Yep, it’s that time of year: free tax software! I have 20 access codes for free CompleteTax online tax prep software to give away to taxgirl readers, thanks to the good folks at CCH. Each code is good for online tax preparation and filing for one 2011 federal and one 2011 state tax return using CompleteTax’s online tax prep software.

And here’s how the giveaway will work. Over the next few days, I will randomly post 10 tax trivia questions. The first reader to submit the correct answer wins.

Here are the rules:

• Post your answer in the comments section on the corresponding post. Answers on Facebook and Twitter won’t count (but see below).
• The first correct answer wins. Don’t panic if your comment doesn’t show immediately. If it goes to moderation because, for example, you’re new here, the time stamp on your comment is what counts.
• Guess as many times as you’d like even if you don’t know the answer. My normal comment policy applies (you can read it here). No offensive language, no trash talk, no spam. I have standards, you know.
• I have to be able to contact you. That means you have to register with Forbes.com using a valid email address. I won’t publish your email address but I do need contact information for the winning entry.
• If there is no winning answer for a question after 24 hours, that question will be void for purposes of the contest. I want to make sure that I give away all of these free tax prep codes in time for folks to get their taxes done.
• One winner per tax season. Really. Feel free to keep guessing if you’ve already won (you know, for the ego boost) but only one free software package per person.
• Due to shipping considerations, only United States addresses, please. Sorry, Canada, eh?
• I respect your privacy and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.
• By entering the contest, you agree that I may post any part or all of your submission including your name as a part of the contest announcements or promotions, with the exception of your email address.
• There is no debate about the correct answer. Like Judge Judy, my ruling is final.
• Finally, the giveaway is about me, me, me. It’s not affiliated with or endorsed by Forbes. So leave them out of it, okay?

I know what you’re thinking: I said I had 20 codes but only plan on doing 10 tax trivia blog posts. Since I love my Facebook fans and my twitter followers so much, I’m saving 10 codes to give away (5 on Facebook, 5 on twitter). It’s still a trivia contest, same rules apply with a couple of obvious exceptions:

• Facebook answers must be posted on the corresponding Facebook post (meaning that if your comment shows up on the wrong post, I can’t help you out).
• Twitter answers must be posted @taxgirl with the hashtag #taxtrivia. Got it?
• You don’t have to follow me or friend me or any such goofiness in order to play along… but I’d love it if you did.

You ready?Similar Posts:

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Tax season has started which means two things:

1, You have questions; and

2, The IRS is only going to answer 70% of them.

So I’m going to take a stab at answering some of your questions LIVE. We’ll give it a whirl via CoverItLive on the blog on January 20, 2012, at 1:00 pm. But this isn’t a no holds barred tax free for all. There are some ground rules. I am, after all, an attorney.

• Keep your personally identifiable information out of your question. You can’t take it back once it’s out there on the interwebs. So use a little common sense.
• I’ll answer as many questions as I can in the space of an hour. Don’t resend the same question and don’t get annoyed if I don’t answer.
• I live in Philly and I can barely make out our crazy tax laws. With that in mind, I won’t answer your state and local questions, sorry.
• This is meant to be a quick answer, to get you thinking or looking in the right direction. It is not a substitute for consulting with a competent tax professional, i.e., if you’re being audited, if there are IRS collections agents on your doorstep, if you are considering fleeing to Namibia to avoid criminal charges, don’t ask me what I think, contact your tax professional. That’s like bleeding profusely from a severed limb and writing into to the folks at Web MD to see what they think – they’re going to tell you to see a freakin’ doctor!
• If you’re looking for representation, this isn’t the place to ask me. If you want to find out more about my practice, you can check out my web page. Otherwise, there’s no attorney-client thing going on here. If you don’t have a representation letter from me, I don’t represent you. Capiche?
• Believe it or not, I didn’t grow up under a rock. I’ve been at this blogging thing for a bit. So if you think you’re being clever by sending your advertisement/promotion/tax treatise/election propaganda wrapped up in the guise of a question, you’re not. You’re just annoying. And rude.
• And speaking of rude, don’t be. Not just because well, it’s rude, but because my mother could be reading and she already worries about me and she’s having a heart procedure next week (I’m not making this up). She doesn’t need any more stress and neither do I.
• And because the IRS has lots and lots of rules about this stuff, here’s my IRS Circular 230 notice: In order to comply with requirements imposed by the IRS, I must inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this web site is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this document. So there.

