It's tax time! The Internal Revenue Service plans to open the 2014 filing season on January 31, 2014. The delayed opening date is a result of the significant delays the IRS experienced in October following the 16-day federal government closure.

So, what's new for your 2013 return? Keep reading for highlights on some of the changes.

• Additional Medicare Tax.Beginning in 2013, a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to Medicare wages, railroad retirement (RRTA) compensation, and self-employment income that are more than:
  • $125,000 if married filing separately,
  • $250,000 if married filing jointly, or
  • $200,000 for any other filing status.
• Change in tax rates. The highest tax rate is now 39.6%.
• Tax rate on net capital gain and qualified dividends. The maximum tax rate of 15% on net capital gain and qualified dividends has increased to 20% for some taxpayers.
• Medical and dental expenses. You can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that is more than 10% of your adjusted gross income (7.5% if you are age 65 or older).
• Personal exemption amount increased for certain taxpayers. Your personal exemption is increased to $3,900. But the amount is reduced if your adjusted gross income is over certain limits based on your filing status.
• Limit on itemized deductions. You may not be able to deduct all of your itemized deductions if your adjusted gross income is over certain limits based on your filing status.
• Home office deduction simplified method. If you can take a home office deduction, you may be able to use a simplified method to figure it.
• Standard mileage rates. The 2013 rate for business use of your car is increased to 56½ cents a mile. The 2013 rate for use of your car to get medical care is increased to 24 cents a mile. The 2013 rate for use of your car to move is increased to 24 cents a mile.

Be sure to contact your tax professional for more information. Don't wait till the last minute!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day occurs on January 20, 2014. Since 1994, this federal holiday has been celebrated as a day of service, a fitting tribute to the civil rights leader. Dr. King promoted nonviolence as a powerful tool in accomplishing social change. Consider ways that you can promote the goal of peace and equal rights today.

Speak up.

The call for change begins with a single voice. If you have an issue that is important to you, tell people about it. Educate a friend. Organize a petition. Write to your congressional representatives. If it matters, get the word out.

Meet the needs of your community.

A struggling school could use volunteer tutors. Food banks need volunteers to sort and package donations. Participate in cleaning up a local park or other recreational area. Your efforts to improve quality of life for the community can enable others to succeed.

Gather together to remember.

It’s nice to have the day off from work or school, but it’s also important to remember why. A life was cut tragically short while working to secure and protect civil rights for everyone. Check out the Day of Service website and find a place you can serve. Join together and discuss the issues in your community, and find ways to make a positive change.

Dr. King remarked, “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what’s important.” Take time to enrich the quality of your own life and others’ lives on January 20 by taking part in the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service.

When talking nutrition, you hear about good fats and bad fats. Take a moment to learn about the role of fat in nourishing the body, and how you can get more health-boosting fats in your diet while cutting back on the dangerous fats.

A healthy diet is not a fat-free diet. Your body needs a modest amount of fat to properly process certain vitamins and minerals. Fat is the most calorie dense of the macronutrients (carbohydrates and proteins are the others), so it provides energy and helps you feel full longer. The USDA recommends consuming 20-35% of your total calories as fat, but encourages restricting saturated fats and Trans fats; the “bad fats.”

Because of their physical nature, saturated fats and Trans fats contribute to the buildup of cholesterol in your blood putting you at risk for major health problems. Minimize the amount of saturated fat you eat to less than 10% of your total calories. Dairy products and beef contribute the most saturated fat in the average diet. Try low-fat milk and cut back on red meat. Some Trans fats occur naturally in meat, but the worst culprit is the hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils used in processed foods like cookies, cakes, and other ready-made baked goods. Try to eliminate these Trans fats entirely.

So where can you look for the fats you should be eating? Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are the “right” kind. Try snacking on lightly salted nuts and seeds instead of a bag of chips. Add some avocado to your next meal. Soybean oil, soy milk, and tofu are all classified as polyunsaturated. Salmon and tuna provide a special type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3 which appears to play a role in supporting brain health and reducing serious health conditions including cancer.

The bottom line is - don’t fear the fat. Use your smarts to restrict unhealthy fats and choose the right amount of healthy fat for your body.

