1998 Tax Help Archives  

What's New for 1998 - Brief Summaries

This is archived information that pertains only to the 1998 Tax Year. If you
are looking for information for the current tax year, go to the Tax Prep Help Area.

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Put Your Social Security Number on Form 1040!

To protect your privacy, your social security number (SSN) is not printed on the peel-off label that came in the mail with your tax booklet. This means that you must now enter your SSN in the space provided on page 1 of Form 1040. If you are married filing a joint return, also enter your spouse's SSN. Be sure to list the SSNs in the same order as the first names.


Exemption Amounts Reduced For High Incomes

You are allowed a $2,700 deduction for each exemption to which you are entitled up from $2,650 last year. However, your exemption amount could be phased out, and you could lose all or part of the benefit of your exemptions if your adjusted gross income is above a certain amount. The amount at which this phaseout begins depends on your filing status. For 1998, the phaseout begins at $93,400 for married persons filing separately; $124,500 for unmarried individuals; $155,650 for heads of household; and at $186,800 for married persons filing jointly.

If you meet the above criteria, you must use the worksheet on page 30 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet to compute your exemptions for line 38 on Form 1040.


New Child Tax Credits

Do you have a child who was under age 17 at the end of 1998? If so, you may be able to claim either or both of these new credits:

  • The Child Tax Credit
  • The Additional Child Tax Credit

The total of these credits cannot be more than $400 for each qualifying child. Figure the child tax credit first. If you have three or more qualifying children and you are not able to claim the full $400 child tax credit for each child, you may be able to claim the additional credit.

The additional child tax credit is refundable; that is, it may give you a refund even if you do not owe any tax.

These credits are in addition to the child and dependent care credit and the earned income credit that you may be able to claim.

Who Is a Qualifying Child? The child must be your dependent and must meet certain other requirements. See Qualifying Child for Child Tax Credit in the instructions for line 6c, column (4), on page 19 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet.

Caution: If the child meets those requirements, check the box in column (4) on line 6c of your return.

Where Do You Claim These Credits?

Child Tax Credit: If you have at least one qualifying child, follow the instructions on page 31 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet and figure the credit on the Child Tax Credit Worksheet on page 32. Do not attach this worksheet to your return. Enter the credit on Form 1040, line 43.

Additional Child Tax Credit: Use Form 8812, Additional Child Tax Credit, to figure this credit and attach it to your return. Enter the additional child tax credit on Form 1040, line 60.


Student Loan Interest Deduction

If you paid interest on a qualified student loan, you may be able to deduct up to $1,000 of the interest on line 24 of Form 1040. See the instructions for line 24 on page 27 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet for details.


Educational Credits & Benefits

There are new tax benefits for higher education, the Hope Credit (also called the Hope Scholarship Credit), and the Lifetime Learning Credit.You may be able to take these credits for tuition and related expenses paid for yourself, your spouse, or dependents to enroll oat or attend an eligible eductional institution. You cannot claim more than one benefit for the same expense. These credits are reported on line 44 of Form 1040. Use Form 8863, Education Credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credit), to figure either of the credits. (Instructions are on pages 2 & 3 of the form.) Highlights of the new benefits are:

Hope credit: You may be able to claim a tax credit of up to $1,500 for each eligible student. The Hope credit is allowed for the first 2 years of postsecondary education and is based on the qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the tax year. See page 4 of Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education.

Lifetime learning credit: For expenses paid after June 30, 1998, you may be able to claim a tax credit of up to $1,000 per family for the total qualified tuition and related expenses paid during the tax year. There is no maximum period for which the lifetime learning credit can be claimed. See page 4 of Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education.

Education IRAs: You may be able to make nondeductible contributions of up to $500 to an education IRA for a child under 18. Earnings in the IRA accumulate tax free. See page 7 of Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education.

Interest on student loans: You may be able to claim a deduction of up to $1,000 ($1,500 for 1999) for interest paid on a qualified student loan. You claim the deduction on line 24 of Form 1040 or line 16 of Form 1040A. See page 27 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet, or page 28 of the Form 1040A Instructions Booklet. Also, see page 11 of Pub. 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education


Sale of Your Home

Form 2119 is now obsolete: If you sold your main home in 1998, report the sale only if you have a gain that is not excluded from your income. You may be able to exclude your gain up to a limit of $250,000 ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases). If you cannot exclude all of the gain, report the sale on Schedule D (Form 1040), Capital Gains and Losses. See IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home, for information on how to compute your gain.

