Self-employed workers may have difficulty filing their taxes every year. These workers need to pay taxes on their income in addition to whatever self-employment taxes they might have. However, there are many self-employed tax tips that can help them reduce their tax burdens. Whether workers are fully self-employed or doing freelance work, there are costs in working without a boss … Read More
The Future of the IRS
The IRS is developing a “Future State” plan that it says will transform the way the service interacts with taxpayers. Many parts of the plan may ease the processing of filing returns, the issuing of refunds, and the identification and resolution of problems. But the Tax Advocate Service – an independent part of the IRS that defends and assists taxpayers – warns … Read More
Five Tips to Improve Financial Health
If you are having trouble paying your bills, it is important to take action sooner rather than later to improve your financial health. Doing nothing leads to problems in the future, whether it’s a bad credit record or bankruptcy resulting in the loss of assets and even your home. If you’re in money trouble, then here are some steps to … Read More
What To Do If You Owe the IRS
Do You Owe the IRS? Not everyone gets a refund. Many taxpayers owe money. It is important to make sure you file timely even though you may not have the money to pay to avoid late filing penalties. There are a number of ways to pay your tax: Check or money order IRS Direct Pay (New in 2014): You can now pay … Read More
Tax Scams: How to Protect Yourself
Scammers are preying on unsuspecting taxpayers. Most of these tax scams are obvious . None the less, taxpayers continue to fall victim to scammers every day. Here’s a few simple facts that will protect you from the vast majority of scams: 1) Phone calls, text messages, & emails claiming to be from the IRS are scams. The IRS sends official communications via written … Read More
10 Questions to Ask a Tax Preparer Before Hiring
The key, as with hiring any professional, is to ask lots of questions. And not just about how much it’s going to cost. Lots questions also apply when hiring a tax preparer. Here’s a list of 10 questions you should ask before hiring a tax preparer: Do you have a PTIN (preparer tax identification number)? Anyone who prepares federal tax … Read More
Unfiled Returns and Back Taxes? Read This.
We all know the annual ritual: once January rolls around, you gather your tax documents to file your tax returns by the deadline to avoid back taxes and unfiled returns. Sometimes (or maybe the whole time!) you need an extension. And maybe you don’t meet the extended deadline, and now your return is late and unfiled. The next tax season … Read More
6 Self-Employed Tax Tips
Early in a new year is often the time when would-be entrepreneurs think about going into business for themselves. Self-employment can be a terrific opportunity to be your own boss and do something you love to do. Being your own business also brings with it a special set of tax advantages as well as tax pitfalls that you need to … Read More
Five Key Tax Tips for New Businesses
If you start a business, one key to success is to know about your federal tax obligations. You may need to know not only about income taxes but also about payroll taxes. Here are five key tax tips for new businesses that can help get off to a good start: Business Structure. As you start out, you’ll need to … Read More
How to Prevent Income Tax Refund Fraud
How do you know if someone has filed a tax return using your Social Security number to commit income tax refund fraud? And what do you do then? This is happening all the time—the latest General Accounting Office (GAO) report says that IRS paid out over $5.8 billion in fraudulent returns in 2013. The IRS does have security measures in … Read More