One week filing extensions have been granted to taxpayers whose tax preparers have been affected by Hurricane Irene. The extensions granted by the IRS will give tax payers and their preparers some much needed tax relief after the disaster.
Returns normally due by September 15 will be granted extension until September 22, 2011. This relief is available to taxpayers regardless of their location but does not apply to any tax payment
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U.S Tax Court is keeping tabs on every possible tax detail in the hopes to find some extra revenue and tax loopholes are being sought out to try to find funding to fill in the budget deficit. Not free from the examination are clergy members and the tax relief laws that protect them from paying taxes. Back in March the U.S. Tax Court made a surprising ruling to extend a
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Today’s Tax Resolution Tip:
You may be surprised to hear that back taxes owed have an expiration date. That’s right, the IRS, by law, has 10 years from the date of assessment to finish collection of back taxes, which is referred to as the “Expiration of Back Taxes: Statute of Limitations on IRS Collections.”  This means that after 10 years, if the IRS have not collected back taxes owed, they can
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Feel like you deserve to deduct something and push the limits of what is legal? The IRS isn’t putting up with frivolous deduction claims, and in fact, will slap you with a fine.  U.S. legal code 6702 states that “A person shall pay a penalty of $5,000 if such person files what purports to be a return of a tax …and is based on a position which the Secretary has
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Investment adviser and former USB AG banker was indicted for helping wealthy Americans hide unclaimed money from the IRS in offshore accounts. The USB AG bank, not included in the indictment, is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland. Martin Lack, a Swiss resident, is accused of assisting 9 U.S. clients in transferring monies to undeclared foreign accounts. In an article by David Voreacos of
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There are a myriad of reasons why people have tax issues.  In my decade plus of expertise in guiding people to resolve theirs, I’ve just about seen them all. Our tax mediation firm specializes in working with the IRS to secure the best deal for clients seeking relief for their tax problems. Years of practice in careful listening and observing combined with a brazen approach and natural proclivity
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The Government Wants Your Money – was a timely theme for this old interview I did with Fox Business News’ Brian Sullivan (see the video below). Our candid discussion outlined policy changes within the IRS and their stepped up enforcement efforts in the name of tax collection. While the country is slowly digging out of a deep economic hole, it’s not surprising to see the IRS building a solid foundation
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Being audited by the IRS can be a scary and stressful situation. Whether you are being audited for tax problems from investment mishaps, offshore accounts or any other reason, it is important to make sure a tax professional is there to make your audit goes as smoothly as possible. Karen E. Klein of the LA Times offers great advice to a reader about to be audited:
Karen: You answered a question
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Last year Congress made some new decisions about the amount of business deductions that can be made on your car purchased after Sept. 8, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2012. If you are like most business owners, you want to tap into these tax breaks when you can.  Laura Saunders of the Wall Street Journal highlights some great tax relief tips (new and old) you need to know about deductions
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Today’s Tax Resolution Tip:
Are you self-employed? Make your tax filing easier by creating a ‘tax’ account. Then place 30% of every dollar for Social Security, Income Tax and FICA  into that account and use it to make quarterly payments from it.
Avoid filing problems and make your life easier!
Do you owe back taxes to the IRS? Settle your debt with expert tax help. Check out our tax relief FAQs for more information
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Today’s Tax Resolution Tip:
You can file for an extension on your tax return!
It is your right as a consumer. However, an extension grants you an extension of time to FILE, it is not an extension of time to PAY. You would still have to pay any taxes owed on time, however you can request a little more time in filing your tax return.
Get more daily tax tips at 365 Ways
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Jan Van Dusen, a volunteer for a cat rescue program, recently went to battle with Tax Court to deduct expenses for the care of some 70 plus cats. The article Stray Cat Strut: Woman Beats IRS published in the Wall Street Journal outlines how Ms. Van Dusen won her case against the tax court in her argument for the deduction for over $12,000 in bills accumulated for the care of
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Today’s Tax Resolution Tip:
Remember to sign and date your tax return! This may sound basic, but in the midst of finalizing one’s return the basics are often overlooked! If you’re filing a joint tax return, both you and your spouse have to sign. (Both must sign even if only one spouse had income during the tax year.) If you paid anyone to help prepare your return, they must sign also!
Don’t
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When making donations to charitable causes it is always a great idea to document the donation properly which can later be used as tax relief in the form of a deduction.  Another important step is to check whether or not the charity you are contributing to is actually tax-exempt to begin with.
Last week the IRS released its list of approximately 275,000 organizations that have lost their tax exemption status.  According
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Charitable donations are a great way for individuals to help out meaningful causes and to also gain a little tax relief when it comes time to cut the check to the IRS.  A new article, One Easy Way to Lose that Charitable Deduction by the Wall Street Journal, highlights the importance of getting the proper documentation for every charitable donation you make over $250 dollars. Without the recognized “letter” from
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