SoFi

Who doesn’t love receiving a paycheck and knowing you can use it to pay bills or maybe even indulge in a little splurge or two? But when you see just how much you are taking home as net pay vs. gross pay, it can be a little deflating.

Looking more closely at your paystub or direct deposit receipt, you’ll see several line items that are called “deductions.”

Deductions are all of the things that were taken out of your gross pay, leaving you with your net pay, or take-home pay.

While there are some deductions that are required by law and are out of your control, others are part of your employee benefits package, which means that you may be able to adjust them according to what works for you and your budget.

Read on for a paycheck breakdown that can help you understand exactly what is coming out of your paycheck and why, including:

•   What are common payroll deductions?

•   How do payroll deductions work?

•   What are tips to manage payroll deductions?

What is Net Pay?

Whether you’re paid hourly or by salary, your rate of pay is the compensation that you and your employer agreed upon when you accepted the job.

This number appears in official contracts and is referred to as your gross pay. However, it does not represent the actual amount that you will be paid.

Net pay, also referred to as take-home pay, is the compensation that is paid out via check or direct deposit to an employee. It is your gross pay with all the deductions taken out, which can make you think, “Wait, where’d my money go?” when it hits your checking account.

What Are Payroll Deductions?

So, to answer that question: Here’s where your money goes:

•   Mandatory deductions: By law, an employer must subtract various mandatory federal and state tax withholdings.

•   Elective deductions: Employers will also subtract costs for employer-sponsored offerings that the employee takes part in, such as healthcare, life insurance, and retirement.

Whether required or optional, these are pulled out of your gross pay and applied where needed. While you may feel disappointed to see these funds siphoned off, they have an upside. They are saving you from owing major taxes come April 15, and they are potentially helping provide important elements of financial fitness, like saving for your future. This knowledge can be reassuring, especially if you are filing taxes for the first time, and are feeling a bit shocked about the difference between your gross and net pay on an annual basis.

How Do Payroll Deductions Work?

As mentioned above, payroll deductions may be required, such as federal or any state taxes, or they may be optional (say, a 401(k) plan or health insurance). The mandatory and elective deductions are subtracted from your paycheck’s gross pay amount.

What remains after these payroll deductions is your net pay. This is the amount that is paid to you. You can typically see a breakdown of exactly what has been subtracted from your compensation by looking at your paystub. If you are paid via direct deposit, you will likely find this information online at your employer’s portal. If you receive a paper paycheck, the paystub is often attached.

Types of Payroll Deductions

As you look at your paystub and see all the deductions that are being taken out of your gross pay, you may want a bit of help understanding what’s what. Below are explanations of some of the most common paycheck deductions:

Federal Taxes

Federal taxes include all the taxes you are required by law to pay to the federal government. These taxes (which are often referred to as being withheld vs. paid) help fund the federal government, allowing them to invest in things such as infrastructure, education, and national defense, and provide services to the American people.

What is tax withholding and how much must you allocate towards it? When you were first hired, you likely filled out an Employee’s Withholding Certificate or W-4 form form and claimed the number of tax exemptions you have. This amount tells the federal government how much money to take out of each paycheck to cover your taxes. The more allowances you take, the less federal income tax the government will take out of your paycheck.

One way to ensure that you have the right amount of tax withheld for each pay period is to use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator or speak with someone in your company’s HR department. You can tell them if you’re single or married, how many dependents you have, and if you have any other sources of income, and they should be able to help you fill out your form accurately.

It’s also a good practice to revisit your W-4 selections annually as significant life events may change your withholding and also because the W-4 form is periodically updated.

During tax season of each year, individuals who have overpaid in federal taxes receive a refund from the government. Those who’ve underpaid, however, are required to pay additional funds and possibly a penalty.

State and Local Income Taxes

There are other types of taxes that will possibly be withheld from your gross pay. Many states require a state tax to help fund government projects and services. The amount can range anywhere from 3% (Pennsylvania) to 13% (California). To learn more about your state’s taxation policy, you can look at this map for details.

Just as with federal taxes, your state income tax will get deducted from your paycheck to cover taxes you may owe at the end of the year.

Social Security and Medicare

Another common paycheck deduction you’ll see: Social Security and Medicare taxes that are part of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, a group of payroll taxes collected from both the employer and the employee. As the name implies, these taxes fund our nation’s Social Security and Medicare programs, helping with income and insurance needs once you reach retirement age.

