Yep, it’s that time of year: free tax software! I have 20 access codes for free eSmart Tax online tax prep software to give away to taxgirl readers, thanks to the good folks at Liberty Tax Service. eSmart Tax is Liberty Tax’s online tax filing service that provides taxpayers with a convenient, easy-to-use tax filing…
(Update: The contest is now closed. I have the winners! They are: BrynMawr Girl, csom97, Davis C. Burroughs, IV, David Moore and Scott Coyle. Thanks to all for playing!) Tax season officially opens tomorrow (*squee!*). To celebrate, I’ll be rolling out a number of giveaways (who doesn’t want free stuff?) as well as answering your…
Remember the IRS redesign? Like many others, I was puzzled by the new color combination (blue and orange, really?). As promised, I sent IRS an email asking them why those particular colors. To my surprise, they replied fairly quickly. Perhaps not so surprising, there was no real answer. Instead, I received this reply: We have…
It’s not just the kids that have to take tests these days. Attorneys, CPAs, doctors, engineers, architects, and nurses must generally pass standardized competency tests in order to practice. You can now add tax professionals to the list. Over the past year, the IRS has made increased oversight of tax professionals a top priority. As a…
In a few hours, my children will get up and get dressed for the first day of school. There will be no drama. There will be no “I don’t have anything to wear.” I can say this with a reasonable amount of certainty because, as students who attend public school in Philadelphia, my children will…
As with many families around the country, my kids are starting school tomorrow (I know that many others have already started). Over the past few days, my house has been a whirlwind of new schedules, uniforms, book bags and school supplies. It’s generally bittersweet for me as a mom. On the one hand, I’m secretly…
(Note: We have our winners! Thanks for playing!) New mileage rates go into effect this week for business, moving and medical travel expenses. To help keep you on track, taxgirl and the good folks at BizMile are hosting a giveaway. Ten* lucky readers will receive a free version of the 2011 version of BizMile (each a…
Editor’s note: We have a winner! Congrats to bstenger, I’ll be in touch shortly! This week, I’m kicking off my new series on the history of popular tax deductions here on the blog. To celebrate this auspicious occasion (insert chuckling here), I’m doing a giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a Kindle with 6″ Display…
(Editor’s note: We have our winners! Congrats to Jeremy Nabors and Mary Sublette. I’ll be contacting you both.) Yes, I know the post title sounds awkward. But it’s also kind of funny, all things considered, and it’s accurate, so I’m keeping it. You see, a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of appearing…
We have our winners! Congrats to edmontonjb and Linda! I’m having a pretty amazing day. The good folks at Time asked me to write a couple of pieces for their site; those pieces were posted today and the one that I wrote about divorce is, as of this writing, the most read article on Time.com…
