There's Still Time to Shrink Your Tax Bill
If you’ve run the numbers and find that you’re facing a big tax bill this year, don’t despair. You may have one more chance to shrink it.
Right up until the tax-filing deadline – which is April 18th this year — you can put as much as $5,500 into an individual retirement account for 2015. If you’re 50 or older, that maximum is $6,500.
As long as you earn less than the IRS limits, your contribution to a traditional IRA will lower your taxable income — and therefore cut your tax bill.
If you and your spouse aren’t covered by retirement plans at work, you can typically deduct the full amount of your IRA contributions. With a workplace plan, you’re entitled to at least a partial deduction if your income is less than $118,000 for couples, $71,000for singles.
If you are self-employed or run your own business, you can stash away extra cash in a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k) for 2015 right up until the tax deadline.
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And if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, you can top off the health savings account that goes with it until April 18th. Single people can save $3,350 in an HSA for 2015. With family coverage, you put away $6,650. You don’t owe taxes on your contributions to an HSA, the funds grow tax-free, and the money you withdraw for medical costs is tax-free too.