The tax rate for social security is currently 6.2%, and Medicare receives an additional 1.45% (employers match these tax rates, bringing the total of FICA tax contributions to 15.3%).

Wage Garnishments

Another possible payroll deduction to know about: wage garnishments. These are legal procedures designed to repay delinquent, outstanding debts, such as unpaid child support, overdue credit card payments, or even unpaid taxes.

Most wage garnishments are initiated by court order. However, the IRS and other tax collection agencies also levy for unpaid taxes in the form of wage garnishment.

Garnishments are made on earnings leftover after all legally required deductions are made. The actual amount of any garnishment will depend on the amount of debt owed and income earned.

Employee Benefits

Depending on where you work, you may be able to opt into a variety of benefits. Typically, these costs are automatically deducted from your paycheck.

If you sign up for your employer-provided health insurance, at least some of the cost is likely to be a type of paycheck deduction.

Under the Affordable Care Act, employers with 50 employees or more must offer affordable health insurance. As part of an employee’s compensation package, many companies will pay half, or another percentage, of the insurance premiums. The employee’s portion of those premiums is represented on a pay stub as a deduction.

Other benefits, like flexible spending plans, commuter plans, and life insurance, may also be deducted from your pay, depending on whether or not you opt into them and if your employer picks up the bill fully or partially.

Health insurance and other benefits typically come out before your taxes, and you may be able to reduce your taxable income by signing up for them.

Recommended: Guide to Employee Benefits

Retirement Contributions

Employee savings plans such as 401(k)s are a common benefit offered in the workforce.

If you opt into this benefit, your employer will deduct funds from your wage earnings and deposit them into a retirement account. (How much of your paycheck should you save? Experts often recommend 20% should go towards saving for retirement and other short- and long-term goals.)

Employees are typically able to choose the amount they would like deducted from their earnings for retirement savings. In some cases, employers may contribute an additional percentage of your salary into your retirement account.

Contributions to your 401(k) not only help you save for the future, but lower your taxable income, since they come out of your paycheck before taxes get assessed.

You’ll want to keep in mind, however, that there are yearly retirement plan contribution limits set by the federal government through the IRS.

Other Common Payroll Deductions

Depending on your workplace and career, other payroll deductions are possible. Among the ones you may find are:

•   Charitable giving plans

•   Payment for job-required items, such as tools or uniforms

•   Union dues

•   Professional certification or tuition fee deductions

Examples of Payroll Deductions

You’ve learned details about many types of payroll deductions above. In list form, examples of payroll deductions include:

•   Federal income tax

•   State and local income taxes

•   Social Security and Medicare taxes

•   Wage garnishments

•   Employee benefits

•   Retirement contributions

Steps to Calculate Payroll Deductions

Calculating payroll deductions is typically something done by employers, not employees. Here’s a quick overview of how the process typically works:

1.    Obtain a W-4 from employees indicating their withholding.

2.    Determine employees’ gross earnings, whether salary pay or hourly.

3.    Calculate any overtime for those employees who are not exempt and worked over 40 hours a week.

4.    Take any pre-tax deductions.

5.    Calculate and deduct federal income tax based on pay, withholding status, what tax bracket an employee is in, and other factors.

6.    Determine and deduct Social Security and Medicare payments.

7.    Calculate and deduct any state and local taxes.

8.    Take any other deductions, and move funds to the appropriate entity.

Tips to Manage Payroll Deductions

If you are an employee seeking to tweak your deductions, you will have a few options. You might update your W-4 to reflect more or fewer exemptions, depending on whether you want to reduce or increase the taxes withheld.

In addition, if you could use some breathing room in your budget during a financial crunch, you might decrease retirement contributions a notch to free up a little more money for bills.

If you are in a position to be managing payroll deductions, consider these tips for making the process run smoothly:

•   Develop organizational systems to manage forms, deadlines, and other aspects of the process. There are many digital and online tools you can use for this.

•   Keep up to date with federal, state, and local tax laws to make sure you are deducting the proper amounts; know the guidelines about, say, equal pay provisions; and more.

•   Automate the entire process with payroll software. This can save time and boost accuracy versus doing things by hand. Or consider outsourcing the responsibilities to an external agency.

