Taxes

Your Taxes ˗ What You Need To Know

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has earmarked January 20 as the start of the tax filing period.

Yesterday, the IRS stated that US taxpayers can begin filing their taxes for 2014 January 20th. The tax filing period will begin on schedule unlike last year when there were delays, in spite of a late tax rule introduced by Congress and approved by President Obama, according to the taxing agency.

Previously this month, a bill was passed by Congress that extended over fifty tax breaks, which had expired this time last year. This new congressional tax rule prolongs the tax breaks to the end of the year, permitting taxpayers to take the tax breaks while filing their tax returns for 2014. President Barack Obama approved the bill on December 19.

During the past couple of years, late rule changes introduced by Congress have held up the start of tax filing periods. That … Read the rest

Tax Tips: I Do Declare

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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.

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, … Read the rest

A Free Edition Of TurboTax

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Over nine hundred million dollars in tax refund money went unclaimed in one year. The Internal Revenue Service reported this notable statistic, and you may wonder how this could happen. There are two main circumstances that lead to unclaimed tax refunds. Read more about getting your free edition of TurboTax.

You may end up creating an unclaimed tax refund situation if you have taxes withheld from your pay but earn less than needed for filing a refund. You will end up adding to the unclaimed refund pool if you choose not to file a tax refund. You should verify whether you qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit, and the www.turbotax.com free edition can help you determine your eligibility.

The second reason for most cases of unclaimed tax refunds involves mailing errors. You may not receive tax filing confirmation if you have moved, changed your name, gotten divorced, or … Read the rest

IRS Tax Adjustments

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IRS Tax Adjustments and the Pickle Salesman Photo by Michael Vadon

Taxes in 2014 are set to undergo various adjustments, affecting more than 40 tax provisions. The Revenue Procedure 2013-35, published on 18 November 2013, provides detailed information of each adjustment.

A tax rate of 39.6% will affect singles whose annual income exceeds $406,750 and married couples with joint returns exceeding $457,600. This is up from the current amounts of $400,000 and $450,000 respectively. The Revenue Procedure describes the rates that apply to other thresholds.

In terms of standard deductions for singles or married couples filing separate returns, the amount rises from $6,100 to $6,200. For married couples filing joint returns, it rises from $12,200 to $12,400. On the other hand, the standard deduction that applied for heads-of-households has risen from $8,950 to $9,100.

Both the personal exemption and the alternative minimum tax exemption will also rise. Couples who file jointly and have three or more … Read the rest