As a result of the recent volatility on the stock market, I’ve received a bunch of questions about claiming losses on individual tax returns. What’s been made clear is that there are a lot of misperceptions floating about… I thought I’d try and set some things straight. To keep it simple, I’m going to focus…
Taxpayer asks: My mother in law has lost about 7000 in the past year with her stocks and bonds. She is thinking about taking them all out and paying off her mortgage. What kind of penalty will she pay and is there any additional IRS penalties that she is not aware of? Is there any…
Taxpayer asks: I would like to ask some tax related questions related to selling a house outside of the USA. We sold a house in Hungary, with all taxes paid there. There is documentation to prove this. Would there be a tax liability in the USA if the money from this sale would be brought…
Taxpayer asks:This is my situation. In 2007, I sold a bunch of stock my grandpa gave me, and had a gain of roughly $8,000. I had my regular income at around $50,000, and $6,583 was withheld. I did not make any estimated tax payments throughout the year. I owed $1,271 in taxes. My question is:1….
So following up on yesterday’s post about the proposed tax relief for debt cancellation related to foreclosures, I wonder, “Is it fair?” Today’s Fix the Tax Code Friday question is: Should Congress offer tax relief to those who are affected by the housing market (those in foreclosure)? Should Congress offset the lost revenue by limiting…
The House Ways and Means Committee has voted to permanently remove the income tax consequences for homeowners whose debt is partially forgiven by a lender after a foreclosure. The bill is likely to pass the House and Senate, and President Bush has already spoken publicly about his approval of the measure. Great. Now homeowners have…
But not many… in the Ways and Means Committee. The Business Journal of Phoenix (how’s that for a source?) is reporting that U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, a Democrat of Arizona, is introducing a bill to keep federal capital-gains taxes permanently at 15 percent and to make recent cuts to federal estate taxes permanent. The Democratic…
I listed my house for sale this week (yes, you can expect lots of home-related posts in the next few weeks). While we expect to benefit from a boost in the market since the time we bought our house, we aren’t going to make the kinds of crazy profits that you’ve been hearing about in…
Taxpayer asks: I sold a primary residence last yr and bought a new one. I did not gross over $250,000 on the sale of the house. What figures should I pay attention to for reporting purposes from the closing sheets? I presume that any taxes paid out prior to the sale of the house are on…