•   Regularly update training for payroll and HR teams, if you employ them.

•   Don’t touch payroll taxes that are only paid quarterly. It may be tempting to dip into those funds before they are due and use them for other business expenses, but this is a very risky path to pursue. If you wind up being short when the taxes must be paid, you could face penalties.

The Takeaway

While you may be surprised to see all the deductions coming out of your paycheck, once you know what number to expect to see landing in your bank account each pay period, you’ll be able to plan your spending and budget accordingly.

It’s a good idea to check your pay stubs periodically to ensure that the deductions being taken out are accurate and align with your financial goals.

If you haven’t maxed out your 401(k) contributions, for example, you may decide to increase them as your income grows and you become more financially stable.

To make sure the appropriate amount of taxes are being withheld from each paycheck, you may also want to revisit your W-4 annually and make any adjustments as your circumstances change.

Another good way to keep close tabs on your earnings and spending is to open an online bank account with SoFi. With our Checking and Savings account, you’ll enjoy an easy-to-read dashboard, the convenience of spending and saving in one place, and automatic saving features that help you organize your cash, track spending, and stash your change with Vaults and Roundups. Qualifying accounts with direct deposit can get paycheck access up to two days early, which can give you a headstart on managing your money. And with SoFi, you’ll earn a competitive APY and pay no account fees.

Want your paycheck to work harder for you? SoFi Checking and Savings can help!

FAQ

What are some common incorrect payroll deductions?

Examples of incorrect employee payroll deductions are expenses that have to do with running the business, workers’ compensation premiums, and some personal protective gear costs. In addition, payroll deductions should not bring an employee’s income below minimum wage.

How do I report payroll deductions?

If you are an employee, your payroll deductions will be reflected in the end-of-year W-2 form that you receive. If you are an employer, you are likely filing IRS Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, or Form 944, Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return, which shows the wages you’ve paid and various taxes withheld.

What are the pros and cons of payroll deductions?

Payroll deductions are a fact of life. On the plus side, they whisk away taxes regularly so you don’t face a huge tax bill come April 15, and the money paid in taxes can help quality of life in America. Also, deductions like health insurance and retirement savings go towards achieving financial security. The main con, of course, is that you take home less pay than your gross earnings and may need to budget wisely to balance your spending and saving.

What are the categories of payroll deductions?

The main categories of payroll deductions are federal, state, and local taxes; Social Security and Medicare; employee benefits; and retirement contributions.

---

SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2023 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.60% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate.

As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

SOBK1222040

Read more

If you’ve applied for federal student loans in the past, chances are you’re familiar with the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC—a number used by colleges to figure out how much financial aid students are eligible for.

Starting for the 2024-2025 school year the EFC will be replaced by the Student Aid Index or SAI. It fulfills the same basic purpose but works a little differently, which we’ll discuss in-depth below.

This change was part of the larger FAFSA® Simplification Act, which itself was part of the larger Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December 2020. The idea is to simplify the federal aid application process by making it more straightforward for students and their families, particularly for lower-income earners. But all changes come with a bit of a learning curve, even if simplicity is the goal. Here’s some helpful information about the Student Aid Index.

Student Aid Index vs the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

While both of these calculations perform a similar function, there are important differences in how they work—and important ramifications on how students receive financial aid.

How the EFC Currently Works

Despite its name, the Expected Family Contribution is not actually the amount of money a student’s family is expected to contribute—a point of confusion Student Aid Index is meant to clarify. (Most families end up paying significantly more than the calculated EFC when funding a college education, especially when you factor in loan interest.)

Rather, the EFC assesses the student’s family’s available financial assets, including income, savings, investments, benefits, and more, in order to determine the student’s financial need, which in turn is used to help qualify students for certain forms of student aid, including Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized Loans, and Federal Work-Study.

A very simplified version of the calculation looks like this:

Cost of college attendance – EFC = financial need

However, a college is not obligated to meet your full financial need, and they may include interest-bearing loans, which require repayment, as part of a student’s financial aid package.

Still, the EFC plays an important role in determining how much financial aid you’re eligible for and which types.

How Will the Student Aid Index Work?

The Student Aid Index will work in much the same way: the figure will be subtracted from the cost of attendance to determine how much need-based financial aid a student is eligible for. However, there are some important updates that come along the rebranding:

Pell Grant Eligibility

Pell Grant eligibility will now be determined before the FAFSA is submitted if their adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than a certain threshold determined by the poverty line. Pell Grants may still be offered to students after an application is submitted, using the SAI, if they don’t immediately qualify based on income alone.

