This document provides an overview and tips for 2017 individual tax planning. It summarizes key tax rates, deductions, credits, and strategies to consider for reducing tax liability for the year. Potential tax reform proposals could change rates and provisions for 2018, so the document recommends planning based on current tax law and taking advantage of opportunities before year-end 2017 to be effective in mitigating taxes. It includes charts outlining various tax rates, limits, phaseouts and considerations for married and unmarried filers.

1. 2017 | Individual Tax Planning Supplement
STRATEGY
Find the
That Works For You

2. Stick to Your Plan,
Keep It Attainable
Reducing what you owe in taxes is not unlike the
process of trimming your waist line. Both require
a plan that is practical and tailored to meet your
specific situation.
Dependable strategies are especially important for
2017 tax planning as potential changes complicate
considerations for year-end. Tax reform proposals
are being discussed that could change tax rates
and provisions, and the timeline is unclear. In the
absence of clarity or certainty, it is best to plan for
the deductions, credits and other tax opportunities
that are available now. Time is of the essence; many
opportunities must be implemented before year-end
to be effective in mitigating your 2017 tax bill.
This supplement includes some of those tax
minimization considerations and tips. There are also
several charts throughout the supplement to help
illustrate how some of the opportunities may apply to
your specific circumstances, including tax rates and
brackets, qualified retirement plan limitations and
FICA/Medicare taxes.
This publication is distributed with the understanding that CBIZ MHM is not rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. As a result, you should obtain advice
and guidance from your own tax professional, after discussing your specific situation and facts, before taking any action based upon information contained in this guide.
CBIZ MHM assumes no liability whatsoever in connection with the use of this information and assumes no obligation to inform the reader of any changes in tax laws or
other factors that could affect the information contained herein. All of the information contained herein is based on the tax laws in effect as of October 18, 2017.
Table of Contents
2017 Federal Individual Income Tax 3
Gift and Estate Taxes 4
FICA/Medicare Taxes on Earned Income 4
Qualified Retirement Plans 4
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) 5
Net Investment Income Tax 6
2017 Marginal Tax Rates 7
Notable Tax Provisions Extended by PATH Act of 2015 8
Glossary Acronyms 8

3. ■■ Sell investments with capital gains to offset recognized
capital losses
■■ Sell investments with capital losses to offset recognized
capital gains
■■ Transfer mutual funds to children prior to December
dividend record date
■■ Maximize 401(k) or SEP contributions
■■ Pay fourth quarter state estimated tax payments and
2017 real estate taxes by Dec. 31 (if not in AMT)
■■ Pay January mortgage payment by Dec. 31
■■ Make charitable donations, especially appreciated stock
■■ Bunch miscellaneous itemized deductions to exceed 2%
AGI floor (if not in AMT)
■■ Bunch medical deductions to exceed 10% floor
■■ Defer interest income by shifting investments to short-
term bonds that will not mature until next year
■■ Review withholdings, especially if subject to 0.9%
Medicare tax on earned income
Tips for Year-end Income
Tax Reduction
2017 Federal Individual Income Tax
Tax Rate Filing Status
Marginal Long-term
Capital Gain
Married Filing Jointly Single
10% 0% $0-$18,650 $0-9,325
15% 0% $18,651-$75,900 $9,326-$37,950
25% 15% $75,901-$153,100 $37,951-$91,900
28% 15% $153,101-$233,350 $91,901-$191,650
33% 15% $233,351-$416,700 $191,651-$416,700
35% 15% $416,701-$470,700 $416,701-$418,400
39.6% 20% Over $470,700 Over $418,400
Standard Deduction $12,700 $6,350
Itemized deductions reduced
by lesser of: 80% of allowable
itemized deductions or 3% of
the amount of AGI in excess of:
$313,800 $261,500
Personal Exemption $4,050
Personal exemptions reduced
by 2% for each $2,500 or
fraction thereof in excess of:
$313,800 $261,500
Shape Up Your 2017 Tax Bill:
Review Your Portfolio – If you’ve already recognized
some gains, look for some loss positions to offset
them and vice versa. Be careful if you’re invested
in mutual funds. They often make large capital gain
dividends at year-end. If you don’t take those gains into
consideration, they can negate your harvesting strategy.
Maximize Retirement Plan Contributions –
Making contributions to a qualified retirement plan,
like a 401(k) or SEP, not only sets aside money in a
tax-deferred vehicle but also reduces your current
year’s taxes.
Accelerate and Bunch Deductions – For now, we
must assume that our tax system will maintain the
status quo and that 2018 tax rates will not be changed.
This assumption preserves the time-tested wisdom of
accelerating and bunching deductions.
You can accelerate some deductions into the current
year by paying certain items early, like fourth quarter
state estimated tax payments or your January
mortgage payment. If you have deductions that are
limited by the floors that apply to medical expenses or
miscellaneous deductions, accelerate or defer them so
they’re bunched together in the same year. Charitable
contributions through year-end to organizations
supporting hurricane victims are not subject to
limitations, so make sure to consider these. Beware of
the AMT as it has different allowable deductions.
3

