August 1, 2018

Why the “kiddie tax” is more dangerous than ever





Once upon a time, some parents attempted to save tax by putting investments in the names of their young children. To discourage such strategies, Congress created the “kiddie” tax, which has gradually become more far-reaching. Now, under the TCJA, the big, bad kiddie tax is more dangerous than ever. For 2018, an affected child’s unearned income beyond $2,100 generally will be taxed according to the brackets for trusts and estates. As a result, in many cases, children’s unearned income will be taxed at higher rates than their parents’ income!