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What to consider before lending money to family and friends
When your best friend views your
nest egg as a source of start-up funds for his latest business venture, or your
nephew hits you up for a car loan, your first impulse may be to reach into your
bank account to help. But it's a fact that loans to family and friends often
end up straining both finances and relationships. As Shakespeare said,
"Loan oft loses both itself and friend." In other words, if you lend
money to friends, you often don't get paid back, and the friendship itself may
disintegrate.
It's best to consider a loan to
someone you love as an "arm's length" transaction. If you're
pondering such a loan, keep the following in mind:
* You can just say "no."
It's your money, after all. Do you really want to raid an emergency fund or dip
into your child's college account to finance a friend's business idea? Think
like a bank. It's reasonable to ask tough questions about the person's bank
accounts, potential sources of income, planned use of loan proceeds, and
spending habits before extending credit.
* Consider a gift. If you're
comfortable sharing your resources, you may want to provide a monetary gift
with no strings attached. In many cases, this is the best solution because
neither you nor your friend expect the money to be paid back. Unlike a loan, this
type of arrangement can forestall misunderstandings and hurt feelings later on.
Of course, you should not give money if doing so would unduly strain your own
finances.
* Formalize loans. If you decide to
lend more than a small amount to a friend or family member, it's generally best
to draft a written agreement. This can be as simple as filling out a promissory
note (available online or at office supply stores). Such forms spell out the
basic terms of the loan -- amount, interest rate, payback period -- and provide
some limited protection should you and the borrower end up in small claims
court. Another recent innovation is the use of direct lending (also called
social lending or peer-to-peer lending) websites to facilitate loans between
family and friends. For a fee, such sites can prepare loan documentation, send
payment reminders, issue regular reports, even facilitate electronic fund
transfers. If the loan involves a significant amount of money, check with your
attorney.
Remember: Many personal relationships
have been damaged when loans go awry. So proceed with caution.
Posted in general
Are you planning to rent out your home this summer? You see, summertime is the time of the year when people usually want to rent out their property. But before you jump and do it, there are some tax issues that you need to be aware of.
Hello, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at LowerMyTaxNow.
Here are some tax issues you need to be aware of when you rent out your primary or vacation home:
- If you use your vacation home solely for personal use, then it’s treated like a second home and the mortgage interest, real estate taxes, points & private mortgage insurance (PMI) will be tax deductible.
- Now if you decide to rent it out, it becomes a little bit tricky. Here are 3 tax scenarios that can play out once you start renting it out:
- Tax-Free Income Property
The first one is called tax-free income property. If you rented the vacation home for 14 days or less during the year, you don't have to report the income. You get tax-free income! You can generally deduct mortgage interest, real estate taxes, points & private mortgage insurance but you can't deduct any other rental expenses.
- Rental property
The second one is called rental property. If you use the vacation home personally for LESS than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the time the home is rented, all rental expenses are deductible.
Example: You stayed in your vacation home 18 days last year. It was rented at fair market value for 190 days. In this example, your personal use was less than the 10% limit (19 days). Therefore, your rental deductions are tax deductible.
- “Expenses claimed limited to income” property
The third one is called “Expenses claimed limited to income” property. If you use the property personally for MORE than the greater of 14 days or 10% of the number of days it's rented, the rules change. Your rental deductions are limited to the amount of your rental income. However, the personal-use portion of taxes and mortgage are still tax deductible on your return.
Example: You stayed in your vacation home 20 days last year. It was rented at fair market value for 190 days. In this example, your personal use exceeded the 10% limit (19 days). Therefore, your rental deductions are limited to the rental income you received.
TAX STRATEGY - If you rent your home to your business for 14 days or less, your business can deduct the payment as business expense. However, the rental income you received will be tax-free! Best of both worlds!
There you have it. Make sure you review and listen to this video blog to make sure you understand the tax issues before renting your property out. If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and sign-in to receive my weekly blog.
Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com.
Last Updated by Admin on 2017-07-27 12:09:19 AM