Taxpayer asks: Hi Tax Girl. I on social security and am using Turbotax to file my taxes. I have not as yet found out where to put the $500 received by my wife and myself from the federal government in June of 2009. Is this taxed? Taxgirl says: It sounds like you’re talking about the…
Hot on the heels of the success of New Jersey’s tax amnesty program, Pennsylvania has decided to give it a whirl. The amnesty program will kick off April 26 and run 54 days, ending on June 10, 2010. During that time, taxpayers have the opportunity to come clean and pay up. In return, all penalties…
Taxpayer asks: If you are married and did not work, but your spouse earned $156,00, are you entitled to $800 credit or $400 for the working spouse? Taxgirl says: Your comma threw me – so I’ll answer it both ways. If your spouse earned $15,600 and you file married jointly, you would be entitled to…
DOH! This version has been corrected. My original source indicated that the proposal was targeted to the city (like Philly) and not the state. Apologies for the error. Just days after Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced plans for Philadelphia to tax soda, New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg signaled that his city supports state efforts to…
What if the head of Coca-Cola suggested a tax on sugary sodas to combat increasing instances of obesity? Or if the big three automakers heralded an increase in the gas tax as a way of repairing our highways? It would leave a lot of us scratching our heads. That’s why many IT folks were left…
Taxpayer asks: Hi, I am a stay-at-home from California and I have a daughter in Cheerleading. Can I deduct the expenses? She also attends a public school that requires uniforms – why can I not deduct those? Thank you so much, Taxgirl says: Nope, you can’t deduct the costs associated with your daughter’s cheerleading (unless…
Of course, one of the biggest tax stories of the year would hit while I was on the road… But never fear, I’m on it. And by biggest, I mean huge. Representative Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) has been dodging ethics complaints left and right for a few years now. It’s made news for a few…
Just a week after I reported that Colorado was moving to increase taxes on its sugary drinks, Philadelphia Mayor Nutter is expected to announced a new tax on sugary drinks. Nutter plans to present his 2010-2011 budget on tomorrow. Expected to be included is a 2 cents per ounce tax on sugary drinks. That’s right:…
The NJ Nets are desperately trying to give their fans something to smile about this year. They’ve now announced that they will give NJ state residents who are 18 years and older and attend the Nets home game this Friday a coupon for a free state tax return. The promotion is a partnership with the…
Taxpayer asks: Thanks for your blog entries on the Making Work Pay tax credit – very helpful. I’m wondering if the tax tables have been “fixed” for 2010 so that people with more than one job or spouses who both work don’t get the tax credit twice. About 3 – 4 months ago the story…