Should You Itemize Your Deductions for Taxes?

Article Highlights: Who Qualifies for the Standard Deduction Who Is Not Allowed to Use the Standard Deduction Income Limitations for Itemized Deductions Phase-out of Itemized Deductions Looking ahead to the filing season for this year’s tax returns, a frequent question is whether you should keep track of tax-deductible expenditures or simply settle for the standard […]

Maximize Your Medical Deductions

Article Highlights The medical deduction AGI floor has increased to 10%, up from 7.5%. For taxpayers age 65 or older and their joint-filing spouses, the AGI floor remains at 7.5% until 2017. For all taxpayers subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), the AGI floor is 10%. Beginning this tax year, the only medical expenses […]

Energy Costs Rise as Tax Incentives Fade

With energy costs skyrocketing, you would think that the federal government would come up with some tax incentives aimed at curbing the consumption of energy. However, on the consumer end of taxes, the incentives are actually fading away. Apparently, federal lawmakers and administrators believe the high cost of energy itself is incentive enough to reduce […]

Individual Estimated Tax Payments for 2012 Start Soon

Our tax system is a “pay-as-you-go” system, and if your pre-paid amount is not enough, you become liable for non-deductible interest penalties. To facilitate that concept, the government has provided several means of assisting taxpayers in meeting the “pay-as-you-go” requirement. The primary among these include: Payroll withholding for employees; Pension withholding for retirees; and Estimated […]