A Wider Range of Financial Need

The SAI offers a greater range of financial need than the EFC, whose lowest amount is $0 (meaning a student demonstrably needs the full cost of college covered by aid). The lowest possible SAI, on the other hand, is -$1,500, which creates a cushion to help the lowest-income students cover adjacent college expenses that aren’t bundled into the school’s calculated cost of attendance figure.

New Rules

The SAI comes along with new rules that allow financial aid administrators to make case-by-case adjustments to students’ financial aid calculations under special circumstances, such as a major recent change in income. The bill also reduces the number of questions on the FAFSA down to a maximum of 36 (formerly 108), removes questions about drug-related convictions (which can now disqualify applicants from receiving federal aid), and more.

Recommended: FAFSA Guide

How Will the Student Aid Index Be Calculated?

The Student Aid Index will be calculated much the same as the Expected Family Contribution is calculated today, though the bill does include some updates to make the process easier.

For one thing, the bill works together with the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act to import income directly into a student’s FAFSA, simplifying the application process.

The new FAFSA will also automatically calculate whether or not a student’s assets need to be factored into the eligibility calculation, shortening the overall application and offering more students the opportunity to apply without having their assets considered.

The bill also removes the requirement that students register for the Selective Service in order to be eligible to receive need-based federal student aid.

Recommended: Getting Financial Aid When Your Parents Make Too Much

What Is a Good Student Aid Index Score?

The Student Aid Index isn’t like a test or a report card—there aren’t really “good” or “bad” scores, or “scores” at all. It just depends on your personal financial landscape.

But just like the EFC, the lower the SAI, the more need-based aid a student may be qualified for. Since need-based aid includes grants, which don’t need to be repaid, and subsidized loans, whose interest is covered by Uncle Sam while you’re attending school, a lower SAI may translate into a lower overall college price tag.

How Will the Student Aid Index Be Used?

Like the EFC before it, the SAI will be used to help colleges determine a student’s financial need based on their financial demographics. Although the school itself may have its own grant programs and other types of aid, certain forms of federal student aid such as Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized Loans are offered based on demonstrable financial need, and the SAI is a key part of the calculation used to determine that need.

In short: the SAI will be used to determine how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive.

When Will the SAI Go Into Effect?

The SAI will be implemented in the 2024-2025 academic year. In the meantime, students will still use the same, extended FAFSA to apply for federal financial aid, and will still receive an EFC.

The Takeaway

The Student Aid Index is essentially the same number as the Expected Family Contribution, but it’s been renamed as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act in order to clarify to families what exactly the number means. This act also bundles in some other important changes that will hopefully simplify the overall student loan application process and increase access to education for the lowest-income students and their families.

Submitting the FAFSA and exhausting need-based federal student loan options, which tend to be the most generous to borrowers or grantees, is an important first step when it comes to funding a college education. But there are other tools in a student’s college-funding toolbox, as well.

Students can also apply for Direct Unsubsidized Loans from the government, which often have competitive interest rates and may offer more flexibility to postpone, lower, or forgive the repayment. Additionally, federal loans for undergraduate students don’t require a credit check to qualify, while private student loans usually do.

For those pursuing private student loan funding, SoFi offers no-fee student loan options for undergraduates, graduate students, and parents with competitive interest rates—not to mention the 0.25% discount for borrowers who set up autopay.

Could a SoFi student loan help fund your bright future? Learn more about options for undergraduates, graduate students, parents, and professionals.

Photo credit: iStock/SDI Productions

---

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOPS0721026

Read more

In housing markets teeming with buyer demand, it’s not uncommon to put an offer on a home only to be outdone by a competing offer. If two or more potential buyers want a property badly enough, they may find themselves locked in a bidding war.

The tea leaves indicate that 2023 will throw cold water on many bidding wars, but certain markets in the country could remain competitive.

Here’s how to increase your chances of winning a bidding war so you don’t have to bid adieu to a home you really want.

1. Know How a Bidding War Works

Bidding wars usually take place in a seller’s market, when demand outpaces housing inventory. They also typically occur when there are multiple interested parties and when there is some sort of constraint, like timing.

