Income Tax

March 5, 2015 

The IRS compiles annually The Dirty Dozen, listing a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. Many of these con games peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns or hire someone to do so. Some of the more

March 4, 2015 

With a little work and some stick-to-it-iveness, you might be able to save a client hundreds or even thousands of tax dollars on a 2014 return.

March 4, 2015 

Thanks to the new tax extenders law passed at the end of last year – the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (TIPA) – parents with children in college have not one, not two, but three tax breaks to choose from on their 2014 returns. But some of your upper

March 4, 2015 

Under the “kiddie tax,” if unearned income of a dependent child who is under age 19 or a full-time student under age 24 exceeds an annual threshold, the excess is taxed at the top rate of the child’s parents. The threshold on 2014 returns is $2,000.

March 3, 2015 

Continuing its enforcement push against refund fraud and identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service today announced the Top Ten Identity Theft Prosecutions for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14). The ongoing efforts to bring identity thieves to justice ...

March 2, 2015 

Farmers and fishermen who miss this year’s March 2 tax deadline because they are receiving corrected premium tax credit forms (Form 1095-A) from the Health Insurance Marketplace will have until April 15, 2015, to file their 2014 returns and pay any tax d

March 2, 2015 

As of last week, laws legalizing recreational marijuana use have gone into effect in four states, with nearly half of the states already having medical marijuana laws on the books. Professional service providers, including CPAs, are increasingly ...

February 27, 2015 

Your Social Security Number could be the ticket for a fraudster seeking to claim a false tax refund or worse, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A fraud expert offers some tips for preventing such crime – or at least catching it early.

February 27, 2015 

The midterm elections are long over but some of the most important “votes” for 2014 aren’t in yet. Specifically, certain elections on the tax returns of your clients can either make or break their year. And, if you point them in the right direction ...

February 26, 2015 

The optional sales tax deduction is a no-brainer for some individual taxpayers. If you live in one of the seven states with no state income tax – Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming -- you should elect to deduct your ...

February 26, 2015 

Waiting on an income tax refund from the IRS? This chart shows estimated refund arrival dates, based on when the taxpayer submits their forms electronically or on paper.

February 25, 2015 

The deadlines for businesses to send forms W-2 and 1099 copies to individual states are quickly approaching, with the majority of states having a March 2 deadline date. The various state rules and regulations can be daunting, as state filing varies ...