Creditors keep their evaluation standards secret, making it difficult to know just how to improve your credit rating. Nonetheless, it is still important to understand the factors that determine creditworthiness. Periodically reviewing your credit report can also help you protect your credit rating from fraud–and you from identity theft. Continue reading
If you adopt a child in 2019, you may qualify for a tax credit, and if your employer helped pay for the costs of an adoption, you may be able to exclude some of your income from tax. Here are ten facts you should know about the Adoption Tax Credit. Continue reading
Active members of the U.S. Armed Forces should be aware that there are special tax benefits available to them such as not having to pay taxes on some types of income or more time to file and pay their federal taxes. If you’re an active member of the armed forces, here’s what you should know about these important tax benefits. Continue reading
Generally, debt that is forgiven or canceled by a lender is considered taxable income by the IRS and must be included as income on your tax return. When that debt is forgiven, negotiated down (when you pay less than you owe), or canceled you will receive a Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt, from your financial institution or credit union. Form 1099-C shows the amount of canceled or forgiven debt that was reported to the IRS. Creditors who forgive $600 or more of debt are required to issue this form. Continue reading
If you’re self-employed and use your car for business, you can deduct certain business-related car expenses. Continue reading
An IRS CP2000 notice is mailed to a taxpayer when income reported from third-party sources such as an employer, bank, or mortgage company does not match the income reported on the tax return. Continue reading
The key to avoiding headaches at tax time is keeping track of your receipts and other records throughout the year. Whether you use an excel spreadsheet, an app, an online system or keep your receipts organized in a folding file organized by month, good record-keeping will help you remember the various transactions you made during the year. Continue reading
If you’ve decided to start a business, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is choosing a legal entity. It’s a decision that impacts many things–from the amount of taxes you pay to how much paperwork you have to deal with and what type of personal liability you could face. Even if you’ve been in business for a number of years, it’s a good idea to periodically reevaluate your business structure because, as we all know, tax laws can change and that business entity you chose when you first started out may not be the best option ten years later. For example, if you operate your business as a sole proprietor, you must pay a self-employment tax rate of 15% in addition to your individual tax rate; however, if you were to revise your business structure to become a corporation and elect S-Corporation status you could take advantage of a lower tax rate thanks to tax reform. Continue reading
If you’ve ever used, or provided services for, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Etsy, Rover, or TaskRabbit, then you’re a member of the sharing economy and it could affect your taxes. The good news is that if you’ve only used these services (and not provided them), then there’s no need to worry about the tax implications. Continue reading
What should you do if you already filed your federal tax return and then discover a mistake? First of all, don’t worry. In most cases, all you have to do is file an amended tax return. But before you do that, here is what you should be aware of when filing an amended tax return. Continue reading