When a seller’s agent receives offers for a property that has attracted a lot of buzz, the agent may set a date by which would-be buyers should make their “highest and best” offer. Sellers can accept the best offer, counter one offer while putting the others to the side while awaiting a decision, or counter one offer and reject the others.

This brings up a salient point: It’s true that you can buy a house without a Realtor® or real estate agent, but an experienced agent can guide you through offers and counteroffers, contingency snags, and more.

2. Line Up Your Financing

One of the best things you can do to be prepared for a potential bidding war — or really any time — is to get your finances, and financing, in order.

Be sure to know how much house you can afford, including a down payment and monthly payments.

Determine if you qualify for a mortgage and familiarize yourself with the types of home loans that are available: government-backed loan or conventional loan, fixed rate or adjustable rate.

Getting preapproved for a mortgage will give you a specific amount that a lender is tentatively willing to let you borrow.

And a preapproval letter shows sellers that you are a serious candidate to buy a home. Many experts recommend getting at least three preapproval letters from three lenders.

3. Lessen or Drop Contingencies

Contingencies are certain conditions that must be met before a real estate deal becomes binding. Potential buyers can back out of a deal without penalty if the contingencies aren’t met.

A clean offer, one with as few contingencies as possible, is attractive to sellers in a competitive market.

In a typical real estate market, a common contingency is the mortgage contingency, or financing contingency, which allows homebuyers to exit the deal and have their earnest money returned if they cannot secure financing by the agreed-upon deadline.

Another is the inspection contingency. Based on the findings of a professional inspection, the buyer may be able to negotiate repairs or the price, which are known as seller concessions if the sellers are agreeable, or cancel the contract.

Waiving contingencies shows your eagerness to triumph, but it comes with risk. The biggest is losing your earnest money deposit if you hit a snag.

4. Be Quick About These Contingencies

Sellers want to avoid spending a lot of time with a potential buyer only to have the deal fall through. If you’re including appraisal and inspection contingencies, do what you can to expedite them.

The real estate purchase contract includes any contingencies, the sales price, the closing date, and the date of the title transfer and possession. The contract is considered a working document until both parties agree on the terms.

5. Use an Escalation Clause

Unsurprisingly, one of the best ways to win a bidding war is by offering more money.

You may want to include an escalation clause in the contract if you assume there will be multiple offers.

The clause asserts that if another buyer makes a competing offer, your bid will automatically increase by a certain amount, up to a limit, to exceed the offer.

Say you put a $400,000 offer on a home, with an escalation amount of $10,000 and a ceiling of $430,000. If someone else bids $410,000, you will automatically bid $420,000, up to your ceiling.

6. Stay Flexible

A willingness to be flexible can give you a leg up in the eyes of a seller.

For example, a seller might be moving across the country for work and need to close by a specific date. So if you can get the appraisal and inspection done swiftly, that could be a huge plus.

Alternatively, sellers may need to stay in the house for a while. Working with them on their specific needs could give you an edge.

7. Pay With Cash

If you are able to do it, buying a house with cash can be very attractive to sellers. The process is typically much faster than going through a lender, and sellers don’t want to worry about financing issues that might hold up the deal or cause it to fall through.

It’s even possible that a seller would choose a cash offer over a slightly higher offer backed by a mortgage.

8. Increase Your Deposit

There are timeless standards for how to make an offer on a house. One is determining the size of your earnest money deposit.

The deposit, held in escrow by the title company, secures the real estate contract. It tells the seller that you are serious about buying the house.

Earnest money is typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price but can be more in a competitive market. If you close on the home, the deposit will be applied to your closing costs.

9. Write a Personal Letter

When sellers are choosing a buyer during a bidding war, they’re often just looking at numbers on a page. Consider writing a real estate offer letter, aka love letter, to humanize the transaction.

You might want to make a case for why you’re the ideal candidate to buy the home, and note commonalities: You’re a ceramicist and noticed an artist’s studio in the backyard. You have dogs; they have a dog. That big elm reminds you of the one at your childhood home.

Be complimentary about the things you like about the house and how it has been maintained. And be concise.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re buying in a time of burgeoning bidding wars or not, it’s good to know how they work. The tactics help homebuyers understand the lay of the real estate land: contingencies, earnest money, escalation clauses, love letters.

