Back-to-School Tax Tips With the start of school just around the corner, taxpayers should be aware of the following tax breaks and deductions available for qualifying expenses. Private School Tuition and School Uniforms The cost of private school or parochial school tuition is not deductible. However, the child care component costs of private school [...]
Energy Credit Tips You can trim your taxes and save on your energy bills with certain home improvements. Here are some key facts to know about home energy tax credits: Non-Business Energy Property Credit Part of this credit is worth 10 percent of the cost of certain qualified energy-saving items you added to your [...]
Dependent Care Credit Tips Don't miss out on this tax break if you use a flex plan for child care costs: You can still claim the dependent care credit to the extent your expenses are more than the amount that you pay through your flexible spending account. The maximum amount of dependent care costs [...]
Do I Need a Living Trust? Assets placed in a revocable living trust go directly to your heirs when you die, bypassing the sometimes lengthy and costly process of probate. That can make a living trust a valuable estate planning tool if, for example, you plan to disinherit one of your children or leave [...]
Tips to Help AVOID AN AUDIT In 2014, the IRS audited less than 1% of individual income tax returns filed for the 2013 tax year. That's fewer than in the past and may reflect lower agency funding and manpower. Still, it amounted to more than 1.2 million audited returns - about three out of [...]
Facts about the Child Tax Credit The Child Tax Credit is an important tax credit that may save you up to $1,000 for each eligible qualifying child. Be sure you qualify before you claim it. Here are five useful facts from the IRS on the Child Tax Credit: Qualifications. For the Child Tax Credit, [...]
Tax Tips for Parents Children may help reduce the amount of taxes owed for the year. If you’re a parent, here are several tax benefits you should look for when you file your federal tax return: Dependents. In most cases, you can claim your child as a dependent. You can deduct $4,000 for each [...]
2015 IRA Contribution Facts Did you contribute to an Individual Retirement Arrangement last year? Are you thinking about contributing to your IRA now? If so, you may have questions about IRAs and your taxes. Here are some IRS tax tips about saving for retirement using an IRA: Age Rules. You must be under age [...]
Protect Your Computer Online The Internal Revenue Service, the states and the tax industry urge you to be safe online and remind you to take important steps to help protect yourself against identity theft. Scammers, hackers and identity thieves are looking to steal your personal information – and your money. But there are simple [...]
Do I Need To File a Tax Return? Most people file a tax return because they have to, but even if you don’t, there are times when you should. You may be eligible for a tax refund and not know it. Here are six tips to help you find out if you should file [...]