If you sold your main home in 1998 and all four of the following apply, you do not have to report the sale on your tax return.

1. No part of the home was used for business or rental purposes.

2. You (or your spouse if filing a joint return) owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 years within the 5-year period ending on the date of sale.

3. You (and your spouse if filing a joint return) have not sold or exchanged another main home after May 6, 1997.

4. The selling price of the home is not over $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing a joint return and both you and your spouse lived in the home for periods adding up to at least 2 years within the 5-year period ending on the date of sale).

If all four of the conditions do not apply, see Pub. 523 to find out if you have to report the sale on your return and, if you do, how to do so.


Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction

If you were self-employed and had a net profit for the year, you may be able to deduct up to 45% of the amount you paid for health insurance on behalf of yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. This deduction is taken as an adjustment to income on Form 1040, line 28. For more information see either Publication 535, or page 28 of the Instructions for Form 1040, line 28, for details. (The amount deducted will rise to 60% in 1999.)


Earned Income Credit (EIC)

The maximum amount of income you can earn and still get the earned income credit has increased. You may be able to take the credit if you earned less than $30,095 ($10,030 if you do not have any qualifying children). The maximum amount of investment income you can have and still be eligible for the credit has increased to $2,300. Click here for more information. Also, see page 36 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet for information about the Earned Income Credit entered on lines 59a and 59b of Form 1040.


IRA Deduction Restored for Some People Covered by Retirement Plans

The following paragraphs highlight the new tax benefits that relate to IRAs. For complete information on IRAs, see Pub. 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (including both Roth IRAs and Education IRAs).

Traditional IRA income limits. If you are covered under an employer retirement plan, the amount of income you can have and not be affected by the deduction phaseout has increased for most taxpayers. The amounts vary depending on filing status.

Spouse covered by plan. Even if your spouse is covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you may be able to deduct contributions to your traditional IRA if you are not covered by an employer plan.

Basically: You may be able to take an IRA deduction if you were covered by a retirement plan and your modified AGI (adjusted gross income) is less than:

  • $40,000 if single, head of household, or married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for all of 1998;
  • $60,000 if married filing jointly or qualifying widow(er).

If you are married filing jointly and you were not covered by a plan but your spouse was, you may be able to take a deduction if the modified AGI on the joint return is less than $160,000. See the instructions for line 23 that begin on page 25 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet.


Roth Conversion IRAs

If you converted part or all of a traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA to a Roth IRA in 1998, you may have to file Form 8606. See the Instructions on the reverse side of Form 8606 and the separate Instruction Booklet for Form 8606 for more details.


Penalty-Free IRA Distributions

The additional tax on an early distribution from an IRA may not apply if you paid higher education expenses for yourself, your spouse, or your children or grandchildren. The tax also may not apply if you paid expenses related to the purchase of a home by a first-time homebuyer. See Form 5329 and the Instruction Booklet for Form 5329 for more details.


New Recovery Method for Joint and Survivor Annuity Payments from Qualified Plans

For annuity starting dates beginning in 1998, there is a new method for figuring the tax-free portion of an annuity payment that is payable over the lives of more than one annuitant. Under this method, the number of anticipated monthly payments used to recover the tax-free investment in the contract is determined by combining the ages of the annuitants. For more information, see:


Elimination of 18-Month Holding Period for Lowest Capital Gains Rates

Beginning in 1998, you no longer have to hold property for more than 18 months to be eligible for the lowest capital gains rates. Now, in most cases, you only have to hold property more than one year to be eligible for the 10% or 20% tax rate. For more information, see:


Sale of Qualified Small Business Stock

You may have to pay tax on only one-half of your gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock. The stock must have been originally issued after August 10, 1993, and held by you for more than 5 years. See chapter 4 of Publication 550, Investment Income and Expenses, for more information.


If you receive a capital gain distribution, you now report it directly on line 13 of Schedule D (Form 1040). You no longer report it on Schedule B (Form 1040). See page 21 if the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet.


Increased Standard Deduction for Employed Dependents

The minimum standard deduction for dependents has increased from $650 for 1997 to $700 for 1998. Also, the standard deduction for many dependents with earned income has increased, up to $250.

