As of Oct. 1, the Internal Revenue Service is charging 8% interest on estimated tax underpayments, up from 3% two years ago. The increase is one of the many effects of rising interest rates.

We are going to take a break from our tax and business tips this week. Instead, the family of Bradstreet & Company would like to wish you and your family the most joyous holiday season and best wishes for 2023.

One of the best freebies in the tax code has gotten better—for people who don’t abuse it. The shift springs from a recent Tax Court decision. The freebie is tax code section 280A(g), often called the Masters’ exemption, which is worth reviewing on its own. It’s a longstanding provision allowing people to rent out their homes for two weeks or less and pocket the rental income free of federal taxes.

As a beneficiary, how should you navigate these waters? Asking a few key questions can help ensure that you make the right choices in line with your values and life situation.

Ask these questions for an inheritance of any size

For more than five million Americans, even a dollar of extra income can boost annual Medicare premiums by hundreds or thousands of dollars—but refunds of these surcharges are sometimes available.

Choosing MFS severs joint liability, meaning each spouse isn’t responsible for the information on the other’s return. This can be a deciding factor for some couples who are separated but not divorced and others who don’t want to commingle finances, even if it raises their taxes.