I reserve the right to add more caveats – that’s what lawyers do. For more info about asking questions – or to find out how to ask a question through more traditional means (“the email” as Mom would say) – check out this prior post.

Of course, this isn’t just for taxpayers. I’m hoping my colleagues will chime in, too. See you all back here:

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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Quick, close your eyes.

Now open them. You know, cause you can’t read the blog with your eyes closed. But remember how it looked. It was dark, right? Unfortunately, due to technical issues, I can’t actually make the site go dark for SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act). But I want you to get the idea.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R. 3261 (downloads as a pdf), is a bill that was introduced “To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes.” That sounds like a good thing, right?

But not so much. The way the bill is written, the judicial process is basically circumvented, allowing websites to be shut down based on accusations of theft of intellectual property alone without so much as ever stepping foot inside a courtroom. And as an attorney at a firm that represents both web sites and ISPs, that’s a scary prospect. Protection of property and private enterprise is important but it should be thoughtful and settled, not reactionary and over broad.

I get it. We don’t want people stealing stuff. As a writer, I don’t want people stealing my stuff. And they do it all of the time (trust me, my content is reprinted all over the internet without attribution or permission). And I want it to stop. But I don’t want it to stop at the the cost of thwarting the judicial process. We have courts and laws to protect our rights, not to circumvent them.

Its companion piece, PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act), also known as S. 968 (downloads as pdf), isn’t much better.

SOPA and PIPA have the potential to criminalize behavior that might not be criminal. The bills, taken together, are an overreaching attempt to govern. The result is the potential for government censorship of the internet. And that isn’t okay.

So close your eyes again and for the rest of the day, remember what that looks like.

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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With just a few days to go before the IRS starts accept e-filed returns, my inbox is chock full of ask the taxgirl® emails. Here are some things to remember:

1. I get a lot of emails and I read every single one. I’m not ignoring you but you’re also not the only email I’ll get today. So please be patient.
2. I consider a lot of factors when I choose a question to post. If I notice a similar bunch of questions (for example, about how the Making Work Pay Credit affects your taxes this year), I’ll try to answer those first. I also think about the timeliness: if something is making headlines now or affects your filing, I’m likely to post that before a more general question.
3. Your question may be too broad or too specific. I do get questions like “Should I file Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately?” without another word. In contrast, I’ve gotten questions that include absolutely every detail, down to a diary of phone calls to IRS and names of dependents. Fill me in on the details and state your question plainly without giving me too much information. I don’t need your shoe size or your mother’s maiden name. And hey, I’m a chatty girl. I get that you might fear that you’re leaving something out but don’t worry – if it’s just a little piece of info and I think I’ll need it, I’ll ask you. I don’t redact your question before I post it (except for the email address) so don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your mother – or mine – to see.
4. Don’t send a note asking for favors: I won’t call the IRS and find out where your rebate checks are, why your refunds isn’t what you expected or why your return wasn’t accepted as filed. Notwithstanding that I can’t do those things anyway without a Power of Attorney which authorizes me to, I’m not your tax attorney unless you have a representation letter from me. So please don’t ask. And don’t send me your personal information like your Social Security number out of the blue. Honestly, I’m a good person – just ask my mother. But you shouldn’t take such risks with anyone you don’t know. It’s scary.
5. I rarely answer specific state or local tax questions. I just can’t. As much as I’d love to help – and I would – I just don’t know the specific property tax laws in Petaluma or the sales tax rules in Peoria.
6. I have a spam filter. I have to. Mostly because of, well, you know, evil spammers. My spam filter will almost always dump your email into spam if your email doesn’t have a subject. Try including a word or two in the subject to tell me what your question is about, like “mortgage interest question” or “I don’t have my 1099″ – it will help make sure that the emails end up where they need to be. Make sure that you send it to the right address (askthetaxgirl@taxgirl.com), too. You can also post on Facebook or via twitter but remember that your information – including your name and question – will be visible to others.
7. I am almost always happy to help out a fellow journalist with a piece or give an interview about a tax story. If you’re looking to seek me out for a story, don’t contact me through the askthetaxgirl email. Choose one of these options instead and be sure to give me a quick idea of what you’re looking for and whether you have any applicable deadlines. If you’re a reader and you just want to say hi, try following me on twitter or like my page on Facebook – you’ll probably hear from me sooner.
8. If you’re actually sitting in an audit or jail, I can’t stress enough how much you need to put down the computer and find yourself a good tax professional right now. Run, do not walk, to the phones and call someone to help you.
9. I love answering your questions. I really do. It’s why I do it. But I’m a lawyer, not a miracle worker. I’m also not a marriage counsellor, doctor or investment advisor. So ask accordingly.

