Help Me Prepare My Taxes
Nothing leads to more gnashing of teeth than the thought of preparing your own taxes. Fortunately, there are people out there that do it for a living. Here Are My Receipts If the thought of preparing your own taxes makes you queasy, don’t worry. Preparing your taxes is a... More...
Employment Taxes - What Are They?
If you have employees, you are responsible for paying a variety of taxes at the federal, state, and local levels. You must also withhold certain taxes from the paychecks of your employees. So, what are employment taxes? Employment taxes include the following. 1. Federal... More...
Employment Taxes - Depositing With The IRS
If your business has employees, you must pay employment taxes. The payment system can be a bit confusing, so this article discusses how to go about depositing employment taxes with the IRS. Depositing Employment Taxes To pay employment taxes, you must deposit the money... More...
Donating Cars To Charity - New Tax Rules
On June 3, 2005, the IRS released guidance on charitable deductions for donated vehicles. The American Jobs Creation Act (AJCA) radically changed the amount of the deduction taxpayers can claim for their donated car. Fair Market Value v. Actual Sales Price When donating a... More...
Tax Returns for the Deceased
Two things in life are certain – death and taxes. Here’s what to do if the two are combined as far as filing a tax return. Tax Returns for the Deceased If a person dies, their finances are immediately converted into something called an estate. The estate is then... More...
Marriage and Taxes
Getting married is the greatest day for 50 percent of couples. The other 50 percent get divorced. Perhaps the marriage tax penalty has something to do with it. Family Values – Hardly For all the chatter from politicians about family values, it is ironic that the tax code... More...
Should You Itemize?
When you finally decide it is time to prepare your taxes, the first question is whether you should itemize your deductions or take the standard deduction provided by the IRS. Choices, Choices… Tax deductions are a very simple part of a theoretically simple tax reporting... More...
Fraudulent Tax Shelters - KMPG Goes Down Hard
In the largest criminal tax case ever filed, KMPG has copped a plea to using fraudulent tax shelters to bilk the government out of 2.5 billion dollars. KMPG has agreed to pay a fine of $456 million dollars, but nine of its executives still are under indictment. Son of Boss Tax... More...
Failure To Pay Employment Taxes - Penalties
As an employer, you must pay employment taxes if you have employees. Fail to pay and the IRS will rain all over your parade. Penalties If you have employees, you absolutely must deduct and withhold various taxes from the paychecks of your employees. Since you are deducting... More...
Taxpayer Advocate – Customer Service at the IRS
Every business has a department that deals with complaints from customers. At the IRS, this department is known as the taxpayer advocate office. Advocating for You The purpose of the taxpayer advocate office is to provide taxpayers with a friendly source to handle... More...
The History of Income Tax
They say death and taxes are the only two certain things in life. Alas, this wasn’t always the case. Well, at least for the income tax. The History of Income Taxes Our great nation came into existence in fits and starts. Following the revolt against the British, a federal... More...
How to Check the Status of Your Tax Refund Online
So, you were pleasantly surprised to learn that you are getting a refund on your taxes. Congratulations! The question for most taxpayers expecting a return is, "Where is my refund?" Check Your Refund Status Online The easiest way to check on your refund is to ask the IRS... More...
Home Office - Tax Perspective
Hit a big one? With more and more gambling establishments, keep in mind the IRS requires people to report all gambling winnings as income on their tax return. Gambling income includes, but is not limited to, winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and dog races and casinos.... More...
What to Do If You Can't Pay Your Taxes
The end of tax filing extensions is quickly approaching. What do you do if you can’t pay the amounts you owe? You should still file your return by the due date and pay as much as you can. There are, however, additional steps that might help. Credit Cards You can charge... More...
Victims of Hurricane Katrina - IRS Gives Tax Relief
In response to the devastation along the Gulf Coast, the IRS is giving tax relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The following steps are expected to be expanded upon in the next few weeks. The IRS seems to realize it is hard to file your taxes if your home or business is gone. ... More...