4. 4
FICA/Medicare Taxes on Earned Income
Wages
Self-employment (SE)
Income
FICA (OASDI) Rate 6.2% 12.4%
Medicare (HI) Rate 1.45% 2.9%
FICA (OASDI) Base $127,200
Medicare (HI) Wages Limit Unlimited
Additional Medicare Tax Rate 0.9%
Threshold: Married Filing Jointly Single
Wages/SE Income
in excess of:
$250,000 $200,000
Qualified Retirement Plans
2017 Retirement Plan
Contribution Limitations
Regular Catch-up
IRAs $5,500 $1,000
401(k), 403(b), etc. $18,000 $6,000
SIMPLE $12,500 $3,000
Defined Contribution
Plan Limit
$54,000
Annual Compensation Limit $270,000
Tips for Estate/Gift
Tax Planning
■■ Use an FLP to transfer assets at a discounted value
■■ Gift directly to educational/medical institutions
■■ Gift the annual exclusion amount each year ($14,000
per person for 2017)
■■ Split gifts with spouse to maximize annual exclusion/
lifetime exemption
■■ Gift assets with high appreciation potential (e.g.,
currently depressed securities, undeveloped real
estate, interests in new business ventures)
■■ Use a grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) or sale
to an intentionally defective grantor trust to remove
appreciation from estate
■■ Use a charitable lead trust to remove appreciation
from the estate
■■ Use a life insurance trust to keep life insurance
proceeds out of your estate
Gift and Estate Taxes
Maximum Gift/Estate Tax Rate 40%
Lifetime Gift/Estate Exclusion $5,490,000
Annual Gift Exclusion $14,000
Set Your Long-Term Goals with Gift
Estate Tax Planning
Estates with assets in excess of $5,490,000 run the risk
of the 40% estate tax. Proactive gift planning can help
minimize the estate tax’s impact. Tax reform discussions
leave the fate of the estate tax unresolved, so staying
the course with common wisdom to mitigate estate tax
exposure remains the best plan.
Take full advantage of the annual gift exclusion ($14,000 in
2017) and the lifetime transfer exemption ($5,490,000) by
splitting your gifts with your spouse. Married couples should
elect to split their gifts (even in community property states),
which enables them to gift $28,000 in 2017 to someone
without the gift eating into their lifetime exemptions.
Remember, gifts of qualifying tuition and medical expenses
do not count toward these limits.
Also, look for ways to remove future appreciation from
your estate. This can be accomplished by gifting assets
with high appreciation potential before the appreciation
happens, or by using more sophisticated tax planning
vehicles, like a grantor retained annuity trust or charitable
lead trust.

