About 75% of American taxpayers are due to receive a refund this year. If you are one of them, then you must be thinking of ways to spend it. But don’t blow it all on a shopping spree, set aside some of it to tackle more urgent and important financial issues that you are currently facing. After you have dealt with these issues, you can have fun with the money left over. This article will give you some ideas about how to spend your tax refund in the best possible ways. [Read more…]
Filing Your Tax Return Need Not Be a Taxing Task
As every tax season draws to a close, most Americans inevitably find themselves stressed out about filing their returns and getting them done in time. Many a time last minute tax calculation and filing can cause oversight and error, and the taxpayer may end up paying more than he or she needs to or vice verse. To make tax filing a less painful experience, a few tips can help. [Read more…]
Avoiding Common Mistakes when Filing Tax Returns
Filing tax returns is a laborious and complicated task that we have to perform every year. There are some simple mistakes that are often made by people while filing tax returns, which can lead to delays in refunds, extra procedural formalities, hassles and stressful meetings with an IRS representative. The good news is that you can avoid this headache by following some simple guidelines. [Read more…]
Don’t Forget About Tax Breaks when Filing Your Taxes | IRA
In these economically tough times, most people are looking for ways of saving taxes. There are many ncentive tax savings through purchasing of homes or starting new businesses, but only a few taxpayers would go to those lengths to save tax. The good news is that there are numerous other tax breaks ranging from energy saving home improvements to tuition costs and child credits that you can avail. [Read more…]
What You Need to Know About Home Buyer Tax Credits
With the tax filing date getting close, people have been looking for new avenues of saving tax. , . One of the biggest opportunities of saving tax this year is availing the federal homebuyer tax credit. [Read more…]
Filing Tax Returns in Multiple States
If you travel to say 10 states in a year for business, you are actually liable to apportion your income by days of travel, and pay taxes and file returns in all 10 states. Yes, it is true, that is if you go strictly by the tax rule books. Though this may vary from state to state, it’s largely true in most cases. [Read more…]
File Your Tax Return Online It’s Faster, Safer and More Convenient
As the deadline of 30th April for the tax filing is approaching, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has stepped up efforts to spread awareness about tax filing procedures and help. To make the tax filing process easier, faster and safer, the IRS has been continually educating taxpayers and encouraging them to opt for e-filing than the traditional offline way. [Read more…]
Common Errors to Avoid When Filing Your Tax Return
The tax forms that get filled out each year can be rather complicated, but people are still hoping to be able to get as much cash back on it as they can. Many depend on that money to be able to meet bills, especially after the winter has been so cold. Here are some common mistakes on 1040 tax forms that can be avoided to help get your tax refund back faster.
Enter All Tax Data Correctly
Many times people simply enter the wrong information, or fail to enter the information at all, on their tax forms, which means that no credit can be given, more information has to be requested, or the tax credit goes to the wrong person. This can be avoided simply by going over your tax forms carefully to ensure that everything is correct. If you are married or separated, be sure that you agree on your filing status in advance to keep matters simple and easy for the IRS to sort out.
Incorrect Calculations
This is a common and yet simple mistake that many make. The numbers just don’t add up because of simple addition or subtraction errors. If you use tax software, it should eliminate most of this problem, because it will do the math for you. All you need to do is to enter in the right numbers in the right place.
Improper Tax Deductions
Tax deductions have to have receipts, and you have to be eligible to claim them. Tax deductions can be a very powerful tool to ensure that you get more back from the government, but be sure that you have the right to claim them, and keep them realistic, too. If you have been reimbursed for some of those deductions, be sure that those numbers show up, too, or it could be tax fraud.
Incorrect Social Security Numbers
In order to get the credit for your tax payments and the tax refund you want, it is necessary to ensure that social security numbers of all people on your tax forms are correct. An error here may mean that someone else gets the credit. Also, if someone has stolen your SSN, then you will probably have problems with your tax payment, and getting a tax refund. The problem will have to be sorted out. Avoiding this problem may be as simple as filing as early as you can – hopefully before the other party does.
Wrong Bank Account Information
If you file taxes electronically and want to get your tax refund deposited directly into your bank account, be sure to supply the correct bank account information. Both state and Federal taxes need the right number to get it to the right place. Double check all your tax information, use an online tax calculator, and you will soon have the deposit where you want it.
