If you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent last year, you may qualify to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit when you file your federal income tax return. Below are 10 things the IRS wants you to know about claiming the credit for child and dependent care expenses. 1. The… Read More
The IRS would like you to get some credit for qualified home energy improvements this year. Perhaps you installed solar equipment or recently insulated your home? Here are two tax credits that may be available to you: 1. The Non-business Energy Property Credit Homeowners who install energy-efficient improvements may qualify for this credit. The 2011… Read More
If you are a small employer with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees that earn an average wage of less than $50,000 a year and you pay at least half of employee health insurance premiums…then there is a tax credit that may put money in your pocket. The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is… Read More
The Internal Revenue Service offers the following seven tips to help taxpayers avoid an emerging scheme tempting senior citizens and other taxpayers to file tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds. These schemes promise refunds to people who have little or no income and normally don’t have a tax filing requirement. Promoters claim they can obtain for… Read More
Each year, millions of taxpayers choose whether to take the standard deduction or to itemize their deductions. The following seven facts from the IRS can help you choose the method that gives you the lowest tax. 1. Qualifying expenses – Whether to itemize deductions on your tax return depends on how much you spent on… Read More
If you paid expenses to adopt an eligible child in 2011, you may be able to claim a tax credit of up to $13,360. Here are six things the IRS wants you to know about the expanded adoption credit. 1. The Affordable Care Act increased the amount of the credit and made it refundable, which… Read More
A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of taxes owed. Some tax credits are refundable meaning if you are eligible and claim one, you can get the rest of it in the form of a tax refund even after your tax liability has been reduced to zero. Here are four refundable tax credits you should… Read More
Free tax return preparation assistance is available for eligible military members and their spouses. The IRS and U.S. Armed Forces participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which provides free tax advice, tax preparation, return filing and other tax assistance to military members and their families. Here are five things you need to know… Read More
Canceled debt is normally taxable to you, but there are exceptions. One of those exceptions is available to homeowners whose mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during tax years 2007 through 2012. The IRS would like you to know these 10 facts about Mortgage Debt Forgiveness: 1. Normally, debt forgiveness results in taxable income.… Read More
Two federal tax credits may help you offset the costs of higher education for yourself or your dependents. These are the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. To qualify for either credit, you must pay postsecondary tuition and fees for yourself, your spouse or your dependent. The credit may be claimed by either… Read More