5. 5
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
AMT Tax Rate Married Filing Jointly Single
26% $0-$187,800 $0-$187,800
28% Over $187,800 Over $187,800
AMT Exemption
Exemption Amount $84,500 $54,300
Phaseout Range $160,900- $498,900 $120,700 - $337,900
■■ State and local income taxes
■■ Real estate taxes
■■ Personal property taxes
■■ Interest on home equity loans (not used to
improve residence)
■■ Investment expenses
■■ Unreimbursed employee business expenses
■■ Other 2% miscellaneous itemized deductions
Top Expenses NOT
Deductible for AMT
Don’t Forget to Add AMT Into Your Regimen
If you’re in a high tax bracket (such as 39.6% rate),
it is critical to consider the alternative minimum tax
(AMT). Although it is easy to be lulled into a sense of
ease with the AMT’s 28% maximum rate, planning
for the AMT is not the same as planning for the
regular tax. Many itemized deductions are disallowed
for the AMT, driving up your AMT tax base. It could
also make strategies to bunch or accelerate itemized
deductions useless.
Long-term capital gains are taxed at the same rate
for the AMT as they are for regular tax purposes,
but large capital gains can still drive up your total
income and cost you your AMT exemption. Also, the
state taxes that you pay on those capital gains won’t
be deductible for the AMT.
Taxpayers who exercise incentive stock options or
owners of pass-through entities in certain industries,
like construction, often face large AMT bills. In those
instances, at least, taxpayers often will receive a
credit to help offset taxes in future years.

6. 6
Net Investment Income Tax
Rate
3.8% x the lesser of:
Net Investment Income or
Modified Gross Income (MAGI) in excess of
threshold
MAGI Threshold –
Single Taxpayer
$200,000
MAGI Threshold –
Married Filing Jointly
$250,000
Included in Net
Investment Income
Interest
Dividends
Capital gains
Annuity distributions
Rents
Royalties
Income from passive activity
NOT Included in Net
Investment Income
Salary and wages
Self-employment income
Distributions from qualified retirement plans
Gains on sale of active interests in pass-
through entities
Income otherwise excluded from federal
income tax (e.g., municipal bond interest)
■■ Taxpayers age 70 ½ or older can donate required
minimum distributions from retirement plans
■■ Shift investments to tax-exempt bonds, deferred
annuities, insurance products
■■ Shift assets to relatives not subject to NIIT
(consider gift tax)
■■ Fund a charitable remainder trust with appreciated
securities to reduce or avoid NIIT on recognized
gains (to extent not immediately distributed to
income beneficiary)
■■ Fund a charitable lead trust to generate a large tax
deduction in a year with unusually high income
■■ Group passive activities that comprise an appropriate
economic unit to qualify them as non-passive
■■ If current investments generate passive income,
consider new investments that generate passive losses
Tips to Reduce Net Investment
Income Tax (NIIT)
Cut Out the NIIT
The NIIT is a 3.8% tax on the lesser of net investment
income or modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) in
excess of an income threshold ($250,000 for married
couples filing jointly). You can reduce the NIIT by
managing the timing of your investment income or
controlling your overall MAGI.
Rental and other passive business income is subject
to the NIIT, which complicates matters further. Look
for ways to generate passive losses to offset passive
income or group passive activities together so they
qualify as non-passive activities exempt from the NIIT.

