What Is Tax Basis and Why Is It So Important?

Article Highlights:  Definition of Tax Basis Cost Basis Adjusted Basis Gift Basis Inherited Basis Record Keeping For tax purposes, the term “basis” refers to the monetary value used to measure a gain or loss. For…

Understanding Tax Lingo

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Article Highlights  Filing status. Adjusted gross income (AGI). Taxable income. Marginal tax rate. Alternative minimum tax (AMT). Tax Credits. Underpayment of estimated tax penalty. When discussing taxes, reading tax…

Education Credits are for Children? Think Again!

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Article Highlights: Who Qualifies for Education Credits American Opportunity Credit Lifetime Learning Credit Qualifications Who Gets the Credit 1098-T Qualified Expenses If you think that education credits are just…

Tax Breaks for Grandparents

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Article Highlights: Head of household filing status Earned income tax credit Child tax credit Child care credit for certain working grandparents Grandchild education credits Medical and dental expenses More and more individuals…

4 of the Most Common IRS Tax Problems

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For years, politicians have been talking about simplifying the process of filing federal taxes, but despite the promises, the process continues to be complicated and stressful. But as bad as preparing taxes can be, it pales in comparison to…

Mid-Year Tax Planning Checklist

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Article Highlights: Mid-Year Planning Avoiding Unpleasant Surprises Events That Have Tax Consequences  All too often, taxpayers wait until after the close of the tax year to worry about their taxes and miss opportunities that…

Tax Ramifications of Disposing of a Vehicle

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Article Highlights: Trading in a Vehicle Selling a Vehicle Gifting a Vehicle Donating a Vehicle to Charity If you are buying a new car, are you wondering what to do with the old one? You actually have a number of options, some…

Getting Married and Related Tax Issues

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Article Highlights: SSA Name Change IRS Address Change Postal Service Address Change Tax Withholding Tax Filing Status Marrying A Non-resident Alien Joint and Several Liability Beware of Tax Scams Most weddings…

35 Million: The Total Backlog of Tax Returns The IRS Had At The End Of Tax Season

The Internal Revenue Service has released a midyear report to Congress that details a significant backlog of tax returns dating back to the end of tax filing season, and many of those returns have yet to be processed. While backlogs are not…

How Long Should You Keep Old Tax Records?

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Article Highlights: The general statute: 3 years  Longer durations in some states Fraud, failure to file and other issues that extend the statute’s duration Keeping the actual return Ordering copies of previously filed…