If you’re gearing up for a bidding war or a peaceful purchase, see what SoFi Mortgages are all about. The rates are competitive. A number of repayment terms are offered. And qualifying first-time homebuyers can put as little as 3% down.

Getting prequalified is the first step.

---

SoFi Mortgages
Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SOHL21003

Read more

Make no mistake: You need to report your crypto activity on your tax return. Cryptocurrency has become very popular in recent years, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the IRS. If you were active in the crypto markets over the past year, you’ll need to report it on your tax return, or risk being penalized.

Because of this, it’s important that investors know the basics regarding filing and paying taxes on their cryptocurrency investments, which includes reporting their trading activity and income.

How Cryptocurrency Taxes Work

One of the most important things investors need to know before investing in cryptocurrency is how crypto taxes work. Additionally, investors should be aware that classification of cryptocurrencies varies depending on the federal government agency overseeing the investment activity.

The IRS defines cryptocurrencies as digital assets, and that includes non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and stablecoins, too. Despite the fact that crypto is often thought of as a currency, they are not considered currency for federal tax purposes.

Instead, transactions of cryptocurrencies are treated as property, like stocks, bonds, and other capital assets. So, when someone uses, sells, or is paid in a cryptocurrency, they are generally required to pay taxes on their realized gains.

Note, though, that even as the IRS treats cryptocurrencies as property for tax purposes, this categorization is not consistent across all federal government agencies.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), for example, classifies cryptocurrencies as a commodity when regulating a variety of crypto-related trading markets. The CFTC oversees cryptocurrencies when they are “used in a derivatives contract, or if there is fraud or manipulation involving a virtual currency traded in interstate commerce.”

In contrast, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attempts to regulate different cryptocurrencies as securities and investors can be subject to securities laws.

In all, there’s something of a turf war happening in Washington D.C. over crypto regulation. But for taxpayers, the most important thing to know is that crypto is considered “property” by the IRS, and investors will need to report it as such on their tax returns.

Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Crypto?

Investors are required to pay capital gain taxes on cryptocurrency when selling, trading, or disposing of their holdings. Additionally, cryptocurrencies can be taxed as income if an individual receives the crypto as a gift, from mining, or for services rendered. There are different types of income, and crypto income is among them.

So, there are two types of taxes potentially at play.

However, not all crypto transactions result in a tax liability. These nontaxable events include buying crypto with cash and holding it, donating it to a qualified charity or non-profit, or transferring crypto to yourself between wallets or accounts. In effect, investors need to realize a gain or loss.

Situations When You’ll Need to Pay Taxes on Crypto

•   Cryptocurrency is sold for cash: When an investor sells cryptocurrency for government-backed currency (fiat currency) and makes a profit, the investor will have to pay capital gains taxes on the proceeds, just as they would on the sale of a share of stock.

•   Cryptocurrency is used to purchase a good or service: If an individual uses their cryptocurrency to buy a new car or pay for a haircut, they will likely owe capital gains taxes on the purchase. To the IRS, using crypto to buy something is the same as selling it for cash, because the crypto needs to be sold for dollars before it can be used to exchange for a good or service. This creates a “realized” gain.

•   Exchanging cryptocurrencies: Converting or exchanging one crypto for another is comparable to selling the one to purchase the other. As a result, the investor may have to pay capital gains tax on the sale of the first crypto, if it was sold for a profit.

•   Being paid in cryptocurrency: If an individual decides to be paid in cryptocurrency, they will need to pay income taxes on that income (just as if they were being paid in dollars) which will depend on their individual tax bracket.

•   Mining cryptocurrency: The proceeds from mining Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are typically taxed as income. It’s also possible for the proceeds of some miners to be taxed as business income.

•   Crypto is acquired via an “airdrop” or “hard fork”: In the event of a crypto airdrop or hard fork that results in new coins, those new coins are taxed as income.

Is Crypto Investing Taxed as Income?

Crypto investing is taxed more or less the same way that investing in stocks, ETFs, or other securities is taxed. That is, tax liabilities are generated when an investor disposes of their holdings by selling or exchanging them. Only then do they have both a purchase price (cost basis) and a disposal price, which can be positive or negative ( a gain or a loss).

From there, capital gains taxes can be calculated, similar to how things work with traditional investment tax rules.