7. 7
2017 Marginal Tax Rates
Married Couples Filing Jointly
Income
Exceeding
Taxes Phaseouts1
Regular
Income
AMT
Income
LTCG/
Qualified
Dividends
FICA/
Medicare
Tax on
Wages
Self-
employment
Tax
Medicare
Tax on
Earned
Income
Medicare
Tax on
Net Inv.
Income
Itemized
Deduction
Phaseout
Personal
Exemption
Phaseout2
AMT
Exemption
Phaseout
$0 10%
26%
0%
7.65% 15.3%
0% 0%
0% 0%
0%
$18,650 15%
$75,900
25%
15%
$127,200
1.45% 2.9%
$153,100
28%$160,900 6.5%
$187,800
28%
7%
$233,350
33%$250,000
0.9% 3.8%
$313,800 1% 1%
$416,700
35% 1.05%
1.1%
$438,800
N/A3$470,700
39.6% 20% 1.2%
$498,900 N/A3
Threshold
Taxable
Income
AMTI less
Exemption
Taxable
Income
Earned
Income4
SE
Income4
Earned or
SE Income
AGI AGI AGI AMTI
1. Phaseouts are tax effected, e.g., 3% itemized deduction phaseout * 33% marginal tax rate = 1%
2. Phaseout is $313,800 for 2017
3. Exemption completely phased out
4. Threshold applies separately to taxpayer and spouse
Unmarried Taxpayers4
Income
Exceeding
Taxes Phaseouts1
Regular
Income
AMT
Income
LTCG/
Qualified
Dividends
FICA/
Medicare
Tax on
Wages
Self-
employment
Tax
Medicare
Tax on
Earned
Income
Medicare
Tax on
Net Inv.
Income
Itemized
Deduction
Phaseout
Personal
Exemption
Phaseout2
AMT
Exemption
Phaseout
$0 10%
26%
0%
7.65% 15.3%
0% 0%
0% 0%
0%
$9,325 15%
$37,950 25%
15%
$91,900
28%
$120,700
6.5%
$127,200
1.45% 2.9%
$187,800
28%
7%
$191,650
33%
$200,000
0.9% 3.8%
$261,500
1%
1%
$337,900
N/A3
$386,500
N/A3$416,700 35% 1.05%
$418,400 39.6% 20% 1.2%
Threshold
Taxable
Income
AMTI less
Exemption
Taxable
Income
Earned
Income
SE
Income4
Earned or
SE Income
AGI AGI AGI AMTI
1. Phaseouts are tax effected, e.g., 3% itemized deduction phaseout * 33% marginal tax rate = 1%
2. Phaseout is $261,500 for 2017
3. Exemption completely phased out
4. Excludes taxpayers filing as Head of Household or Surviving Spouse

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Enhance Your Plan with
PATH Act Provisions
The last major round of tax legislation was the
Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015,
or PATH Act, which permanently extended many tax
benefits popular with individuals and businesses.
Some provisions, however, received only temporary
extensions. See the accompanying chart for the status
of the most notable tax benefits.
Although many of these provisions were made
permanent, major tax reform efforts are currently
underway that could lead to the modification
or elimination of certain tax benefits like these.
Retroactive changes to these tax benefits are not
anticipated, so they should continue to apply for 2017.
www.cbiz.com/tax
Contents of this publication may not be reproduced without the
express written consent of CBIZ, Inc.
Our business is growing yours
Notable Tax Provisions
Extended by PATH Act of 2015
Tax Provision Extension
Bonus depreciation Through 2019
IRA distribution exclusion for amounts donated to
charity (taxpayers ages 70 ½+)
Permanent
State and local sales tax deduction Permanent
$500,000 business asset expensing election Permanent
15-year depreciation for qualified leasehold, retail
improvement and restaurant property
Permanent
Research and experimentation credit Permanent
100% exclusion of gain from sale of qualified
small business stock
Permanent
5-year recognition period for built-in gains of
S corporations
Permanent
American Opportunity Tax Credit Permanent
Glossary Acronyms
AGI: Adjusted Gross Income includes any income you earn during the year
less certain deductions including contributions to qualified retirement
plans, health savings accounts, student loan interest, alimony
payments and certain self-employments costs.
AMT: Alternative Minimum Tax is a tax targeted towards higher income
individuals to reduce the benefit of certain deductions and exclusions.
FICA: Federal Insurance Contribution Act is a tax paid by both individuals
and businesses to fund Social Security and Medicare.
LTCG: Long-Term Capital Gains occur when an individual sells an asset he or
she held for longer than a year for more than the basis that he or she
had in the property.
MAGI: Modified Adjusted Gross Income is Adjusted Gross Income (see above)
less any net foreign earned income.
NIIT: Net Investment Income Tax is a tax on individuals, equal to 3.8% of the
lesser of net investment income or MAGI above certain thresholds.