ALAN R. SUMUTKA



ACC-410 FUNDAMENTALS OF FEDERAL TAXATION


CASE 14 - TAX ISSUES OF RETIRED TAXPAYERS
Bill and Pam decided to “call it quits” and to retire.  They sold their home in New Jersey and moved to a condominium in Florida.

REQUIRED:
PART A:  Deduction Issues:
1.  If Bill is age 65 or older and/or is blind, how is the standard deduction affected?  How about if Pam is also age 65 or older and/or is blind?
2.  STATE TAX RESEARCH: What is a "NJ Homestead rebate"?  If Bill and Pam received a $500 NJ Homestead rebate before they moved, how is it treated for federal tax purposes?  (To locate the answer, you must go to the NJ Division of Taxation website.  To do so, go to A. Sumutka's home page, click on "Useful Tax Sites on the Internet," "State," "NJ - State Dept Tax Site."  You are now at the NJ Division of Taxation website.)

PART B:  Income issues:
1.  Bill and Pam have been in their NJ home for quite a number of years.  If they purchased it for $150,000, sold it after 5/6/97 for $350,000, incurred closing costs of $10,000 upon sale, and purchased the condo in Florida for $200,000,
a.  how much is the gain on sale of the residence, if any.
b.  how is the gain, if any, treated for tax purposes?
c.  what is the basis of the new Florida condo?

2.  Assume that Bill received $14,000 from social security and Pam received $10,000 from social security.  They
 earned $3000 in dividends from Philadelphia Electric common stock, $5000 in interest from a Mercer County,
 NJ public purpose bond, and $23,000 in interest from other sources.
a.  How much of their social security represents (1) income under the broad concept, (2) an exclusion, and (3) gross income?
b.  Same as 2a, except assumed that they earned $27,000 in dividends (instead of $3000).
 

PART C:  Retirement plan/annuity issues:
1.  Assume that Pam made the following contributions to her Roth IRA and the accounts have the
        following balances before withdrawals:

A/C

Contribution

Balance

A/C #1 

$2,000

$5,000

A/C #2

12,000

18,000

A/C #3

6,000

 7,000

       If she is over age 59 ½, her first contribution was more than 5 years ago, and she withdraws
       $4000 from account #3, how is it taxed?

2.  Assume that Bill made the following contributions to his traditional IRA and the accounts have the
       following balances before withdrawals:

A/C

Contribution

Balance

Deductible A/C #1

$2,000

$5,000

Deductible A/C #2

12,000

 18,000

Nondeductible A/C #3

6,000

 7,000

       If he is over age 59 ½ and withdraws $4000 from account #3, how is it taxed?

3.  Assume that Bill purchased a single life annuity from ABC Mutual for himself at a cost of $20,160 long  before he retired.  The contract specified that he would received $100 per month on reaching age 57 on 9/01/x1.  Assume that Bill is now age 57 and starts to receive his annuity payments.  What amount, if any, can he exclude from his gross income in 19x1?

4.  Assume that Bill is a bachelor with no heirs, he retires on 8/1/98, and is to receive his first retirement plan annuity check of $1000 per month on 9/1/98.
a.  If Bill made no contributions to the plan, how would the annuity be taxed?
b.  If Bill made $60,000 in 401(k) plan contributions while an employee, how would the annuity be taxed?
c.  If Bill contributed $20, 160 in nondeductible contributions and is age 57 on the annuity starting date, how would the annuity be taxed in 1998.
d.  Same as 4c, except that Bill uses the “safe harbor method” calculation.
e.  Same as 4c, except that the annuity starting date is 9/1/85.



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