Tax news and guidance for individual taxpayers — filing tips, deductions, refunds, and everything else that hits your personal return.
Taxpayer asks: my son gets ssi payments he has autisim, adhd, and asburgers disorder he is 19 years old now can he still get earned income the h&r block said he dont get it anymore let me know Taxgirl says: To claim the EIC you must meet certain income and filing criteria. In addition, if…
Taxpayer asks: Obama is saying he wants to give us tax breaks retroactive to 2008. Should we wait to do our taxes until we see what he is going to do? Thanks, Taxgirl says: Don’t wait to file! The current proposal being offered by the House doesn’t offer any credits or tax breaks retroactive to…
Remember this question from a reader asking about a second stimulus check? She said that she had recently heard on the news that there would be a second stimulus check in February. I received a slew of similar emails from folks swearing that the news had reported that a second stimulus check was a certainty….
Taxpayer asks: Can I deduct state sales tax for 2008 and deduct state income tax paid for another year (2007)?? Taxgirl says: Absolutely! There is no rule that the taxes must have been assessed in 2008 in order to take them as a deduction. Assuming that you itemize your deductions, you can deduct state and…
Taxpayer asks: I saw on the news that we will have a second check in February. I can’t find it again. Can you help? Taxgirl says: Wow. Just wow. I’ve received a slew of similar emails over the weekend. I don’t know where this info is coming from – or what news program might have…
Taxpayer asks: Hi, Taxgirl – How do I confirm that I filed a federal tax return every year over the past 12 years? In college, I got a small tax refund every year, but (being in college) I was also lax about doing things I should – even those that got me a check! I…
Oh, it’s going to be a long January… President Elect Barack Obama has proposed tax cuts for individuals and small businesses as part of his massive economic stimulus package. The price tag on the cuts? About $300 billion. With a b. Don’t get too excited just yet. These are just proposed cuts. There’s a lot…
Taxpayer asks: my friends told me that the IRS is deducting the stimulus check money from your 08 return! I thought it was free money! And now we have to give it back? Taxgirl says: Deep breaths. You don’t have to give it back. Here’s the confusion… The last set of stimulus checks in 2001…
Taxpayer asks: I deliver newspapers. Wondering if the Christmas money I receive is taxable. Also, why are lotto winnings taxable? How are you working for that money? Taxgirl says: I believe that the money that you receive at Christmas is taxable. It is not really a *gift* (read more about gifts and bonuses here). It’s…
Taxpayer asks: there is a lot of talk that we the people will be getting another stimulus check. Is that true? Taxgirl says: I know that folks want the answer to this question to be different… I know this because I receive several variations on this question per day – including a recent email from…