Tax Tips: I Do Declare

Did you know that there are hundreds of little things that you should be declaring on your tax returns? Here are some of the most important items that must be declared on your federal and state tax return.

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All Sources of Income
The tax code of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that all income earned or received must be reported on your income tax returns. The categories of income recognized by the IRS include the following:

•    Wages, salaries and tips
•    Interest on bank accounts, certificates of deposit, bonds and other investments
•    Capital gains
•    Business income
•    Alimony
•    Income from bartering
•    Dividends
•    Annuities, pensions and lump-sum distributions
•    Rental revenues
•    Gambling income
•    Earnings from agriculture and fishing
•    401(k)
•    Unemployment benefits

Each of these types of income must be declared on your income tax return. In some cases, losses in … Read the rest

Form 990 Redesign for Tax Year 2008 (Filed in 2009)

On December 20, 2007, the IRS released a redesigned Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, for tax year 2008 (to be filed in 2009 and later years). The new form incorporates comments and suggestions from the over 650 e-mails and letters received during the comment period, which closed on September 14, 2007. Here’s more about the Form 990 Redesign:

The redesign of Form 990 is based on three guiding principles: enhancing transparency, promoting tax compliance, and minimizing the burden on the filing organization.

Additional information:

  • Press release (IR-2007-204)
  • Overview of 990 redesign
  • Background paper on Form 990 redesign
  • Form Redesign Forms and Highlights
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Discussion Draft (June 14, 2007)
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Tax Accountant Vs Tax Software

Tax Software
You are one of 50,000,000 Americans who must fill out an income tax return by March 15th … file yours early. (Photo credit: Keijo Knutas)

Why choose a tax accountant over tax software?

Preparing and filing taxes are rarely activities most people look forward to. Whether you need to prepare an individual or business tax return, you may be looking for an easier way to simplify this process. While one option available is for you to prepare your tax return on your own, the fact is that many people will find the process easier to complete when they use either tax software or the services of an accountant. While both options are preferred by many over completing a tax return on your own, there are clear benefits associated with using the services of a tax accountant.

Finding All Deductions
For most individuals and businesses, it is not enough to simply … Read the rest