Business Tax Provisions: According to a Congressional Research Service report dated 12/1/11, the following will expire on 12/31/11: (1) the research and development and the work opportunity tax credits; (2) the enhanced charitable deductions for contributions of food, books, and computer technology; (3) the special S corporation built-in gains tax suspension period; and (4) the 15-year recovery period for leasehold improvements, restaurant property, and retail improvements. Furthermore, the 100% bonus depreciation deduction will be scaled back to 50% in 2012, and the Section 179 deduction limit will fall from $500,000 this year to an inflation-adjusted $139,000 in 2012.
Individual Tax Provisions: According to the same Congressional Research Service report, the following deductions will expire on 12/31/11: (1) elementary and secondary school teacher expenses, (2) state and local sales taxes, (3) mortgage insurance premiums, and (4) qualified tuition and related expenses. The 2010 Tax Relief Act allowed a taxpayer's nonrefundable personal credits to offset regular tax (net of any allowable foreign tax credit) and AMT for 2011, and also authorized a reduction in the employee's share of the Social Security payroll tax to 4.2% for 2011. Congress may extend the payroll tax break, and presumably will pass another (one year) AMT patch. Finally, the tax-free treatment of distributions from IRAs for charitable purposes will expire at the end of 2011.
