Taxpayer asks: We bought a new house in June. The old owner was a chain smoker so we had to hire a professional cleaner to clean from top to bottom and it was quite expensive. Can we get a tax deduction for this? My wife has allergies so we had to do it. Thanks. We…
Taxpayer asks: If my husband has been making voluntary payments to his ex-girlfriend for child support, how is that treated for tax purposes? The purpose of the payments are for child support, and he has paid taxes on them. I read on one of the various lawyer websites that if there is no court order…
I opened up my calendar this morning and had to switch from the month view to the week view because all of my appointments were overlapping into some kind of freaky Ven diagram. My summer (which I thought would be slow) has been a whirlwind of activity, from client meetings to chauffeuring to and from…
It’s finally springtime here in Philadelphia. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and (cough, cough) the pollen levels are crazy. And with springtime, my schedule picks up. In fact, there’s a lot happening here these days. You’ve probably noticed that the blog is a little sparse. I’ve gotten your notes about what’s happening,…
Taxpayer asks: I was watching Top Chef Masters and I ahd a question. I know you have to report your winnings on a game show. On the Masters version, the chefs don’t get the money because it goes to charity. My question is can they take a tax deduction? taxgirl says: I haven’t seen Top…
Taxpayer asks: I didn’t file my taxes yet. I have my reasons. What I need to know is can I wait until next year now to do both? It doesn’t matter since it’s already late. taxgirl says: Noooo! I get variations on this question a lot. And the answer is still noooooo. You should make…
I’m peering out of my window on this early Sunday morning and there’s little evidence of the storms that moved through yesterday except for a lot of wet ground. I know that many of my friends and readers are not so lucky this morning, especially those in my home state of North Carolina. My thoughts…
Taxpayer asks: Hi TaxGirl, Great website. You have put together a stunning resource. I really have enjoyed looking around! I have a brief question. I am 23, have a job, and live on my own. I went ahead and filed a federal return in February claiming myself as a dependent. I received a tax refund…
Taxpayer asks: Ok, I file my tax for 2009 and claim the Making work pay credit for that year. So can I claim for 2010 year as well? taxgirl says: Sure. So long as you qualify in each year, you can claim the credit in each year. It’s not limited to just one year as…
Taxpayer asks: I give monthly to a Christian Radio Station. Is this considered a deduction since it comes out of my blogging business account, not my personal account??? taxgirl says: I love this question because there are a bunch of issues here… One, it’s smart that you’re keeping your blogging business and personal account information…