Taxgirl’s own Taxes From A to Z® series — breaking down tax concepts and terms one letter at a time, in plain English.
W is for Wash Sale. “Just call it a wash.” How many times have you said that? If you’ve ever uttered those words, then you have a pretty good understanding of a wash sale. It is, at its most basic, when you sell or trade stock or securities at a loss while simultaneously (or nearly…
V is for Vacation Home. Spring Break is coming up in a few weeks and we’re lucky enough to be able to spend time with my parents in coastal North Carolina where I grew up. Every year that we go down there, I convince myself that I want a vacation home. And I know exactly…
U is for Unreasonable Compensation. I don’t love S corporations. I know that my CPA friends love, love them but I don’t. While I agree that they have advantages in terms of flexibility, many shareholders struggle with compliance putting the S status at risk. And even more concerning? The IRS isn’t a fan. And by…
T is for Tuition and Fees Deduction. College can be expensive. Crazy expensive. I say this as a former student now repaying tons of student loans – and eying my three kids and thinking about how in the world I’m going to pay for them, too. Fortunately, there are some tax breaks available for paying…
S is for Standard Deduction. Most taxpayers have the option of claiming the standard deduction or the itemized deduction. I say “most” because, as with almost everything tax-related, there are some exceptions. You cannot use the standard deduction if you file as married filing a separate return and your spouse itemizes deductions; you are a…
R is for Refund. With tax season down to the wire, more and more taxpayers are wondering about the status of their refunds. Your refund information is generally available about 72 hours after your tax return is processed. You can track your refund online with the “Where’s My Refund?” service offered by IRS or use…
Q is for Qualified Dividends. Qualified dividends sound fancy but they’re really just ordinary dividends that, if they meet certain criteria, are taxed at lower tax rates. In order to be taxed at the qualified dividend rate, the dividend must be paid between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2012, by a U.S. corporation, by…
P is for Penalty on Estimated Tax. If you receive payments or other funds without having any federal income taxes withheld, you should consider making estimated payments throughout the year to avoid any penalties. This applies not only to the self-employed or occasional freelancers but also to those taxpayers who may receive income from other…
O Is For Offer in Compromise. When you owe a debt to the IRS, there are a few ways that you can handle it. Most commonly, you can enter into an installment agreement; under an installment agreement, you agree to pay off your debt over a period of time. If you can’t pay the full…
M is for Making Work Pay Credit. Doh! This is kind of a trick post. There is no Making Work Pay Credit for 2011. That also means no Schedule M. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act which was signed into law on December 17, 2010, did not renew the Making Work…