Ready to ring in 2014 with dramatic changes? Big changes don’t happen quickly, so have a plan to reach your goal. Start small by taking a single step in the right direction. Before you know it, you’ll gather a string of little success stories that add up to huge progress. Here are a few starter ideas for common New Year’s resolutions.

Want to shed a few pounds?

Good nutrition will take you further than exercise alone. Tackle your weight loss objective by recording the foods you eat. Free websites and apps make it easy and cheap to track a daily food diary and calculate your calorie intake. Try SparkPeople or MyFitnessPal. Once it’s there in black and white, you can see where you might be going overboard. Use that knowledge to cut back and make healthy substitutions.

Trying to fix your finances?

Paying off debt can pave your way to a richer future. Target a small amount to pay off first. Your motivation will get a boost from that first victory, and your monthly budget gets a little extra wiggle room. To see your progress multiply rapidly, dedicate the newly available funds to cutting down more debt.

Would going back to school give your career a boost?

Check out nearby schools for non-credit and community education classes. You can gain useful skills for work without investing a lot of money. Then if you take the plunge to pursue a degree or a certificate, you’ll know what it takes to succeed in the classroom.

Breaking bad habits and learning positive habits can be tough, so it’s not surprising that many of us toss out our New Year’s resolutions before the end of January. Take the first step, and don’t be afraid to begin again if you get off track. Start small to make your resolutions stick this year. 

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go…” Christmas marks a special time of the year for many of us, a time for peace, joy, family, and a whole bunch of catchy Christmas music. See if this list of Christmas favorites strikes a chord with you.

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly…” Christmas decorations bring a smile to everyone’s face. The twinkling lights, a fragrant tree, and that ornament you made in first grade; what’s not to love? Take the kids out on a late night tour of holiday lights. Dress your house to the nines. Choose a tree (fake’s good too), and feel free to leave it up well into the New Year.

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” While a partridge in a pear tree might not be on anyone’s wish list right now, it is delightful to give and receive at this time of year. Cherish a thoughtful gift from a loved one, and find just the right thing to bless another person. 

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” Winter’s chilly temperatures showcase the appeal of a cozy evening spent at home with a tasty holiday treat. Break out the blankets, and snuggle up with a warm drink and your favorite holiday foods.

“Joy to the world!” Whether you celebrate Christmas as the birth of a Savior, or as a holiday of generosity and peace, Christmas is a joyful time of year. Relax, remember your reason for the season, and enjoy this Christmas.

Now that you’re in the Christmas spirit, pass it around by whistling while you work or singing while you shop. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; soon the bells will start, and the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing right within your heart.” Merry Christmas!  

Do the holidays just make you want to scream? It’s so stressful! So commercial! Are we having fun yet? If you would like to find more meaning in your holiday celebrations, you are not alone. Here are a few suggestions for slowing down and simplifying your holiday routine.

Take the time to make a plan.

Everyday life is busy enough. Add in parties, pageants, and loads of gifts to buy, and it’s just too much. Carve out a time before things kick into high gear to plan the essentials of your holiday strategy. Make shopping lists. Schedule a meal plan. Reserve time for special events. Life’s little emergencies and the decisions we make on the fly raise our stress levels the most. By committing to your priorities in advance, you won’t risk getting off course as the pace of life picks up.

Get your ZZZ's.

You might gain a few more hours of productivity for one night, but sacrificing sleep will catch up with you in the long run. Research shows that tired people perform noticeably worse on tasks requiring concentration and reason than well-rested people. Reducing your sleep also negatively impacts your emotional state and suppresses your immune system. Trying for seven or more hours of sleep nightly will help you function at your best throughout the day.

Learn to say NO.

Sometimes you simply have to say no. You can’t be everywhere at once, so quit spreading yourself too thin. Decide what really matters to you and your family this holiday season. Any last minute requests that don’t measure up, need to go. Graciously decline and move on. You can relax more fully as your schedule frees up, and you’ll have the time and energy to be present when it matters.

It’s time to deck the halls, not climb the walls. You will get a valuable boost to your health and productivity by getting the rest you need. Sticking with a game plan reduces stressful surprises and pares down an overly full calendar. Savor the best of the holidays this year instead of letting the holidays get the best of you.