Ooh, you can tell that tax season is beginning! My inbox is chock full.
I do not always answer questions in the order that I receive them. I consider the timeliness of the question (1099 reporting instructions before deductions, for example), the number of similar questions that I’ve received, the value to the reader and more.
Here are some quick “ask the taxgirl” tips to help you increase the chances of your question being answered:
- Keep your personally identifiable information out of your question. This is the internet, remember? If you say things like “I’m the only doctor in my town and my wife is blind,” folks may know it’s you. I’m not going to redact your questions. So use a little common sense.
- I’ll answer as many questions as I can. Don’t resend the same question and don’t get annoyed if I don’t answer your question in the first place. I could be researching it. I could be saving it for a specific time of year (i.e., end of year planning). I could be clueless. I could think it sucks. Hey, it’s my blog, I’ll do what I want.
- I live in Philly. I don’t know the local tax laws in Burgaw, NC; Castine, ME or any other place outside of my locality. I can’t answer specific state and local questions, sorry.
- Keep it short. This isn’t War & Peace. It’s meant to be a quick stop for information. Give me as much information as you think I’ll need without boring me and the other readers to death… For the most part, leave dollar figures out (unless it’s absolutely relevant). Just ask your question.
Also please remember that 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. 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!
For more info about “ask the taxgirl” including representation and Circular 230 stuff, click here.
I reserve the right to add more caveats as we go along “because I can” as my three year old would say, so check back often.
With all of that in mind, ask away! Note that, to protect your privacy, I prefer that you ask questions via email. My email address is a click away – you’ll find the link on this page.
Hi, I am a US contractor and I will be returning to Afghanistan for one year. Could you tell me where to find out what % of my income will be tax exempt? What are the requirements for time out of US to meet the exemption rules for US tax law or where could I find the info?