And one more thing:

Since you can never have enough disclaimers…

And there are a bunch of cheats out there – or at least the IRS thinks so…

And I need to sleep at night…

IRS Circular 230 notice: In order to comply with requirements imposed by the IRS, I must inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this blog is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this blog.

It will also fail to make you rich, lose weight, get white teeth or regrow hair that has been lost. I can’t guarantee dates or life matches (in fact, it’s arguable that if your friends find out that you read a tax blog, you could lose points). I have never made a good stock tip and I can’t buy your gold. I’m also miserable at making pie.

With all of that in mind, ask away! And keep an eye out for my Ask the taxgirl® LIVE segment coming up in the next couple of weeks. Also on tap? A couple of cool videos that I’ve made (okay, I admit that cool is relative), fun giveaways and a form 1040 primer. Because paying taxes is painful… but reading about them shouldn’t be.

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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Whew, it’s nearly mid-December already. How did this happen? The month has flown by so quickly that I haven’t had time to thank the editors of the ABA Journal for selecting taxgirl as one of the Blawg 100, the top 100 best law blogs by lawyers. The ABA said, about my blog:

[entity display="Kelly Phillips Erb" type="author" subtype="author" active="true" key="kellyphillipserb"]Kelly Phillips Erb[/entity] has a passion for tax law that is infectious, but more importantly she has the ability to explain that which so many fear. We’re not the only ones who think so. Earlier this year, the witty, engaging [entity display="Philadelphia" type="place" active="true" key="pa/philadelphia"]Philadelphia[/entity] lawyer was invited to move her blog to Forbes.com, where she continues to uncover email tax scams, analyze pending tax legislation and examine every inch of the IRS she can access.

Witty and engaging? I totally have a crush on those editors now.

At any rate, it’s my fourth nomination (I feel a bit like Susan Lucci) and I really do appreciate it. Thanks to the ABA Journal for recognizing me in this manner.

I also want to offer up a huge THANKS to you, my readers, for making this so fun for me. I started writing my blog years ago using the moniker “taxgirl” which I took from my firm email address; I had used the nickname since law school and was still admittedly a big tax geek.

Somewhere along the way, people starting reading. And leaving comments and asking questions and sending me email… It was exciting and I have loved every minute of it. I am proud of what I do and the work that I produce. I still get a thrill when I am researching a new piece or series. I giggle every time I am tweeted or shared on Facebook. I read every comment and love that folks care enough about what I write to contribute to the conversation. I still get fired up about interviews. And I am flattered anytime someone says, at a restaurant in [entity display="Philadelphia" type="place" active="false" key="pa/philadelphia"]Philadelphia[/entity], on Twitter, and even in a little coffee shop in Maine, “You’re taxgirl? I read you!”

