My Son Did His Own Taxes For The First Time!

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My son was home from college for the weekend and expressed interest in getting his tax return done. He’s received a significant refund in the past, and wanted to get this year’s version into his bank account. I involved him in the process before, but this year he was going to be all in. First, I instructed him to gather information he would need throughout the process: Collect Needed Documents For my son, this only meant his W-2 forms. Since he switched jobs in May, he had two of them. Both were sent to our home address so I had […] Read more »

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy H&R Block Tax Software Online

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I’ve used H&R Block tax preparation software for years. It’s available in physical form from retailers, as well as downloadable online directly from the H&R Block website. While downloading the software may be convenient, there are a few reasons you might make a special trip to buy a physical copy instead. Buying a physical copy of H&R Block tax preparation software could save you money, and be more convenient to access your returns if needed in the future. Physical Copy Is Cheaper Buying a physical copy is cheaper than buying the digital version online. Below is a cost comparison of […] Read more »

Smaller Tax Refund? 4 Simple Steps To Calculate If You Really Got A Tax Cut In 2018

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Americans expected a lower tax bill in 2018 because of the highly touted Tax Cut and Jobs Act signed into law in December of 2017. Yet as people do their tax returns we hear stories of smaller than usual tax refunds, and accusations the government lied to them. A smaller or larger tax return is not an accurate way to determine if you truly got a tax cut, however. To determine if the amount of taxes you paid increased or decreased you have to dig a little deeper. Before Starting Before we get started, a few things to keep in […] Read more »

7 Things You Need To Do Your Taxes

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The end of January signals the beginning of a dreaded activity for many; doing your taxes. For years I procrastinated, spending more time worrying about it than actually doing it. Doing upfront prep work gathering all the documents you need to do your taxes is the key to making the process as easy and smooth as possible. I take a large envelope, and write on the front each piece of information I need. Normally I start by copying this list from the previous year’s envelope. I put a big square next to each item, and check the box as I […] Read more »

Don’t Like How Your Taxes Turned Out? Change Your Withholdings!

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After filing your tax return, you may be really excited or really disappointed about the outcome. The good news is, if you’re not happy with how things turned out you have the power to make changes and ensure you don’t have a repeat of the same next year. The most common result that would make people want to make a change is if they owed a large amount at tax time. However, if you received a significant refund you may also want to make a change to give yourself a little extra in each paycheck throughout the year. But you […] Read more »

How I Almost Missed Out On A $2100 Tax Refund

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I have relied on tax preparation software to guide me through filing my tax return for the last 20 years. It’s easy to be lulled into a feeling of safety, believing the software will help you accurately fill out your tax return while identifying all your deductions and credits based on your answers. The reality is, the tax software is only as good as the answers you give it, and if you don’t have a basic understanding of what’s going on with your return you could end up missing out on a huge refund. It almost happened to me this […] Read more »

You CAN Find Out When Your Tax Refund Will Arrive!

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I’m not exactly sure when they did it as I haven’t gotten a tax refund in a couple of years, but it seems the IRS may have finally implemented what we all knew was possible. Our friends at the Internal Revenue Office finally have a tool that will tell us exactly when our tax refund will hit our bank account. It used to be that you filed you tax return, and if you were due a refund you’d anxiously check your account status (or your mailbox) to see if your refund had arrived. It was a daily ritual, and each […] Read more »

5 Things That Could Affect Next Year’s Taxes

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Tomorrow is the day your 2016 tax returns are due. They have to be filed electronically or post marked or you will likely face a fine from the IRS. For many of us, the 2016 tax season may be behind us, but now is the perfect time to be thinking about 2017. If you owed money to the government with your tax return now is the time to take action to change the outcome of next year’s tax season. Here are 5 things you may do during 2017 that will have an effect on your taxes: Part-Time Jobs My wife’s […] Read more »

Save Money On Your Tax Preparation Software

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Tax season is upon us as W2s, 1099s and interest statements are flooding inboxes and mailboxes.   Some people choose to have a tax professional do their taxes, while many are able to save a little cash by doing their own taxes using tax preparation software.  But just using tax preparation software may not be the end of the saving money train.  You might just be able to save some extra cash just by choosing the right place to buy your tax preparation software. On my way home from work, I stopped by the electronics retailer Best Buy to pick up […] Read more »

Breeze Through Your Taxes Through Preparation And TaxACT

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This post is part of the TaxACT #BeatTheDeadline blog tour which shares tips on how to make tax time a smooth and easy process before the April 15 deadline. TaxACT provides the tools and guidance to help you confidently file taxes easy and fast. Do your own taxes today at TaxACT. You got this. When you think about doing your taxes, what picture immediately forms in your head? Is it one of sitting in front of the computer answering questions displayed on the screen by tax preparation software? Or maybe one of an appointment with an accountant? I’ve noticed something […] Read more »

A Sure-Fire Way To Save On Taxes

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Thomas J. Stanley studied America’s wealthy for decades. One of the observations he made was that the top wealth holders, those who kept a larger portion of their income, only realized 3.66 percent of their wealth in taxes compared to 6.7 percent for those those who consumed it. In other words, those who pay less in taxes do so by spending less and saving more. When spending money we pay: Sales and local tax Income tax Property tax If I want to pay lower taxes then follow these three simple suggestions: Consume Less A simple way to save on sales tax […] Read more »

3 Ways to Get the Most From Your Income Tax Refund

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Over 100 million Americans received refunds in 2013. Undoubtedly, the effects of such windfalls wore off long ago. Were these bonuses used wisely? Here are three ways you can get the most from your income tax refund: 1. Prepare for an Unexpected Event This sounds like an oxymoron, being prepared for something unexpected, but this could be the smartest move for anyone – even someone in debt. Nothing could be smarter than to cash the check and put it into a savings account for emergencies. Let’s face it – something bad is going to happen someday and those things usually cost […] Read more »

Is This The Year I Pay Someone To Do My Taxes?

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I’ve paid a tax professional to do my taxes only once.  It was the first tax season after getting married, and I wanted to make sure they were done correctly.  I remember sitting across the desk from a woman at a branch of a big name tax preparation company answering questions.  After a better part of an hour, I noticed that she wasn’t just entering the information into a form on the computer, but the software was actually prompting her which questions to ask.  I shared my observation with Vonnie on our way home, stating that I could have done […] Read more »

Home Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

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Everybody’s favorite season has arrived. It’s tax season and whether you dread it or not, if you live in The United States, own property or earn an income you are going to have to confront it. When you own property, the best way to reduce your taxable income is to take advantage of the home mortgage interest tax deduction. However many home owners are losing the advantage by not itemizing their taxes. There are a number of tax breaks for home owners and hopefully this post will clear up any confusion you may have with the home mortgage interest tax […] Read more »