Crypto is taxed as income under a few select circumstances, as discussed. So, no, crypto investing itself isn’t taxed as income, but that doesn’t mean that crypto itself is never taxed as income.

How Much Do I Owe in Crypto Taxes?

The amount of crypto taxes owed varies depending on an investor’s income, tax filing status, and the length of time that an investor owned a crypto asset before selling it. Additionally, the type of crypto transaction affects what tax rate an individual will be charged. As mentioned above, some situations result in a capital gains tax liability, and others an income tax liability.

Long-Term Capital Gains Crypto Tax Rates for 2023

If an investor owned a cryptocurrency for more than 365 days before selling or using it, the proceeds of the transaction are taxed at the long-term capital gains tax rate. Here are the cryptocurrency capital gains rates on long-term gains for the 2022 tax year (taxes filed in 2023):

Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rates for 2022
Tax Rate	Single	Married Filing Jointly	Married Filing Separately	Head of Household
0%	$0-$41,675	$0-$83,350	$0-$41,675	$0-$55,800
15%	$41,675-$459,750	$83,350-$517,200	$41,675-$258,600	$54,101-$488,500
20%	>$459,750	>$517,200	>$258,600	>$488,500
Source: Internal Revenue Service

Short-Term Capital Gains Crypto Tax Rates for 2023

If an investor owned a cryptocurrency for less than a year before selling it or using it, the gains are taxed as ordinary income. Additionally, if an individual was paid in crypto, mined crypto, or received crypto via an airdrop, they are taxed as ordinary income. Here are the income tax brackets for the 2022 tax year (taxes filed in 2023):

Short-Term Capital Gains and Income Tax Rates for 2022
Tax Rate	Single	Married Filing Jointly	Married Filing Separately	Head of Household
10%	$0-$10,275	$0-$20,550	$0-$10,275	$0-$14,650
12%	$10,275-$41,775	$20,550-$83,550	$10,275-$41,775	$14,650-$55,900
22%	$41,775-$89,075	$83,550-$178,150	$41,775-$89,075	$55,900-$89,050
24%	$89,075-$170,050	$178,150-$340,100	$89,075-$170,050	$89,050-$170,050
32%	$170,050-$215,950	$340,100-$431,900	$170,050-$215,950	$170,050-$215,950
35%	$215,950-$539,900	$431,900-$647,850	$215,950-$539,900	$215,950-$539,900
37%	>$539,900	>$647,850	>$539,900	>$539,900
Source: Internal Revenue Service

How to File Taxes on Cryptocurrencies

The most important thing for investors to understand is that they are required to report crypto holdings, gains, and losses to the IRS when filing their tax returns. If a cryptocurrency return is generated — positive or negative — or some type of income is realized from holdings, your crypto activity will need to be reported to the IRS. This is why it’s important to keep track of any and all crypto transactions.

Here are the basic steps to take when filing taxes on cryptocurrencies.

•   Determine what, if anything, is owed. If an investor completed a crypto transaction (selling, exchanging, or using to purchase a good or service), it is likely that it generated a tax liability.

•   Record and report transactions. All cryptocurrency transactions will need to be reported on your tax return. Like with stocks and other investments, the IRS requires a paper trail to ensure an individual reports their full tax liability. In some cases, crypto exchange will provide the transaction history for the investor via a 1099 form, or something similar.

•   File the correct forms with your tax return. The IRS requires specific forms depending on the activity an individual has conducted with their crypto. That could include making calculations on Form 8949 , and then reporting the results on Schedule D of Form 1040 , which outlines and summarizes capital gains or losses

Filing Crypto Taxes on Your Own

It is possible to figure out your crypto tax liabilities, and file on your own. But know that many experts may recommend against this, especially if you’re a particularly active crypto investor or trader. That’s because there can simply be so much information that needs to be reported, that it can be overwhelming for the typical person, and thus, hard to keep track of.

There are services that can help you keep track of your transactions, but if you’re using multiple exchanges or brokerages, and even some decentralized exchanges, you may miss a portion of your activity that needs to be reported.

If you only have a handful of crypto transactions to account for, you may be able to file your crypto taxes yourself. But it may be best to reach out to professionals for help.

