Month: January 2011

[Updated Income Thresholds] The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recommends that all adults file a tax return. Obviously, the IRS wants to have everyone pay their taxes but it is also an important way for the government to ensure that it pays out subsidies, stimulus payments and tax credits to the…

See this updated article for the latest GS Adjustments and Locality Pay Scale Tables. ______________________ [2013 Locality Pay Rates Update] The president has signed an executive order that freezes GS pay rises in 2013. Unfortunately the executive order and existing continuing resolution also stated that, "........ locality payments in 2013 for…

With the economy and unemployment the way it is today, many folks are thinking about starting or growing their own small business. But this requires money to pay for things like employee’s salaries (you may be the only employee), offices, supplies, marketing and more. Entrepreneurs typically get their money from…

With long tax processing delays expected again this year, the IRS is already warning tax payers to be patient when it comes to getting their refund. They are also recommending that you file your tax return as early as possible and electronically. The main benefit of using self-preparation electronic tax…

I have made a number of updates to popular topics on this site and in case you missed them, here is a quick recap with a link to the detailed information. 2011 Tax Rates and Brackets Following Bush-era Tax Cut Extensions With approval of a two-year extension to all the…

There is little more on the minds of college students or those considering getting a higher education degree than what occupation will offer decent career opportunities after graduation. Some look at income, and others look toward landing that first job and paycheck. Others look longer term to find a job…

You may know about stock markets but how about the foreign exchange market (FOREX)? If you’ve never heard of it, you should because it’s substantially larger than any single stock market. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), for example, handles $153 billion a day in volume, but the foreign exchange…

[2013 Small Business Tax Breaks Extensions] Congress and the Obama administration have reached an agreement that will extend a number of small business tax breaks through 2013 following the fiscal cliff deal which was legislated through the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. This includes: R&D credit extended: The Research and Development (R&D) tax credit was extended for another…

Two new tax changes were implemented in recent legislation that may affect a number of tax payers filing 2010 returns in 2011. One affects landlords who now need to disclose all payments made above $600. The other affects people with certain assets outside the US, who now have to formally…

Whether it's due to a tough economy and a scarcity of jobs, the need for extra money or just the company culture, millions of Americans work overtime.  In fact, Americans work on average more official overtime hours than workers in any other industrialized country. In just twenty years Americans have…

[Update] - As part of the 2018 Trump tax reform package there is a big push to get the Estate tax fully repealed or raise existing exemption levels. Provisions around this are being debated in Congress and you can get the latest updates in this article. ______ A change to the…