PATRICK: Are capital gains taxes changing?

Published 10:00 am Sunday, October 24, 2021

Reach out if you have any concerns about capital gains taxes.

There are a lot of questions about President Biden’s Build Back Better plan and potential tax law changes, including an adjustment to capital gains taxes.

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One of the proposals Congress is considering sets the top rate for taxing capital gains at 25%, up from 20% under current law. Another would raise the capital gains tax rate to 39.6% for taxpayers earning $1 million or more. Still another would make the change to capital gains tax retroactive, with a start date of April 2021.

At this point, many ideas are being considered as legislators look for ways to raise revenue to help pay for the Build Back Better plan. Corporate tax rates, individual tax rates, estate tax rules also are on the negotiating table.

As difficult as it may be, the best approach is to wait and see. It would be hasty to make any portfolio changes based on current discussions. 

An ambitious investor would have to guess what policies will be in the final bill, estimate the financial impact and determine any needed portfolio changes. That’s a tall order.

So please, reach out if you have any concerns about capital gains taxes.

It can be challenging to wait for Congress to act and you may feel a bit helpless with so many pending proposals. We work with professionals who are watching every move in Washington, and we may be able to offer some insight that addresses your most pressing questions.

This information should not be construed by any client or prospective client as the rendering of personalized investment advice. All investments and investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy including those discussed in this material will be profitable or equal any historical performance levels. Investment strategies such as asset allocation, diversification, or rebalancing do not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses. Any target referenced is not a prediction or projection of actual investment results and there can be no assurance that any target will be achieved.

Kent Patrick is with Bush Wealth Management.