New Property Tax Benefit for NJ Resident | Claim It!

Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) 

The state of New Jersey is offering a new property tax relief program that is replacing the previous Homestead Benefit program. The Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) program will benefit a large number of homeowners and includes tenants. 

1.1         Eligible Homeowner 

• Taxpayer owned and occupied a home in New Jersey that was your principal residence (main home) on October 1, 2019; and 
• 2019 property taxes were paid on that home: and 
• Taxpayer 2019 New Jersey Gross Income was $250,000 or less. 

1.2        Eligible Tenants 

• As on October 1, 2019 
• Rented an apartment, condominium, or house. 
• Rented or owned a mobile home located in a mobile home park. 

1.3        Eligible benefit (Homeowners) 

• $1,500 for taxpayers with 2019 gross incomes up to $150,000 
• $1,000 for those with 2019 gross income above $150,001 but no higher than $250,000.  

1.4       Eligible benefit (Tenants)  

• $450 for those with 2019 gross income up to $150,000 

The taxpayer can file this benefit once the taxpayer receives filing information (PIN and ID from the state). 

Following is the updated mailing schedule for the ANCHOR program. Check your mailbox and make sure this information gets to you. 

 

County	Mailing Expected to Begin	Email Delivery Expected to Begin
Burlington, Hunterdon, and Mercer	September 12, 2022	September 13, 2022
Atlantic and Essex	September 14, 2022	September 13, 2022
Bergen and Warren	September 16, 2022	September 16, 2022
Ocean, Salem, and Sussex	September 19, 2022	September 20, 2022
Cumberland, Gloucester, and Hudson	September 21, 2022	September 20, 2022
Monmouth and Somerset	September 23, 2022	September 23, 2022
Passaic and Union	September 26, 2022	September 27, 2022
Cape May and Middlesex	September 28, 2022	September 27, 2022
Camden and Morris	September 30, 2022	September 29, 2022

 

Applications will be available this fall, and the deadline for submission is Dec. 30, 2022. The benefit will be paid no later than May 2023. 

Let us know if you need any help to claim this benefit. Call us on 908-300-9193 and email us at services@surefintaxsvs.com 

Who can claim HOME OFFICE DEDUCTION and what amount?

Strating from pandemic months, many taxpayers shifted their workplace and started working from home. Others quit their employment to launch their own companies or begin freelancing on the side, at which point they moved their operations into a home office that they had previously established.  

Some people who work from home are qualified to obtain a tax deduction for the expenses associated with their home office, but the majority of people who work from home are not eligible for this break.  

Home office expenses dependent on whether taxpayers work for a company or are self-employed, as well as whether taxpayer has a specific area of his/her home set aside as an office where he / she doesn't engage in any other activities. 

Unfortunately, taxpayers cannot take advantage of the tax break for a home office if the taxpayer is an employee working remotely rather than the owner of his/her own business (however some states do allow this tax deduction for employees). Employees were able to deduct unreimbursed employee business expenditures, including the home office deduction, prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) being approved in 2017. Nevertheless, beginning with the tax year 2018 and continuing through the tax year 2025, these deductions for employee business costs will not be allowed. 

Mainly there are two tests one should fulfill to claim the home office deduction. These are (1) exclusive and regular use (2) principal places of business.  

Exclusive and regular use 

A taxpayer is required to use a section of his / her home, apartment, condominium, mobile home, boat, or another structure that is analogous to this one for the purposes of his / her business on a consistent and exclusive basis.  

The requirement that taxpayers must utilize a section of taxpayer house exclusively and consistently for business is the primary obstacle that must be overcome in order to qualify for these deductions. 

The exclusive-use condition is taken very seriously by the IRS, which is consistent with the interpretation of the statute.  

Example, consider that taxpayers have dedicated a space in his / her house to the operation of a full-time business, and that taxpayer spends ten hours per day, every day of the week, working there. If taxpayer break the exclusive-use provision by allowing his / her children to use the office to complete their homework, taxpayer will lose the opportunity to take deductions for a home office on his / her taxes. 

Exception to exclusive use 

• The day care center and the storage facility are two examples of exceptions to this guideline. 

Principal places of business. 

The taxpayer home should serve as the primary site of taxpayer's business or taxpayer's home office should serve as a place where taxpayer often meet with customers or clients.  

