Kremer Kehe Financial Services

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Kremer Kehe Financial Services Tax preparation and tax planning services for individuals and small businesses.

We provide business tax returns, personal tax filing, proactive planning, and consulting to support you year-round. Services include financial planning, consulting, strategic planning, budgeting, tax preparation, accounting, sales tax and payroll.

10/14/2026

Reminder: if you're on extension, your tax return is due this Thursday, October 15. An extension gave you more time to file — not more time to pay. Any tax owed was due back in April, and interest keeps running on an unpaid balance.

If your return is ready, file it by Thursday. E-filed returns need to go through by the 15th; paper returns need to be postmarked by the 15th. Still missing a document or have a question? Don't let the deadline pass — reach out and we'll figure out the next step.

10/13/2026

Standard deduction or itemizing — which one actually saves you money? For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, and $24,150 head of household. You take that amount unless your itemized deductions add up to more.

The usual items that get people over the line: mortgage interest, charitable gifts, and state and local taxes — the SALT deduction is capped at $40,400 for 2026. Add those up. If the total beats your standard deduction, itemize. If not, take the standard amount and move on. Either way, the math decides — not the habit.

10/11/2026

Quick 401(k) checkup before year-end — three things worth doing this week. First, check your contribution total: for 2026 you can put in $24,500 ($32,500 if you're 50 or older). If you're behind, you may still be able to bump up your remaining paychecks. Second, if you got a raise this year, make sure your contribution rate kept up. Third, confirm you're getting the full employer match — not capturing it is the closest thing to turning down a raise. Unlike IRAs, 401(k) money has to be in by December 31. Worth ten minutes in your plan portal.

10/06/2026

Here's a year-end move worth knowing if you're charitably inclined but take the standard deduction: bunching.

Say you give $6,000 a year to charity. On its own, that plus your other deductions may not beat the standard deduction — so the gifts buy you zero tax benefit.

Instead, give this year's AND next year's gifts before December 31. Now you're deducting $12,000 in one year, which can push you over the standard deduction line and make every dollar count.

Same generosity, better timing. Just make sure the gifts are completed by year-end — a check mailed in January counts for next year, not this one.

10/05/2026

If you have a high-deductible health plan, the HSA is the best tax deal in the code — and most people underuse it.

It's triple tax-advantaged: deductible going in, tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawals for medical costs. For 2026 you can contribute $4,400 as an individual or $8,750 for family coverage, plus $1,000 more if you're 55 or older.

Two things people miss: you don't have to spend it this year — invest the balance, let it compound, and reimburse yourself for today's bills years from now (keep the receipts). And unlike an FSA, it's yours forever. No use-it-or-lose-it.

10/04/2026

Paying for college this fall? Two tax credits can take a bite out of the bill.

The American Opportunity Credit is worth up to $2,500 per student for the first four years — and up to $1,000 of it is refundable, so you can get it even if you owe no tax. The Lifetime Learning Credit is worth up to $2,000 per return, and it covers grad school and skill-building courses too.

You'll need the 1098-T from the school and Form 8863 with your return. One rule that trips people up: you can't claim both credits for the same student in the same year. Run the numbers and take the bigger one.

10/03/2026

Open enrollment is here, and if you have a health FSA, you have two jobs.

First, check your 2025 balance. FSA money is use-it-or-lose-it — whatever's left at year-end goes back to your employer, unless your plan offers a grace period or lets you carry over up to $680. Glasses, dental work, prescriptions, and sunscreen all count. Spend it.

Second, set your 2026 election. The limit rises to $3,400 next year. A good rule: contribute what you'll actually spend on predictable medical costs — not a dollar more, since the leftovers evaporate.

An FSA is a discount on bills you're paying anyway. Just don't leave the discount on the table.

10/02/2026

Big change if you itemize: the SALT deduction cap jumped from $10,000 to $40,400 for 2026.

SALT is your state and local taxes — income tax (or sales tax) plus property tax. Since 2018, you could only deduct $10,000 of it, which pushed most people to the standard deduction.

Now the math is worth redoing. Add up your SALT (up to $40,400), mortgage interest, and charitable gifts. If the total beats your standard deduction — $16,100 single or $32,200 married filing jointly — itemizing wins again.

Homeowners in higher-tax states: run both ways before you file. This one change flips the answer for a lot of people.

10/01/2026

Roth or traditional IRA? The question that matters isn't which is better — it's when you want the tax break.

Traditional: deduction now, pay tax later when you withdraw. Makes sense if you're in a higher bracket today than you'll be in retirement.

Roth: no deduction now, but withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Better if you're early in your career or in a lower bracket this year.

You have until April 15, 2027 to contribute for 2026 — but don't wait until April to decide. The choice depends on this year's income, and by April the year's already over.

09/30/2026

Q4 tax move most people miss: check your withholding now.

If you owed a surprise bill last April — or got a giant refund — your W-4 doesn't match your life anymore. A raise, a new job, a kid, a side gig: all of it changes the math, and almost nobody updates their withholding when it happens.

The fix takes about 10 minutes with the IRS withholding estimator. And here's the part most people don't know: withholding counts as paid evenly across the whole year, even if you crank it up in October. So you can still fix 2026.

April-you will thank October-you.

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110 S Vine Street
West Union, IA
52175

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Monday 8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday 8:30am - 12pm

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