Are you one of the unfortunate Americans who aren’t getting a tax refund, but instead have to pay? The IRS has many options for how to pay your taxes, and you may not be sure which the best is. First, figure out what works and what doesn’t with each method, and how it applies to […]
— Read moreHome Office Do you work from home? Is there a special part of your home that you use exclusively for business on a regular basis? If your home office is the place where you meet clients, customers, or other business related persons, you may qualify to deduct expenses related to the operating costs. Generally, expenses […]
— Read moreStandard Deduction You can take this deduction, which reduces the amount of income which you are taxed on, as an alternative to itemizing all of your expenses. The standard deduction is variable depending on your filing status. In 2015, the standard deduction is: Single or married filing separately: $6,300 Married filing jointly: $12,600 Head of […]
— Read moreDonating items and other noncash contributions to a charitable organization can net you a deduction up to the full market value of the assets, as long as they were in your possession for longer than a year prior to the donation. If you owned the asset for less than a year, then the deduction is […]
— Read moreUsing funds form your IRA, whether a traditional plan or a Roth, can be a great way to cover some major expenses that you may incur through your lifetime. Just be aware of certain terms and conditions that apply when withdrawing. Home Purchase If you chose to withdraw funds from your traditional IRA before you’ve […]
— Read moreThe one piece of advice from tax preparers and financial advisors that’s relatively consistent is that you should always keep receipts to document your expenses. While that is certainly true, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to claiming expenses at tax time. That’s because of the outcome of a famous court case, Cohan […]
— Read moreHaving an IRA savings in place is a great way to prepare for retirement. However, sometimes situations may arise in which you will need to withdraw your funds before you’ve reached retirement age. Typically, if you take money from your individual retirement account prior to age 59 ½, you’ll be subject to a 10% early […]
— Read moreRecently, Congress decided that sales-tax deductions should be a tax break that you are allotted permanently. However, it’s often forgotten about, and underutilized. As a taxpayer, if you chose to itemize your deductions on a Form 1040, you can do one of two options. You can either: Deduct state and local income taxes, or; Deduct […]
— Read moreWage Base The wage base changes every year, and is the income level at which the full tax rate of 15.30% will apply to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes. In 2015, the 15.30% rate (a combination paid by employers and employees) is applicable to the first $118,500 of income or self-employment earnings. After that, […]
— Read moreA traditional IRA is an account for retirement savings that can proved favorable at tax time. If your work doesn’t offer a retirement plan, or your income is below a specific threshold, then money contributed to a traditional IRA can be deducted at tax time. For 2015, the maximum amount of contributions for the year […]
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