Taxpayer asks: I have a child that moved in with me from Canada in July and I do not have a social security number for him how do I go about claiming him on my taxes? Taxgirl says: You generally need a Social Security Number (SSN) to claim a dependent on your federal income tax…
Taxpayer asks: Hi, Tax Girl, With all the electronic sales these days, publishers and authors can promote their books for free for a period of time in order to gain readers and increase their rankings on sites like amazon.com. Even though there is no cost to author or publisher for the free electronic giveaways, can…
Taxpayer asks: How much do you get for child tax credit this tax season? taxgirl says: For the tax year 2012, the child tax credit may be worth up to $1,000 per qualifying child. The amount that you can claim is limited if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is above $110,000 for couples married…
Taxpayer asks: Where I live, you prepay property taxes by 6 months. So in 2012 I paid taxes In Jan and then in June. In July, I sold the house so at the closing I paid (I guess to the seller) the taxes for Jan-July that I occupied the house. Can I deduct these taxes…
Taxpayer asks: Is there a way to complete the W9 form that is technically legal that will avoid being 1099’d for income paid to you? Taxgirl says: No, not legally. The rules about when a form 1099 must be issued are pretty clear and there’s no magic language or box that you can check that…
Taxpayer asks: I read your article that said you can’t file your taxes until 1/30 but my tax guy says that’s only for people who itemize. He says I can file this week and get my refund faster. Now I’m confused. taxgirl says: ARGH. *clears throat* Sorry, I just had to get that out of…
According to the Weather Channel, it feels like 92 degrees right now. I firmly believe that it should never feel like 92 degrees in the evening in Philadelphia. On the plus side, after a grueling day gardening in the heat (hey, it had to be done), I now have the opportunity to sit down, check…
I kissed my daughter on the cheek just before bedtime and asked, “How does it feel being ten?” She gave me a big smile and said, “Just like being nine.” Apparently she was taking her birthday in stride. Not me. I was jelly. All day long. It doesn’t seem possible that I could have a…
Occasionally my mind is blown by what we can do with technology. Today is totally one of those days. I’m currently on a USAirways flight headed for Las Vegas where I’ll be speaking and mingling with about 1,400 other tax professionals at the Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference in partnership with the Association for Accounting…
Taxpayer asks: I’m getting mixed responses about being able to write off my parking expenses for work. I am a hair stylist and technically work as an “employee” at a salon (commission-based). I drive to work and park in a paid lot. I have receipts totaling over $900 from 2011 parking. Can I write off…