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Revisions to taxes on pensions plan
Posted: 08.25.2011 at 7:26 PM
17

Not everyone will be taxed

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MARQUETTE -- Depending on your age, you may see some changes to your 2013 income tax returns due to Governor Snyder's tax reform.

Thursday, our Facebook viewers said they want to know more about the taxes that'll be placed on pensions and how it'll work.

Governor Snyder says pensions should never have been tax-exempt in Michigan, and taxing them in the future will promote fairness and help balance the state budget.  But the governor's original proposal faced a lot of opposition, so now there's a revised plan.

Those revisions mean some of us won't see any change at all, while others could see a significant one.  Governor Snyder's original $900 million tax on pension income could shrink by two-thirds under the revised plan.

If you're currently 67 or older, there won't be any changes to your pensions at all.  All pensions provided by the government will continue to be tax exempt, and so will social security.  But things will change if you're younger.

Some of our Facebook viewers say its good news.  Jenny Engstrom writes:  "That money should be taxed...We all need to pay to keep this country going."

Those born between 1946 and 1952 will see a tax on both public and private pensions, however, social security will be exempt.

If you were born after 1952, both your pension and social security could be potentially taxable, depending on your pension income.

Individuals with a social security, pension and other investment income of $20,000 or less per year, or joint filers making $40,000 or less, are exempt from taxation.

"If you're pretty minimal as far as pension and social security, it's probably not a very big affect for you," says CPA Patrick Thomson.  "If you're in your retirement years and you still have a large income, it could affect you." 

The plan has drawn some criticism.  Facebook viewer Joan Ekdahl Haara writes:  "All along the state, workers that worked hard and stayed at their average jobs were promised that these retirements would not be taxed.  Now, to take this promised contract away is not only unethical, but certainly illegal."

The new guidelines won't take effect until 2013 tax returns, and some say we might continue to see changes to this policy, and every pension is different.

If you've got questions about how the tax reform will affect you, it's best to contact your tax advisor who can look at your specific case.  You can also click here for more information.

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