Many successful investors will be in for a shock during tax season this April. There is nothing worse than having a banner year in the financial markets, then having to give a large portion of it to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes.

Frankly, I'm concerned that this year, the pain is going to be even worse for those winning investors who have failed to prepare themselves for the new era of higher tax rates.

Here's what the new tax laws mean to you
If you are in the top tax bracket, meaning you earn more than $400,000 (or $450,000 for married couples), then your marginal tax rate has jumped to 39.6% and the rate on long-term capital gains and dividend interest increased five percentage points to 20%. A new 3.8% tax related to the Affordable Care Act (more commonly known as "Obamacare") and a 0.9% Medicare surtax are also going to hit taxpayers who make more than $200,000 (or $250,000 for married couples) in modified, adjusted gross income.