The standard deduction for an individual for whom an exemption can be claimed on another person's tax return is generally limited to the greater of (a) $700, or (b) the individual's earned income for the year plus $250 (but not more than the regular standard deduction amount, generally $4,250). If someone else can claim you as a dependent on their tax return, you must use the Standard Deduction Worksheet for Dependents on page 29 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet.


Increased Standard Mileage Rate for Charitable Purposes

The standard mileage rate you can deduct for the use of your car in giving services to a charitable organization has increased from 12 cents per mile to 14 cents per mile. See Page A-4 of the Schedule A Instructions Booklet for more information.


Employee Business Expenses

Certain employee business expense deductions have been increased or modified.

The standard mileage rate for the cost of operating your car increased to 32 1/2 cents a mile for all business miles. You can now use the standard mileage rate for a car you lease, as well as a car you own.

If you are a rural mail carrier who received qualified reimbursements for business car expenses, you may be able to treat the amount of such reimbursement as your allowable car expense. The higher standard mileage rate that previously applied to rural mail carriers is repealed.

If you are subject to the Department of Transportation's hours of service limits, you may be able to deduct 55% of your qualified meal and beverage expenses while traveling away from your tax home.

Certain federal employees who are participating in federal crime investigations or prosecutions are not subject to the 1-year rule for deducting temporary travel expenses.

For more information on employee business expenses, see:


Credit for the Elderly or Disabled

If you are under age 65 and retired on permanent and total disability, you may be able to claim the credit for the elderly or disabled. You are no longer required to attach to your return a physician's statement (certifying that you are permanently or totally disabled), but your physician must complete the statement for you to keep with your records. For more information, see Pub. 524, Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled .


Estimated Tax Penalty Rules Eased

You will not be liable for the penalty for failure to pay estimated income tax if the total tax shown on your return minus the amount you paid through withholding (including excess social security and railroad retirement tax withholding) is less than $1,000 (i.e., the amount you owe shown on line 68 of Form 1040.) This is up from $500. See the instructions for line 69 on page 45 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet.


Limit on Itemized Deductions

Some of your itemized deductions may be limited if your adjusted gross income is more than a certain dollar amount. For 1998, the amount is $124,500 ($62,250 if you are married filing separately). For more information, see page A-6 of the Schedule A Instructions Booklet. You will need to use the worksheet on that page to compute your total itemized deductions on Schedule A.


Social Security and Medicare Taxes

The maximum wages subject to social security tax (6.2%) has increased to $68,400. All wages are subject to Medicare tax (1.45%).


Joint Return Responsibility

Generally, both spouses are responsible for the tax and any interest or penalties on a joint tax return. In some cases, one spouse may be relieved of that responsibility for items of the other spouse that were incorrectly reported on the joint return. For more details, see Pub. 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information .


Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Kerosene

If you use kerosene for household use (such as for heating, lighting, or cooking), you may be able to claim a credit of 24.4 cents for each gallon. And you can get a refund even if you do not owe tax. This credit applies to undyed kerosene purchased (other than from a blocked pump) after June 30, 1998. You must complete Form 4136, Credit for Federal Tax Paid on Fuels, and attach it to Form 1040. You can get a refund even if you do not owe tax. See Form 4136 for details. (The instructions for form 4136 are attached as pages 3 & 4 to the form.)


Payment of a Balance Due on Your Tax Return

If you owe additional taxes, make your check or money order payable to the "United States Treasury," instead of the "Internal Revenue Service." See the instructions for line 68 on page 44 of the Form 1040 Instructions Booklet for more details.


Daytime Phone Number on Form 1040

IRS has added a space on page 2 of Form 1040 for your daytime phone number. Providing your phone number may help speed the processing of your return if they have a question that can be answered over the phone. However, you do not have to enter your number. If you are filing a joint return, you may enter either your or your spouse's daytime phone number.


Foreign Tax Credit

You generally can choose to claim income taxes you paid or accrued during the year to a foreign country or U.S. possession as a credit against your U.S. income tax. Or, you can deduct them as an itemized deduction.

Your foreign tax credit is subject to a limit based on your taxable income from foreign sources. You generally figure your limit and the credit on Form 1116. However, beginning in 1998, you will not be subject to this limit and may be able to claim the credit without using Form 1116. The foreign tax credit is claimed on Form 1040, line 46. For more information, see Pub. 514, Foreign Tax Credit for Individuals.


Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

The amount of foreign earned income that you can exclude increases to $72,000. See Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad.

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