF A BOOK CALLED "VISION."
NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
THANK YOU, PAT.
Pat: HEY, LISTEN, THIS
"VISION" IS VERY
INTERESTING.
YOU STATE THAT SOMEBODY HAS
GOT TO HAVE A VISION.
WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT.
DO YOU WANT TO SHARE IT?
YES, I WILL.
WE'RE ALL MEANT TO
ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN THINGS.
IF YOU CAN WRITE IT DOWN AND
SHARE IT, IT IS GOING TO
START TO BLOSSOM.
GOD MEANT IT THAT WAY.
WE'RE LIKE SEEDS.
AND A SEED NEEDS TO MAKE
CONTACT FOR IT TO BE
RESOURCEFUL.
AND ALL OF THE PROVISIONS
ARE THERE, BUT A LOT OF
PEOPLE JUST DON'T REALIZE
HOW GREAT THEY CAN BE.
I LIKE TO QUOTE EPHESIANS 3:
20, BOW TO THEM WHO IS ABLE
TO DO MORE THAN YOU CAN
IMAGINE OR THINK, THROUGH
HIS POWER, THAT WORKS
THROUGH YOU.
THE BOOK LIKES TO TELL
PEOPLE HOW TO ACCESS THE
POWER OF GOD, TRANSFER
ENERGY, AND GET WHATEVER
THEY WANT.
Pat: GET WHATEVER THEY
WANT.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SPECIFIC
FOR INSTANCE.
WHETHER THEY WANT TO
ACHIEVE WEALTH OR THEY WANT
TO HAVE BETTER
RELATIONSHIPS, OR THEY WANT
TO RECEIVE A CERTAIN
MEASURABLE GOAL -- THERE IS
NOTHING BEYOND THE POWER OF
GOD.
HAVE YOU TO BELIEVE IN THE
POWER OF GOD, AND YOU HAVE
TO START TO LIST WHAT YOU
WANT AND START TO SHARE IT
WITH OTHERS, RATHER THAN
JUST HOPING YOU CAN DO
EVERYTHING YOURSELF.
Pat: SO YOU PUT IT DOWN÷g
WHAT IT IS YOUR LOOKING FOR,
SPECIFICALLY.
AND FOR WHAT PERIOD OF÷g
TIME.
Pat: AND THEN YOU START
TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT IT?
THAT'S RIGHT.
IT IS JUST LIKE A CHILE.
WHEN A CHILD WANTS SOMETHING
FOR A BIRTHDAY, THEY SAY,
MOM AND DAD, THIS IS WHAT I
WANT.
THEY DON'T ASK THE MOM AND
DAD HOW IS YOUR TAXABLE
INCOME.
THEY GO TO MOM AND DAD AND
START SHARING IT BECAUSE
THEY KNOW THE MOM AND DAD
ARE A GREAT RESOURCE.
BUT THE MOM AND DAD LOVE THE
CHILD.
I USED TO TELL MY PARENTS,
AS I GOT OLDER, I LEARNED TO
LOVE MY PARENTS MORE, BUT I
COULD NEVER CATCH UP.
AND THAT'S HOW IT IS WITH
GOD, WE CAN NEVER CATCH UP.
Pat: IF YOU SAY, I WANT
A RED TRICYCLE BY
CHRISTMAS.
AND I WOULD TAKE IT A
STEP FURTHER, HE SAYS HE
WANTS A RED BICYCLE, AND HE
SHOWS YOU A PICTURE WITH THE
SHAPE AND EVERYTHING.
AND HE PASSES THE PICTURE
AROUND TO THE AUNTS AND
UNCLES.
AND MAYBE THE PARENTS CAN
AFFORD IT, BUT IF ENOUGH OF
THEM PITCH IN, THEY'LL GET
IT.
AND THE SAME IS TRUE WITH
YOUR LIFE.
Pat: YOU'VE GOT TO READ
THIS.
BECAUSE IT LAYS IT OUT VERY
SIMPLY.
WE PROMISED YOU'RE GOING TO
TELL US SOME STRATEGIES
BECAUSE THE FISCAL CLIFF,
EVERYBODY'S TAXES ARE GOING
UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
YOU HIT IT ON THAT.
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GET
HIT, WHETHER YOU'RE MARRIED,
YOU'RE SINGLE, YOU'RE RICH
OR POOR.
HIGHER TAX BRACKETS, HIGHER,
MIDDLE BRACKETS, HIGHER.
LOWER BRACKETS, HIGHER.
AND EVEN THE RETIRED ARE
GOING TO GET HIT.
AND LET ME TELL YOU WHO ELSE
IS GOING TO GET HIT.
THE STANDARD DEDUCTION FOR
MARRIED COUPLES IS GOING
DOWN 33%.
THAT'S A DOUBLE HIT.
THEY LOSE A DEDUCTION.
