My Three Best Tax Filing Tips

Before we dive in here, let me make a couple things clear: I'm not a tax expert. (I leave that for Amber!) I find doing taxes about as titillating as most people...somewhere between Latin verb conjugation and flossing. That said, I've learned … [Read more...]

Two More Years of Tax Cuts (Here’s What The Extension Means For You)

The recent Congressional debate on whether to extend Bush-era tax cuts was long and drawn out, but it looks like our government may have finally reached a compromise, conclusion, agreement---whatever you’d like to call it---for now, anyway. But … [Read more...]

Understanding The Differences Among Tax Credits, Deductions, and Adjustments

Anytime somebody mentions a tax "write-off”, it sounds pretty good. It means the money you're spending now is money you don't have to pay in taxes...right? Not so fast. The term tax "write-off" is thrown around too much. And, unfortunately, … [Read more...]

Mid-Year Tax Planning

It’s almost August, it’s sunny outside, and the last thing you want to think about is your tax bill for 2010. In fact, you have repressed 2009’s tax filing memory so deep that the phrases “April 15th” and “1040 form” don’t ring a bell … [Read more...]

I Received an IRS CP 2000 Letter; What Do I Do?

A few days ago, I discovered a big fat envelope from the Internal Revenue Service in my mailbox. “Well, this can’t be good,” I thought. Inside was an IRS CP 2000 Letter. It had a friendly-enough-sounding title “We are proposing … [Read more...]

Declare Your Tips!

For all of you working as a waiter or waitress, bartender, barista, valet, cabbie, pizza delivery driver, or any other job that involves getting paid in tips, I have a tip for you: declare, declare, declare! Although it may be tempting to get … [Read more...]