A Beginner’s Guide to Navigating Common Income Tax Forms
Filing income taxes can be daunting, but it gets easier once you understand the forms involved. This article explains the most common tax forms you’ll encounter and their purposes, using straightforward language. Form 1040: The Standard Individual Tax Form Form 1040 is the basic form used by individuals to file their annual income taxes in […]
The Most Common Reasons Tax Returns Get Audited
“Only about 1% of taxpayers are audited. What triggers an audit is generally something on the tax return that’s out of the ordinary,” he says. “For example, if you have a side business and file a Schedule C, the IRS will flag large losses, particularly if they offset other income. The IRS is looking to […]
10 Most Tax-Friendly States in the U.S.
10 Most Tax-Friendly States in the U.S. Given a choice of several job opportunities across the country, or several contiguous states in which to live for a job in the area, don’t overlook the impact of state and local taxes on your household finances. These ten states impose some of the lowest taxes in the U.S., […]
IRS Budget Cuts May Make For A Nasty Tax Filing Season
IRS Budget Cuts May Make For A Nasty Tax Filing Season The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday began accepting tax returns electronically, and paper returns will begin to be processed at the same time. In a statement, the IRS reminded taxpayers that filing electronically is the most accurate way to file a tax return and […]
Summary of Federal Tax Law Changes for 2010-2016
Learn how federal tax law changes could impact your tax return in 2010 and beyond. Many of the tax breaks in recent tax-relief bills were designed to be phased in over a number of years, or are indexed to inflation. To help you determine how these tax laws affect your long-term planning, this article explains […]
When Will You Get Your 2015 Tax Refund Check?
The IRS plans to start processing 2015 tax refunds on Jan. 20, 2015. If you’re expecting a 2015 tax refund, every day you wait to file is another day you have to wait to get back money that’s rightfully yours. 2015 Tax Refund Schedule Basics There are two main factors that affect how long it […]
Do You Really Have To File Tax Return in 2015?
Tax season opens in a few days. The Internal Revenue Service expects to process nearly 150 million individual tax returns by the time tax season wraps. Will you be filing one of those returns? And more important, do you need to? For the 2015 tax season, you’ll report the income that you received in 2014. That […]
IRS Opens Tax Filing Sooner in 2015
The IRS will open the 2015 tax filing season on Jan. 20, or 11 days sooner than it began accepting returns one year ago. The start date applies to both paper and electronic returns and was set after Congress renewed several “extender” provisions of the tax law that expired at the close of 2013 but have […]
IRS Releases Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2014
The Internal Revenue Service today issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud. The Dirty Dozen listing, compiled by the IRS each year, lists a variety of common scams […]