What should be done before December 31 so as not to spend too much?
Photo: Evgenia GUSEVA
As a general rule, we all make big plans for the start of the new year. And to do this, and to do it right from the first business day of January. But there are plans that it is better not to postpone until January, since in the new year their implementation will cost more. Or you will lose some possible concessions and benefits. After all, changes to the laws usually go into effect on January 1 as well. We have compiled a reminder for you: what legal issues to remember in order to save money or at least not overpay.
1. Buy an apartment in a new building with a 7% mortgage
The preferential mortgage program, as it became known the other day, will still be extended for the next year. But with a rate of 8%. In order to have time to take advantage of the current conditions, as explained by the KP correspondent in the banks, it is necessary to conclude a loan contract before December 31, 2022. That is, it is not enough to apply for a mortgage, it must already be approved and actually issued (after signing the loan agreement, the money is transferred immediately).
Of course, if you are initially going to buy a flat, but so far you have not taken active measures in this regard, you should not rush to do it in a hurry during the last two weeks of the year. But if you’ve already been pre-approved for a mortgage under a prime program, it makes sense to speed up.
A couple more points that should be taken into account by those lucky people who have the opportunity to buy a home in current conditions and who are considering whether to do it now or wait.
Most likely, subsidized mortgage programs from developers with near-zero rates will disappear next year. The Central Bank is strongly opposed to such gambling. And not without reason. Developers, of course, are not altruistic, and their “discounts” on mortgage rates, as a rule, are included in the price of the apartment. The Central Bank fears that this is fraught with problems for both banks and buyers of this type of housing. The bank promises apartments at inflated prices, and now it is not necessary to wait for the growth in real estate value. In general, if suddenly the owner of such an apartment can no longer get a mortgage, he will not have the opportunity to pay the bank, even if he sells this housing under the hammer. But for all the big drawbacks, these programs have one advantage: a more affordable monthly mortgage payment. That for many is no less important than the total cost of the apartment.
Prime mortgages, pre-New Year discounts from developers – late December is the perfect time to buy real estate.
Photo: Shutterstock
Moment Two: The end of the current year is not entirely normal. The traditional New Year’s Eve hype in the market for new buildings, to put it mildly, is not observed. Quite the contrary: analysts compete to speak of a drop in demand. Therefore… According to, for example, Metrium experts, if last year New Year’s discounts from developers were no more than 5-10%, now they are 15-20% on average, and there are offers with a discount of 35%. . It is difficult to predict now what will happen to prices in the new year and whether there will be even greater discounts. But taking into account the fact that preferential mortgages were nevertheless extended, it is not worth waiting for a collapse in prices for new buildings.
2. Remember your benefits for housing and communal services
From apartment buyers, let’s move on to those who often do not have enough money to pay for the most pressing needs. A number of experts strongly recommend that everyone who is entitled to an allowance for housing and communal services, but has not yet used this right, collect documents and apply before the new year. Why? Since December, the payment for “communal” has increased by an average of 9%. We will see payments with new numbers in January. And this can be a very unpleasant New Year’s surprise: after the holidays, everyone is usually short of money, and then there is this. Possible assistance from the state will definitely not be superfluous.
Who is eligible for the subsidy? This is a federal benefit, which is tied to the share of housing and communal services in the total monthly average family income. If this part exceeds a certain percentage, a grant is due. But the exact percentage depends on the region. In most cases, this is 22% of the median household income. But, for example, in Moscow – 10% (and with very low income it can be even lower), in St. Petersburg – 14%.
As a rule, you can submit an application through a multifunctional center (MFC), and make inquiries through the portal of public services (in Moscow, all information is available on mos.ru).
There is one more thing to keep in mind. It will take some time to collect the documents and the compensation will not be transferred to you the next day. But if you do everything before the end of December, then in January the money will already come. And if you start meeting after the New Year holidays, then, most likely, help will come to you no earlier than February.
3. Save on state taxes while you can
Now citizens who pay the state tax through the public services portal will be able to do so with a 30% discount. But only until December 31, 2022. As explained in the Ministry of Finance, this measure was originally planned as temporary, its period of validity has expired.
In fact, it seems that it is no longer necessary to attract citizens to use public services electronically and pay for them online, most have already realized that this is very convenient.
When do you have to pay the stamp duty? In most cases, when we use some kind of public service, we change our passport, rights, register something, etc. A 30% discount is usually quite significant. For example, issuing a new passport at a discount for an adult costs 3.5 thousand rubles, for a child under 14 years old – 1750 rubles. And without a discount it turns out 5 thousand rubles for an adult and 2500 rubles. for a boy
So if someone needs to register, issue or exchange something, it makes sense to do it faster, before the New Year. An important point: you will receive a notification that you have to pay the state fee after your application, for example, for a passport change, is verified and accepted. That is, between the time when you sent documents online through the “Gosuslugi” and you can pay the fee in your personal account, some time will pass (usually several days). And if you want to save 30%, you better not wait until December 31.
By the way, a reminder to motorists who like to do something with their “swallows”. From January 1, the state obligation to issue a certificate of conformity of a vehicle after conforming to safety requirements will increase from 800 rubles. up to 1500 rubles. Compared to the cost of tuning, the amount is ridiculous, but if you manage to do everything before the New Year, then you will save a few hundred rubles.
4. Get Tax Deductions for 2019
Of course, for 2020 and 2021 you can also get them now. But for 2019 – only until December 31, 2022. We have such a law – three years are given to receive a tax deduction.
A little educational program: A tax deduction is when the state gives you back 13% of the income tax you paid. For the fact of having done something in which the authorities would like people who work officially (and therefore pay personal income tax, from which a deduction is due), to support.
There are different types of deductions. But, as a rule, people do not forget about the tax deduction when buying a home (this is the largest deduction: from an amount up to 2 million from the value of the property itself, more than an amount of up to 3 million for mortgage interest). But about “little things” like a social tax deduction (the most typical situations are the costs of education, treatment and the purchase of medicines), easily. And not everyone suspects that if a working person treated his teeth for a fee in an organization that has the appropriate state license, he is entitled to some kind of compensation from the state.
For social programs, you can recover 13% of the amount, in total not exceeding 120 thousand per year. That is, up to 15.6 thousand rubles. In some cases, the cost of educating children and expensive treatment may be higher. If this money does not spare you, remember what you did in 2019. And if you were treated or paid for your education or that of your children, urgently look for the documents that prove the expenses (if they are not preserved, you can request them from the organization that lent you the service) and study the section “Social tax deductions” on the website of the Federal Tax Service (nalog.gov.ru) – it is quite clear what needs to be done.
LISTEN ALSO
You can still fly abroad for the new year: the expert named the best destinations
