If you were to make a list of things about me and things about my mom, you’d notice a lot of differences. She lives in the south and likes rodeos, westerns on AMC, and Christmas sweaters. Me? I live up north and I like baseball games, quirky British comedies and I wear a lot of…
On Friday, I posted that the Tax Foundation reported that, in 2008, nearly one in three taxpayers paid no taxes or received every dollar back which was withheld. It’s the highest percentage of nonpayers ever. Think about that for a second. It’s pretty scary. For 2008, those numbers mean that there were about 51.6 million…
Psst… Looking for a year-end donation? As you may know, I am running the Komen Race for the Cure in 2010 in honor of my grandmother – you can read about our mutual love of coffee here. Our team is Team Joye. You can support us in a few ways: One, you can make a…
It’s a chilly Sunday morning here in Philadelphia. I thought a bit of housekeeping might be in order, so I’m opening up the ol’ taxgirl (e)mailbag. I have a bunch of non-technical tax questions that were submitted as “ask the taxgirl” questions but I thought it made more sense to answer them in one big…
I know what you’re thinking – McVeigh was executed, right? What’s this about a tax deduction? You’re right. Timothy McVeigh was a US Army vet who was eventually found guilty of bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on the second anniversary of the Waco Siege, April 19, 1995. He was labeled a…
Taxpayer asks: Taxgirl, where do you deduct expenses for fixing your home? My neighbor said that I can take off the cost of fixing my roof on my taxes but I don’t know where to put it. Taxgirl says: Hmm. I’m not sure that you should be getting your tax advice from your neighbor. Generally,…
It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! On many of the taxgirl.com threads about the possibility of a second economic stimulus package, there have been discussions about age – and whether a second package should benefit the young or old more. The undercurrent of age has also rippled through online discussions about child care credits, retirement…
Taxpayer asks: Hey taxgirl, if I’m a freelancer, buy a desk/chair and try to deduct it is that like begging for an audit? Advice on what to deduct/not? Taxgirl says: First of all, I’m psyched! This was my first taxgirl question via twitter! How exciting! And now for the answer! The short answer is yes,…
Taxpayer asks: Is a membership to Jenny Craig tax deductible? Taxgirl says: Probably not. I say “probably not” because some weight loss programs are tax deductible, but the rules are very narrow. Programs like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers are only deductible as a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician. Now the…
In the legal profession, lawyers sometimes try a little too hard at the networking thing – and lawyer or not, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s the whole standing around in suits thing, trying to pretend you’re comfortable, all the while looking for someone better to talk to. Why bother? When it comes…