All You Need to Know about the New Tax Extender Legislation

Congress has reached a bipartisan agreement on tax extenders, aptly named “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015”. Much to everyone’s surprise, some were made permanent while others were only extended for a period of time. Congress also modified several provisions and added new ones to reduce tax fraud. Here is a look at some […]

Are You Leaving Tax Money On The Table?

Each year the IRS reports about $1 billion in unclaimed refunds for individuals who did not file a tax return. The IRS estimates that approximately half of the unclaimed refunds are for amounts greater than $600. You may not have filed, thinking that because you don’t itemize and your employer is withholding tax that you […]

Do I Have to File a Tax Return?

This is a question many taxpayers ask during this time of year, and the question is far more complicated than people believe. To fully understand, we need to consider that there are times when individuals areREQUIRED to file a tax return, and then there are times when it is to individuals’ BENEFIT to file a return even if […]

Maximize Your American Opportunity for Education Tax Benefits

Article Highlights: American Opportunity Credit provides up to $2,500 of tax credit for the cost of post-secondary tuition in each of the first four years of attendance. The credit may be partially refundable. Credit is claimed on the tax return of the individual claiming the student’s tax exemption. The $2,500 credit is a per-student limitation, […]

Congress Avoids the Fiscal Cliff

As we were going to press with this newsletter, the Senate and the House have voted on a last-minute budget deal worked out between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans averting the so-called fiscal cliff. Details of the deal were sketchy at press time, but here are some highlights of the compromise bill as provided […]

Back to School Tips for College Students and Parents

Whether you’re a recent high school graduate going to college for the first time or a returning college student, it will soon be time to get to campus—and payment deadlines for tuition and other fees are not far behind. Students or parents paying such expenses should keep receipts and be aware of some tax benefits […]