IF THEY'RE NOT ITEMIZING, IT
GOES DOWN 33%.
IF YOU'RE WORKING, YOUR TAX
IS GOING TO BE HIGHER.
PLUS, IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN
THAT YOU WOULD GET A CHILD
CREDIT OF $1,000, THAT IS
DROPPING TO $500.
NOW A CREDIT IS DOLLAR FOR
DOLLAR REDUCTION OF YOUR
TAXES.
THAT'S A REAL DOLLAR.
Pat: THIS IS GOING TO
SLAM THE SO-CALLED MIDDLE
CLASS.
IT IS, AND I CAN GIVE YOU
TWO MORE THINGS THAT WILL
SLAM THEM AND I'LL TELL YOU
WHAT TO DO.
CHILD CARE EXPENSES, 20%
REDUCTION IN HOW MUCH YOU'RE
ABLE TO WRITE OFF.
THAT'S AN AMAZING NUMBER.
PLUS EVERYONE WHO WORKS IS
GOING TO FACE TWO INCREASE
IN TAXES.
THEY'RE GOING TO INCREASE --
THEIR PAYROLL TAXES ARE
GOING UP FROM 4.2% TO 6.2%.
FOR EVERY $500 PAYCHECK YOU
GET, KISS $10 GOOD-BYE, AND
YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING FOR
IT.
IT'S NOT WITHHOLDING.
IT IS JUST GONE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST
THINGS I SEE GOING ON RIGHT
NOW.
Pat: LET'S GET OUT OF
THE TRAP.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS
YOU CAN DO.
IF YOU'RE WORKING OR HAVE
ANY SOURCE OF INCOME, YOU
WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU
MAXIMIZE YOU CAN PUT INTO
SOME TYPE OF RETIREMENT
PLAN, WHETHER AN I.R.A., A
401K, YOU STILL CAN USE UP
TO THE END OF THE YEAR TO
CATCH UP.
THOSE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED
FOR THIS YEAR, SO THAT IS A
VERY GOOD STRATEGY.
DEFINITELY CATCH UP.
IF YOU'RE MARRIED, BOTH
SPOUSES CAN DO IT.
IF YOU'RE OVER 50, YOU CAN
PUT A LITTLE MORE IN,
REGARDLESS OF WHAT SCENARIO
YOU FIT.
NOW, ONE OF THE GREATEST
THINGS I CAN TELL YOU IS
THIS IS THE YEAR TO GIVE BIG
TO CHARITY.
AND I'VE GOT TO GIVE YOU THE
REASONS WHY.
FIRST OF ALL, A LOT OF
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT, AND WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT IT LAST
WEEK, AND BOTH PEOPLE I
TALKED TO THEM DECIDED TO DO
THIS.
THEY HAD STOCK THAT
APPRECIATED, AND I SAID GIVE
SOME TO CHARITY.
BY GIVING IT TO CHARITY,
THEY GET TO DEDUCT THE
APPRECIATED AMOUNT.
PLUS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY
TAXES ON IT.
IT IS BETTER TO GIVE IT AS
FAST AS YOU CAN, BECAUSE
NEXT YEAR YOU STILL CAN GIVE
IT AWAY, BUT THERE IS GOING
TO BE A 3% FLOOR TO YOUR
ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS.
SO THIS YEAR YOU DON'T HAVE
TO FACE THE FLOOR.
THAT'S A VERY BIG THING YOU
CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
YEAR.
Pat: WHO WROTE ALL OF
THAT STUFF IN?
THAT HAS NOT EXACTLY BEEN
SHOUTED AROUND THE BOARD
ROOMS.
THIS IS SORT OF BEHIND THE
SCENES?
IT IS BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND THE MORE YOU READ INTO
THE TAX LAW -- I'M PRETTY
MUCH AN ASTUTE TAX LAW
PERSON, BUT I SAID, I DIDN'T
HEAR THIS ONE.
AND I COULD GO ON AND ON.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT
IS HORRIFYING OUT THERE, IF
YOU'RE RETIRED OR YOU BUILT
UP A NEST EGG, THEY'RE
DROPPING THE ESTATE TAX
EXCLUSION, MEANING WHERE YOU
BUILT UP YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND
YOU CAN TRANSFER IT TO YOUR
SON OR RELATIVES, IT WAS
$5 MILLION, AND NOW IT HAS
DROPPED TO A MILLION
DOLLARS, AND THAT INCLUDES
YOUR HOUSE VALUE.
80% REDUCTION TO EVERYBODY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE
MONEY AWAY, OR TRANSFER IT,
TRANSFER IT BEFORE YEAR'S
END.
Pat: GORDON, PLEASE
COME BACK.
WE'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT
SOME MORE.
HIS BOOK IS CALLED "VISION,
A PATHWAY TO VICTORY."
YOU'VE HEARD HERE SOMETHING
THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT
EVEN AWARE OF.