For all that it’s popular today to play partisan politics, it’s clear that some officials in Congress are actually listening to voters. Newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) knows that a significant issue in his most recent election was the economy. That’s likely why he – and four other Republican Senators (Kit Bond R-MO; Susan…
Beer drinkers in the Mountain State are struggling to raise revenue in a bad economy. Some members of the state’s legislature think they have a solution: tax beer. West Virginia House Health and Human Resources Committee Chairman Don Perdue, who sponsored the bill, says that an increase in the tax is necessary. His plan to…
I’ll admit it – as if you hadn’t already guessed – I’m a bit of a geek. And not just a tax geek. I like math. And charts. So I was pretty psyched when @fixR-com sent me a note on twitter about their homebuyer’s credit pictograph. It’s a really good representation of the credit and…
Disgraced former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, once hailed as a hero in New York, was finally sentenced after a lengthy investigation. Surprisingly, Kerik received more than the maximum sentence and will spend four years in federal prison as a result of a plea bargain. Kerik pleaded guilty to eight of the fifteen…
Over the past couple of days, I’ve received a number of emails, links, tweets, and DMs (whew) about the allegedly IRS-related plane crash in Texas. While I respect the rights of other bloggers and journos to cover the story until the cows come home, this is one that I’ll largely pass on. The “manifesto” that…
I’ve been getting lots and lots of questions about the Making Work Pay Credit. To make it easier for you, here are the basics: The Making Work Pay Credit is only available for taxpayers with earned income during the year. The credit HAS NOT already been calculated as part of your withholding. Your eligibility for…
Taxpayer asks: I’m a stay at home mom (not employed) and my son attends preschool part-time a few days a week. My husband and I file jointly and we live in Arizona (don’t know if that matters). Can we deduct the tuition we pay to the preschool?Thanks so much! Taxgirl says: You’re going to hate…
Update: We have our winners! I’ve notified the winners about collecting their prizes. Thanks for playing! It’s the Fourth Annual Tax Filing Horror Contest at taxgirl.com! Have a horrible tax filing story? Car break down blocks from the post office? Ran out of paper in the printer? Dog ate your return? Tell me your worst…
Taxpayer asks: I was not aware of the above credit. I am single, and just yesterday filed form 1040 EZ my self. I did not file schedule M to claim that credit. Can I file an amended return to claim this credit. Taxgirl says: This is a great question. I actually called up the IRS…
Taxpayer asks: Can food bloggers write off ingredients from paid campaigns where advertisers paid them to create a recipe? Taxgirl says: As promised, this is the answer to the second part of a previous question. The world of paid reviews can be tricky. In this post, I’m going to focus solely on the question that’s…