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A blog focused on providing informative tax and personal finance information.

For 2011 Taxes, Avoid the Problem of Unclaimed Federal Tax Refunds

Posted by Tax Advisor on January 12th, 2012

E-File taxes for 2011 and request direct deposit to get your refund faster

One of the perennial tax questions, asked by thousands of taxpayers every year, is “When will I get my tax refund from the IRS?” For most, the refund is just slow in getting to them. But for some, their refund really is lost.

In November, over a month after the final deadline to file 2010 taxes, the IRS announced that it was in possession of $153 million in unclaimed federal tax refund checks.

99,123 taxpayers that were due a refund were without their money, thanks largely to errors on the IRS mailing addresses for the refunds that rendered the checks undeliverable. The average check amounts to the tidy sum of $1,547. Read the rest of this entry »

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2011 Tax Filing: What To Look For This Year

Posted by Tax Advisor on January 6th, 2012

The 2011 tax season is set to begin! The RapidTax team comes together to wish you an excellent 2012 and a worry-free season. We welcome you and look forward to making your online tax filing this year as effortless as possible.
File your tax return now, and get a smooth start to the tax season!

We want you to be confident that RapidTax will net you the maximum refund you are eligible for in the shortest time. To this effect, our software has been updated to reflect the very latest IRS changes for 2011.

These include but are not limited to:

  • Changes in the way capital gains and losses as well as foreign financial assets are reported.
  • Changes to how the self-employed health insurance deduction is claimed, and
  • Increases in the exemption amounts for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

2011 thankfully saw few major changes to the tax code, unlike the years that preceded it. Here are those you should make a note of as you get set to file your 2011 taxes:

  • First, the traditional April 15th deadline is once again moved forward. Because the 15th falls on a Sunday in 2012, and April 16th is the District of Columbia’s Emancipation Day holiday, the last day to file your 2011 taxes this year is April 17th. So everyone gets an extra two days to file.
  • Exemption levels for the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) are increased, rising to $48,450 for single filers, $74,450 for married couples filing jointly, and $37,225 for married individuals filing separately. For 2011 only those with incomes above these thresholds need worry about the AMT.
  • The First-time Homebuyer credit will only be available to members of the uniformed services, Foreign Service, or intelligence community who were on a qualified official extended duty for at least 90 days outside the U.S. between December 31, 2008 and May 1, 2010.
  • If you converted or rolled over an amount to a Roth IRA in 2010 and did not report the total taxable amount on your 2010 return, you must report half of it on your 2011 return and the other half on your 2012 return. The same applies to amounts rolled over from a 401(k) or 403(b) plan to a designated Roth account.
  • For Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Archer MSAs, the additional tax on distributions not used for qualified medical expenses is increased to 20% for distributions made after 2010.
  • The Making Work Pay credit, as well as most provisions of the Alternative Motor Vehicle credit are eliminated for 2011.

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2012 Income Tax Deadlines

Posted by Tax Advisor on December 28th, 2011

Mind these tax deadlines as the new year begins

2012 will soon be here. Before you ring in the new year, take a look at the IRS tax calendar to remind yourself of the upcoming tax deadlines.

January 10, 2012 – Those who earned more than $20 in tips during December must report tips to their employers with Form 4070: Employee’s Report of Tips to Employer.

January 17, 2012 – E-filing begins for 2011 returns.

Also, if you did not pay 2011 income tax through withholding you must pay your final installment of 2011 estimated tax with Form 1040-ES: Estimated Tax for Individuals. If you plan on filing your return and paying the tax due by January 31, you can disregard this deadline.

January 31, 2012 – Individuals who must make estimated tax payments can opt to file their return and pay any tax due by this date, thus preventing penalties for missing the January 17 deadline. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Different Sort of Tax Holiday

Posted by Tax Advisor on December 13th, 2011

Six tips to lower your tax bill during the holiday season

December’s no time to forget about taxes! Follow these tips to maximize your tax savings while you celebrate.

  • Plan tax deductible travel

Dreading that expensive trip to Grandma’s? Schedule a meeting with a client or vendor on the way and the travel there and back is tax deductible. Family visits are so much better when part of the trip’s on the IRS.

  • Treat yourself (to a tax deductible gift)

The holidays aren’t just a great time to give to others, they’re also a great time to buy yourself that something you’ve been craving all year. And if that present is tax deductible, you save money on your taxes too!

Most tempting are tech toys such as iPads and smartphones. You can deduct electronic purchases if you are self-employed, have a hobby that generates income, or work for an employer that won’t cover business expenses.

The IRS is pretty strict with equipment purchases, so it’s important you be able to demonstrate that you use the equipment at least 50% of the time for business, and that it’s a usual and necessary expense, given your line of work.

