4-minute Money Ideas

A Guide to the Tax Implications of a Legal Settlement By Douglas Goldstein, CFP® - helping olim handle U.S., IRA, investment, and brokerage accounts from Israel   This is a two-part article addressing questions that arise when people receive lump sums. For the entire article, go to: www.profile-financial.com/settlement.   I recently helped a number of people who are in the midst of receiving a cash settlement from a lawsuit, and had to point out that winning a lawsuit is not “free money.” In addition to having survived personal injury and a long-drawn out legal case, there may be tax implications to a legal settlement. Lost wages or profits If you are unfairly dismissed from employment, you may receive a settlement for lost wages, benefits, severance, back pay, or other income. According to the IRS, this settlement is considered regular income, even though severance pay is often tax free in Israel. This kind of settlement is also subject to the Social Security wage base table and Medicare tax rates for the ye