Posts tagged as:

stimulus

Fix the Tax Code Friday: Making Work Pay Credit

27 March 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! Next week, the revised tax tables for the Making Work Pay Credit go into effect. Last year, after stimulus checks were mailed out, taxpayers overwhelmingly supported a second stimulus package. Now, taxpayers don’t seem so sure. With the second stimulus package in place, with money in the pockets of [...]

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“Stimulus” Ads on Facebook, Other Sites Do Not Ring True

14 March 2009

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Keep that adage in mind this tax season. There are a number of scams floating about which purport to get you more cash, faster. You should keep in mind that the government doesn’t use “middle men” to get you a refund faster or to [...]

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No April Fool’s: Stimulus Withholding to Begin April 1

21 February 2009

President Obama has issued a target date for the adjusted withholding to begin as part of the stimulus package: April 1. Obama mentioned the date in his weekly radio address, saying: I’m pleased to announce that this morning the Treasury Department began directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks, meaning that [...]

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Fun Stimulus Bill Facts

13 February 2009

I’m not going to issue a complete report on the stimulus plan until the ink on the signature page is dry (Obama plans to sign the final version of the bill on Monday). But for now, here are some fun stat facts about the bill: Number of pages in the bill: 680 (editor’s note: the [...]

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Congressional Officials Critical of Tax Breaks in Proposed Stimulus Plan

12 January 2009

As blogged previously, Obama’s proposed stimulus package is meeting resistance – on both sides of the aisle. Key members of the Senate Finance Committee have criticized plans for a $3,000 tax credit for new hires, citing that it wasn’t the most effective means of promoting employment. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said, “I’d rather spend the [...]

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Ask the taxgirl: Stimulus Checks and 2008 Returns

13 October 2008

Taxpayer asks: I was told by “somebody” that the stimulus checks we received will be deducted from our tax refunds for 2008? Is that true? Taxgirl says: Nope. The tax rebates are not taxable and will not be credited against your 2008 return – unlike the 2001 rebates which were credited against the 2002 returns. [...]

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First Time Home Buyers Are Cry-Babies

19 August 2008

Okay, maybe not all of them. I was a first time home buyer once, too. ** Oh sorry, I just drifted off to a dreamland involving no screaming kids or barking dogs. ** But the latest rounds of criticisms of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 have gotten to me. I’ll just say [...]

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Stimulus Checks Not Encouraging Consumers to Spend

16 July 2008

Despite the billions of dollars (with a b) which are suddenly floating around our economy, courtesy of the federal government in the form of a stimulus packge, June retail industry sales didn’t move much at all. The National Retail Federation reported that retail sales last month edged up 0.2% over May. Retail sales figures do [...]

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Who Else Got a Boost From the Stimulus Package?

8 July 2008

I’ve already reported that tax professionals received a benefit from the stimulus package with more taxpayers than ever rushing to file. Now comes news that another industry has received a boost from the (*cough*) stimulus package: porn. Adult web sites are experiencing a boost in sales this year, despite a slowdown in the economy. Perhaps [...]

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