Note that if you are an employee of a business that doesn’t cover equipment purchases, you can only deduct expenses that exceed 2% of your household’s AGI. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Number of Income Tax Deductions and Credits Set to Expire

Posted by Tax Advisor on December 7th, 2011

You can save money on your 2011 taxes with these soon-to-be-extinct tax breaks!

Think it’s too late to save on your 2011 taxes? Think again! Here are six deductions and tax credits that will be gone by the end of the year:

  • Energy Efficiency Tax Credit

Making energy-efficient upgrades to your home isn’t just a great way to cut down on heating and cooling costs, it can get you a tax credit too.

If you add more insulation to your attic or buy an energy-efficient appliance, among other possible improvements, you can apply for a tax credit. For a full list of qualifying improvements, refer to the Energy Star website.

The tax credit is worth 10% of the cost of these improvements.

But note that there is a $500 lifetime limit on this credit, so if you’ve taken advantage in previous years, you may not be able to do so again.

Congress has made some changes to the rules governing these credits for 2011. Go here for a full summary of the changes. Read the rest of this entry »

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Volunteer to Give Federal Income Tax Return Help to Disadvantaged Taxpayers

Posted by Tax Advisor on November 28th, 2011

You can help low-income people in your local community get their full refund when they file taxes for 2011. Find out how!

As the season to file 2011 taxes inches ever closer, most people are preoccupied with getting their own financial house in order. But even in the tax world, Thanksgiving can be a great time of year to give back.

For instance, did you know that although it is often portrayed as the big bad wolf of personal finance the IRS in fact gets millions of disadvantaged people free income tax help every year through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs?

IRS volunteers assist low-to-moderate income taxpayers, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers who all make less than $50,000 and often suffer significant financial hardship.

As the vast majority of these disadvantaged citizens are due a refund, helping them file can get them money that could have a significant positive impact on their lives. In short, it’s a worthy cause. Read the rest of this entry »

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The 2011 Earned Income Tax Credit: What is it?

Posted by Tax Advisor on November 23rd, 2011

Before you file 2011 taxes, make sure you’re familiar with all the credits that could save you money.

Basically, the Earned Income Credit is a tax credit designed to put money in the pockets of moderate to low income individuals. It can reduce the amount of tax you owe and even give you a refund.

One of the ways you could potentially save money on your taxes is through the Earned Income Credit (EIC).

You may be eligible to take the 2011 Earned Income Credit if

  • You earn less than $43,998 ($49,078 if married) and have 3 or more children
  • You earn less than $40,964 ($46,044 if married) and have 2 children
  • You earn less than $36,052 ($41,132 if married) and have 1 child
  • You earn less than $13,660 ($18,740 if married) and have no children Read the rest of this entry »

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2012 Tax Brackets

Posted by Tax Advisor on November 21st, 2011

The IRS gives us a sneak peak of new federal income tax brackets for the year 2012

Fall is an exciting time of year for the tax obsessed because we get our first glimpse at the 2012 tax brackets! That’s right – it’s not even time to file our 2011 taxes and already we get a sneak peak of what lies beyond.

Last year the unveiling of the federal income tax brackets was a bit more exciting because of the raging Congressional battle over the extension of the Bush tax cuts. As late as December, it was still unclear what the brackets and rates would look like for 2011.

This year, on the other hand, it’s been pretty standard, even if the expiration of the cuts in 2012 promises some tax fireworks next year. Read the rest of this entry »

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Income Tax Exemptions

Posted by Tax Advisor on November 10th, 2011

2011 personal exemptions can help you get unclaimed IRS money

With the 2012 tax season less than two months away now is the time to brush up on your tax knowledge. One of the most fundamental things you should know about when filing your return is how to claim income tax exemptions.

An income tax exemption allows you to deduct a certain amount of money from your Adjusted Gross Income, thus reducing the total amount of money on which you must pay taxes. Let’s put it this way: income tax exemptions save you money.

And, as it turns out, the federal government holds on to millions of dollars in unclaimed deductions every year. So it’s important to claim every deduction that applies to you in order to keep all of the money you’re entitled to. Read the rest of this entry »

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Changes to the Estate Tax for 2011

Posted by Tax Advisor on October 14th, 2011

The death tax is back, but it’s not as high as it could have been

The 2010 tax year isn’t behind us yet. For those who opted for an extension, the deadline is this Monday, October 17. But this should not prevent us from llooking ahead to the next tax year. After all, returns can be filed as early as January and many people are already wondering what 2011 tax changes are in store.

The short answer is that there are very few 2011 tax changes at all. Thanks to the dramatic, last-minute December compromise in Congress, the Bush tax cuts were extended through 2012. That means that tax rates will stay pretty much the same (the brackets have only been adjusted slightly to adjust for inflation). Read the rest of this entry »

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