How to Lower Crypto Tax Liability

If an investor is looking to lower their crypto tax liability (who isn’t looking for ways to reduce income taxes, and other taxes?), there are several options. Many of the same strategies that are used for traditional investments, like stocks, apply to crypto holdings. Here are a few examples:

Buy and Hold

The buy-and-hold strategy can help investors take advantage of the long-term capital gains tax rate, which is lower than the short-term capital gains tax rate as noted above. When an investor holds on to their crypto for at least one year, their tax rate for the crypto will be lower than if they sold within the first year.

Tax-Loss Harvesting

If a loss is realized on a crypto transaction, it can be used to offset the gains made on other holdings. This is called “tax-loss harvesting,” and is a common tactic used to lower tax liabilities on other investments. However, if an investor’s crypto is somehow stolen or lost, they are out of luck and won’t be able to apply the loss against their gains to lower their liability.

Investors can use tax-loss harvesting for their crypto holdings to offset as much as $3,000 in non-investment income. If they’ve incurred losses beyond that limit, they can carry forward those losses to use in future years.

Also, investors who are concerned about triggering wash sale rules in regards to their crypto sales have no reason to fear. Under current rules, wash sales do not apply to cryptocurrencies. (Though it’s generally expected that this will change at some point in the future.)

Charitable Donations

The IRS classifies crypto as property, and property donations are tax-deductible, and not subject to capital gains taxes.

Here’s how this might work in an investor’s favor: If an investor bought a Bitcoin for $10,000 more than a year ago, and it now has a value of $35,000, they would owe capital gains taxes on that $25,000 gain if they cashed out. But by donating it, they can avoid those capital gains taxes and also take a deduction “generally equal to the fair market value of the virtual currency at the time of the donation if you have held the virtual currency for more than one year,” according to the IRS .

Buy and Sell Cryptocurrency in 401(k) or IRA

Some tax-advantaged retirement accounts like a 401(k) or an IRA allow investors to add cryptocurrencies into their portfolios. In these accounts, no annual taxes are assessed on the transactions, since they enjoy tax-free growth. Investors can therefore take advantage of these benefits to trade within the accounts and not be taxed on every transaction.

However, depending on the type of account used, an investor may face taxes upon withdrawal. For instance, if you were to withdraw money from an IRA account prior to reaching age 59.5, you’d be subject to a 10% penalty.

Recommended: Guide to Bitcoin IRA: Pros, Cons, and What to Know

The Takeaway

Investors need to report their crypto activity to the IRS, and pay applicable tax liabilities. Most crypto activity is subject to capital gains taxes, but depending on the circumstances outlined above, cryptocurrency transactions and investments may be taxed as property, like stocks, or as income.

Investors should keep this in mind, remembering that cryptocurrency tax situations are nuanced and complicated. For that reason, it may be best to reach out to a tax professional for help when filing your taxes. But by keeping track of your crypto holdings and transactions, managing your cryptocurrency tax liabilities shouldn’t be too difficult.

FAQ

How much are crypto taxes?

The amount an investor owes in crypto taxes depends on several factors, including how much trading they did, and how much they profited from those trades. Income taxes may also be applicable, too.

When do your taxes for crypto investments need to be filed?

Investors need to report and pay applicable crypto taxes at the same time that they file their tax return. Generally, that’s due by mid-April, on Tax Day. Investors can ask for an extension, or even sign up for an installment plan if they can’t afford to pay their crypto taxes.

What happens if you don’t pay your crypto taxes?

If you don’t pay your crypto taxes (or fail to report your crypto activity to the IRS), you could incur financial penalties, or even jail time. If caught, you could be facing audits of several years’ of tax returns, and even face serious charges, such as tax evasion.

---

SoFi Invest®

SoFi Invest encompasses two distinct companies, with various products and services offered to investors as described below: Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of these platforms.
1) Automated Investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (“SoFi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC.
2) Active Investing and brokerage services are provided by SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA (www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org). Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above please visit SoFi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform.

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

²Terms and conditions apply. Earn a bonus (as described below) when you open a new SoFi Digital Assets LLC account and buy at least $50 worth of any cryptocurrency within 7 days. The offer only applies to new crypto accounts, is limited to one per person, and expires on December 31, 2023. Once conditions are met and the account is opened, you will receive your bonus within 7 days. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate the offer at any time without notice.

First Trade Amount		Bonus Payout
Low	High
$50	$99.99	$10
$100	$499.99	$15
$500	$4,999.99	$50
$5,000+		$100

SOIN1222001

Read more