I’ve written for a lot of publications and I can unequivocally say that my readers are the best. I am so thankful for all of you: you inspire me to flip open my keyboard each day.

Readers from all of the blogs (and there are some amazing ones) are being asked to vote on their favorites in each of the 5th Annual Blawg 100’s 12 categories. If you have a second to spare, you can mosey over to to http://www.abajournal.com/blawg100 to register (it’s free) and vote. I’m nominated in the “niche” category. Voting ends at close of business on December 30, 2011. Even if you don’t vote, click on over and check out some of the good stuff like fellow Forbes writer Kashmir Hill’s The Not-So Private Parts, Mirriam Seddiq’s Not Guilty, No Way, Carolyn Elefant’s My Shingle and of course, Prof. Caron’s TaxProf Blog.

Thanks, as always for your support.

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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Aww shucks (*blushing*). The nice folks at LexisNexis have advised that my blog at taxgirl.com has been selected as one of the LexisNexis Top 20 Tax [entity id="section_84" style="padding: 1px; color: #fff; background: #336699;" class="forbes_entity" active="true" item_id="section_84" key="/law" display="Law" natural_id="channel_5section_84" type="section" active="false"]Law[/entity] Blogs of 2011.

The voting for the top blog begins now. You can vote for your favorite (*clears throat*) by following this link. You have to be registered in order to vote; if you haven’t already registered, follow this link to create a new registration or sign in with credentials from your favorite social media site (like twitter or Facebook). Registration is free and I’ve been promised that you won’t receive solicitations when you sign up.

Voting ends on November 28, 2011. I’d be honored if you could take a moment before then and and check the box for taxgirl. Thanks!Similar Posts:

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I was asked to write an Op-Ed piece for US News & World Report that answered the question: Is the Flat Tax a Good Idea?

Many of you have emailed me to ask similar questions so I thought I’d pass along the link for your perusal. You can check out the story here. Enjoy.

And no, it’s not my last word on the issue.

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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If you read the blog regularly, you probably already know a little bit about my maternal grandmother. If you don’t, let me fill you in… She made the best vegetable soup in the world. She raised eight children, including an invalid son whom she refused to institutionalize even though everyone told her different. She dyed Easter eggs for her grandchildren to find and put up sparkly lights at Christmastime in her small, cinder block house. She made a dozen biscuits every morning – even when she could barely see. And she is most likely responsible for my current coffee addiction because she used to let me drink a little bit of coffee – with a lot of milk – as she drank her own coffee all day long (I now drink it black, as nature intended).

My grandmother also had breast cancer. I watched my mom take care of her as she got weaker and weaker – chemo wasn’t an option for her – and I knew that she would never get better. The cancer eventually spread to her lungs and she died. I was with her, in her house, when it happened, when she took her last breath. It was a terrible day.

Thinking back, I never saw her cry. I never heard her complain. I’m sure she did – how you could not be angry and sad and hurtful knowing that you were going to die? But she never let on to me that it bothered her. I admire her so much for that.

I like to think that her spirit lives on – and not just through our mutual love of coffee. So, for October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), in honor of my grandmother, as I do almost every year, I’m making a donation to Susan G. Komen For the Cure. I’ll donate $1 for every unique comment (meaning, not spam) on this post (yes, posting a comment on Facebook counts, too) through the end of the month. You can just say hi, ask me a tax question, chat about tax policy or leave the name of someone close to you that was diagnosed with breast cancer – you can even tell me how much you love the Phillies (just don’t bring up the whole folding during the play-offs bit… oof).

I know that it would be easier to just write out a check. I’ve been asked in years past why it’s necessary to ask for comments: why not just donate? To be clear, I do donate. I give my dollars and my time to the work of various cancer and breast cancer organizations and I run Komen for the Cure almost every year.