In addition to achieving the requirements for exclusive use and regular usage, taxpayer home office must also meet one of the following criteria: 

• it must be either the primary site of that firm or 

• a place where regular meetings with customers or clients takes place. 

 A taxpayer is exempt from either the principal-place-of-business test or the deal-with-clients test if the taxpayer's home office is located in a facility that is isolated from the rest of his / her house and stands on its own. For example, a detached garage that has been converted into an office. Taxpayer can be eligible for write-offs for his / her home-based business provided taxpayer can demonstrate that he / she meet both the exclusive-use and the regular-use requirements. 

Home office business deductions can be determined using either (1) actual method or (2) simplified method. 

According to the actual method, direct business expenses are assigned directly to the business, while indirect business expenses are assigned to the home office according to a certain allocation method, such as square footage or number of rooms. 

Simplified method makes use of a prescribed rate, which is then multiplied by the maximum square footage that can be occupied by the home. The prescribed rate for the year 2022 is $5 per square foot, with a maximum of 300 square feet per application. 

If the taxpayer intends to take home office expenses based on the actual method, then the taxpayer is required to file form 8829. However, if the taxpayer intends to take home office expenses based on the simplified method, then the taxpayer is only required to fill out line 30 of schedule C. 

The Simplified Method really simplifies many calculations just like its name suggests.  

• The taxpayer does not need to calculate depreciation for their home if they use the Simplified Method. 

• At the time of selling the use of the property, there is no need to consider depreciation recapture. 

• A taxpayer does not need to differentiate between personal and business use of his or her home in order to take advantage of itemized deductions for mortgage interest, real property taxes, and casualty losses related to his or her property. 

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion for U.S. Expats (FEIE)

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) is the most prominent and certainly the most utilized — tax advantage for U.S. expats, allowing Americans to exempt all or a portion of their foreign earned income from U.S. taxes.

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion applies (FEIE) only if the Taxpayer (TP) meets all the following requirements

-          The taxpayer is a qualifying individual

-          Has qualified foreign earned income

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is limited to a certain amount, which is adjusted annually for inflation.  To avail this exclusion, the TP needs to file Form 2555

For tax year2022, the maximum exclusion is $112,000 per person. If two individuals are married, and both works abroad and meet either the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test, each one can choose the foreign earned income exclusion. Together, they can exclude as much as $224,000 for the 2022 tax year.

Be mindful when you are claiming Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit / Deduction.

 

Who is a Qualified Individual?

Those who have lived abroad for a specified amount of time during the tax year qualify for the foreign income tax exclusion. However, partial-year exemptions are allowed if taxpayer recently moved to a foreign nation or returned to the United States during the tax year.

The FEIE is available to expats who either:

-          Work outside the U.S. as employees, whether for a U.S. or non-U.S. employer

-          Work outside the U.S in a self-employed or partner capacity

AND

-          Pass either the Bona Fide Residency Test or the Physical Presence Test

What is Qualified Earned Income?

This exclusion applies exclusively to earned income and not to passive or investment income, such as interest and dividends. Foreign income comprises the following:

-          Salary

-          Wages

-          Bonuses

-          Commissions

-          Independent earnings

If taxpayer living and have investment or passive income, the taxpayer don't qualify for the FEIE.

How to exclude Foreign Earned Income?

If the taxpayer has eligible income, Form 2555 must be filed in order to claim this exclusion.

How much can be excluded?

If taxpayer qualify for a foreign earned income exclusion from U.S. taxes as an expat, the taxpayer can exclude up to $112,000 or more if you incurred housing costs in 2022. Each spouse can claim the FEIE if both spouses satisfy either the bona fide residency requirement or the physical presence condition.

Let us handle your tax planning, tax preparation and tax compliance. To address your case, please dial 908.300.9193 or email services@surefintaxsvs.com

The taxpayer needs to consider other related reporting requirement 

       -          USA Taxpayer and Foreign Financial Reporting Requirement

o   https://surefintaxsvs.blogspot.com/2022/05/usa-taxpayer-and-foreign-financial.html

-          Foreign Tax Credit [FTC] - A Anti Double Taxation Tool. What Do You Need to Know?

o   https://surefintaxsvs.blogspot.com/2022/08/foreign-tax-credit-ftc-anti-doube.html