Five Tax Credits That Can Reduce Your Taxes
Tax credits help reduce the taxes you owe. Some credits are also refundable. That means that, even if you owe no tax, you may still get a refund.
Itemizing vs. Standard Deduction: Six Tips to Help You Choose
When you file your tax return, you usually have a choice whether to itemize deductions or take the standard deduction. Before you choose, it’s a good idea to figure your deductions using both methods. Then choose the one that allows you to pay the lower amount of tax. The one that results in the higher deduction amount often gives you the most benefit.
Five Facts about Unemployment Benefits
If you lose your job or your employer lays you off, you may be able to get unemployment benefits. The payments may be a welcomed relief. But you should know that they’re taxable.
Deducting Medical and Dental Expenses
If you plan to claim a deduction for your medical expenses, there are some new rules this year that may affect your tax return. Here are eight things you should know about the medical and dental expense deduction:
Four Good Reasons to Direct Deposit Your Refund
Would you choose direct deposit this year if you knew it’s the most popular way to get a federal tax refund? What if you learned it’s safe and easy, and combined with e-file, the fastest way to get a tax refund? The fact is almost 84 million taxpayers chose direct deposit in 2013.
What You Should Know about AMT
Have you ever wondered if the Alternative Minimum Tax applies to you? You may have to pay this tax if your income is above a certain amount. The AMT attempts to ensure that some individuals who claim certain tax benefits pay a minimum amount of tax.
Which Tax Form Should You File?
Which form should you use to file your federal income taxes? These days, most people use a computer to prepare and e-file their tax forms. It’s easy, because tax software selects the right form for you. If you file on paper, you’ll need to pick the right form to use.
Tax Identity Theft: 5 Tips to Help You Not Get Got This Year
How would you cope if the tax refund you were counting on, and were counting the days until you received, just never showed up? How freaked out would you be if you found that it was sent to another address instead? How angry would you be if you received a notice a couple weeks after filing from the IRS, that not only didn't include your refund but also demanded that you fork over additional taxes for supposedly failing to properly document income attributed to your Social Security number but from some employer you had never even heard of?
IRS Combats Identity Theft and Refund Fraud on Many Fronts
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has seen a significant increase in refund fraud that involves identity thieves who file false claims for refunds by stealing and using someone's Social Security number. The investigative work done by Criminal Investigation (CI) is a major component of the IRS’s efforts to combat tax-related identity theft.
Tax Videos from IRS Available To Help You File in 2014
The 2014 tax filing season begins on Jan. 31. To help you prepare for it, the IRS has several short and informative YouTube videos on a variety of tax topics. These videos are available in English, Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL).