The Educator Expense Deduction allows eligible educators to deduct up to $250 worth of qualified expenses from their income. If you're an eligible educator, you can deduct up to $250 ($500 if married filing jointly and both spouses are eligible educators, but not more than $250 each) of unreimbursed trade or business expenses. Qualified expenses [...]
Small business owners, self-employed people, and some wage earners should look into whether they should make estimated tax payments this year. Doing so can help them avoid an unexpected tax bill and possibly a penalty when they file next year. Taxpayers who earn a paycheck usually have their employer withhold tax from their checks. This [...]
There is a lot of buzz in the news about the upcoming Advance Child Tax Credit payments. The big question is, should you accept the payments or would you be better off unenrolling? The answer is not so cut and dry. The best advice we could give is to look hard at your individual situation, [...]
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds workers in the gig economy and those who claimed unemployment compensation in 2020 of their options and where to find information on meeting their tax obligations. Gig economy The gig economy refers to income earned providing on-demand work performing services or selling goods, including driving a car [...]
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 suspends the requirement that taxpayers increase their tax liability by all or a portion of their excess advance payments of the Premium Tax Credit (excess APTC) for tax year 2020. A taxpayer's excess APTC is the amount by which the taxpayer's advance payments of the Premium Tax Credit (APTC) [...]
The Internal Revenue Service today announced that individuals have until May 17, 2021 to meet certain deadlines that would normally fall on April 15, such as making IRA contributions and filing certain claims for refund. This follows a previous announcement from the IRS on March 17, that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for [...]
The IRS urges taxpayers whose identities may have been used by thieves to steal unemployment benefits to file a tax return claiming only the income they actually received. In 2020, millions of taxpayers were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through job loss or reduced work hours. Some taxpayers applied for and received unemployment compensation from their state. [...]
The IRS has expanded the Identity Protection PIN Opt-In Program to all taxpayers who can verify their identity. The Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit code known only to the taxpayer and to the IRS. It helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns using a taxpayers' personally identifiable information. Here are a few [...]
The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2021 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2021, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: • 56 cents [...]
The arrival of the holiday season is when many people think about how they can give back. Often taxpayers want to donate to a charity. This year, the new “universal” deduction makes it easier for people to receive a tax benefit for giving. Because the deduction is taken “above the line,” it reduces, by up [...]