This is a cause that I am passionate about. And I do *get* the criticisms about making it a spectacle. But here’s why I do it: I want to make a spectacle. I want to cause a commotion. I want you to think about cancer. And I want you to do something about it. Here are a few other things you can do this month:

1. Get checked. Early detection can be a key to survival. So get regular check-ups. Visits are deductible as medical expenses if you itemize your deductions on a Schedule A. Expenses include everything from the actual doctor’s visit to transportation to parking (get receipts!); the cost of most procedures, including mammograms are likewise deductible.
2. Spread the word, wear pink. Is it commercial? Of course it is. This is, after all, America, and if a capitalist can find a way to make a buck no matter what the occasion, he or she will. At the end of the day, does that take away from the good that it does? I don’t think so. I don’t think that you can be too aware. Every time that I see my pink ribbon (I’m wearing one right now), I think about my grandmother. And then I think about the fact that more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. They are grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, family friends. Awareness might mean that one more woman gets a mammogram, or asks the doctor what that lump is. And it might save a life. Isn’t that worth a little pink now and again?
3. Make a donation. There are lots of great charities that fund breast cancer research and offer support for breast cancer victims. At our house, we support Komen For the Cure and the American Cancer Society but there are a lot of other wonderful organizations who would welcome your donations. If you plan to claim the donation as a charitable deduction, check with the IRS to make sure it’s a qualifying organization – and get a receipt.
4. Volunteer your time. Charity doesn’t always have to be about money. Put your time and talents to good use by volunteering your services. You can help serve water to thirsty runners during a 5k, stuff envelopes or sit with a patient during chemo – you can almost always find an organization that has a need that you can fill. While you can’t deduct the cost of your time as a tax deduction, you can claim out of pocket expenses, including mileage – so keep good records.
5. Get educated. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 in every 4 deaths. About 1,596,670 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2011 and about 571,950 Americans are expected to die of cancer (that’s more than 1,500 people a day). Certain lifestyle choices may increase your risk; find out what you can do to stay healthy and talk to your doctor.

My grandmother didn’t live to see me graduate from college or go to law school or get married. She didn’t get to meet my own children but I’m pretty sure they would have loved her (what’s not to love about a woman who offers you ice cream every.single.time you walk in the house?). I’m hopeful that my mom (a cancer survivor) lives to do all of those things with my kids. I’m doing my part to help find a cure for cancer during her lifetime. How about you?

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Want more taxgirl goodness? Sign up to receive posts by email, follow me on twitter (@taxgirl) or hang out with me on Facebook.Similar Posts:

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So whew. This past week was supposed to be dedicated to Back to School. But life happened. Amazon made a deal (new post upcoming). Hurricane Lee blew through the eastern US, hot on the heels of Irene. The IRS extended their OVDI deadline. And Obama made a little jobs speech.

I still have tax content (of course) and prizes (really good ones). So I’m extending Back to School Week is expanding – keep watching all next week for chances to win, tax trivia, info about college expenses and more.Similar Posts:

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I need a favor. I’m working on an upcoming post and I need some data to play with in order to make it work. That’s where you come in handy.

I am looking for a list of the top companies that consumers and taxpayers rely on most often. Since companies sometimes have layers and layers of entities, brands will also suffice. So, without thinking too hard, I’d like for you to make a list of the top ten companies or brands that you used in some way today. For example, my list for today might look like this:

1. Apple (my laptop)
2. Hoover
3. Brooks (my favorite running shoes)
4. King Arthur Flour
5. Lands End
6. Bosch
7. Schwinn
8. Nabisco
9. Tide
10. Tom’s of Maine

See, easy? No stress. Just a quick and dirty list. You can tweet your answers to @taxgirl, email to topbrands@taxgirl.com or simply list them in the comments below.

I promise that I won’t use your email or answers for marketing, advertising or any nefarious purpose. I’m just gathering data for a post.

Thanks! And I’ll let you know when it’s up… It will be after Back to School week (which, by the way, starts tomorrow!).Similar Posts:

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