tax deductions 1  56213c60b3270

March 30, 2016 

Don’t Even Try These Income Tax Deductions

Pets were a recurring theme: “I had a client this year tell me his last preparer let him write off the cost of his pet care on Schedule C because he took his dog to work with him every day, so it was considered a work-related expense."

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March 30, 2016 

73% of U.S. Companies Report Payment Fraud Attempts in 2015

BEC scams, short for business email compromise, are an increasingly common type of fraud which greatly impacts wire fraud. In 2015, 64 percent of organizations were exposed to BEC scams. Though checks continue to be the payment method most targeted by ...

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March 30, 2016 

IRS To Hold Technology Crowdsourcing Contest

The nation's taxing agency is trying to step up its game when it comes to using technology to improve customer (aka taxpayer) interactions. The IRS wiill be hosting its first Tax Design Challenge crowdsourcing competition to encourage innovative ideas ...

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March 29, 2016 

Report Says IRS Should Do Better With W-2 Penalties

No doubt, 2016 will be the most challenging year-end season in a long time. With all W-2 forms due to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by Jan. 31, 2017, and the ability to request only one for-cause filing extension from the IRS, the ...

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March 25, 2016 

Congress Approves Taxpayer Bill of Rights

With considerably less fanfare than the Bill of Rights ratified as the first amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the 114th Congress quietly approved the “Taxpayer Bill of Rights” as part of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015.

 U.S. Mortgage Rates Drop Slightly; 30-Year At 3.9%

March 24, 2016 

U.S. Mortgage Rates Drop Slightly; 30-Year At 3.9%

Mortgage rates declined modestly this week breaking a three-week string of increases, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate slipping to 3.90 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of

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March 24, 2016 

Exotic Dancer Found Guilty of “Tax Seduction”

This wasn’t just a case of dollar bills being tucked into a G-string. A jury determined that the dancer failed to report close to $1 million -- $850,000, to be exact -- in taxable income from performing private dances and sexual favors during the ...

 The Top 10 Identity Theft Cases

March 22, 2016 

The Top 10 Identity Theft Cases

As part of the continued crackdown on refund fraud and identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service today released the Top 10 Identity Theft Prosecutions for Fiscal Year 2015. These prosecutions are part of the wide-ranging strategy to combat refund fraud

 More Americans Saving Income Tax Refunds

March 22, 2016 

More Americans Saving Income Tax Refunds

Consumers know just what they want to do with their refunds this year: In addition to savings, 34.9 percent plan to pay down debt and 22.4 percent will use the refunds for everyday expenses. While 11.4 percent plan to book a vacation, 9.2 percent plan to