Category: Taxes and Retirement

A lot of families cannot afford to pay for professional help to get advice on taxes and/or to prepare their tax returns. While simple returns for low income earners can be filed for free with most large online e-File tax providers, those who have complicated financial situations or have moved states…

There is a lot of focus around this time of the year on folk's federal IRS tax return and refund status, but just as many people need to worry about one or more state income tax returns. In fact for the current tax season, while IRS processing delays are well…

I have received variations on this question over the last few years and when I saw this article in the WSJ I had the answer to my question.  The national average fee for 2014 returns will be $273, according to a survey by the National Society of Accountants. This fee is…

[Updated with latest details per the IRS] The savers credit helps middle to lower income earners save for retirement by providing a tax credit offset to retirement plan (401k and IRA) contributions. But a lot of people don't know about or take advantage of this little known credit, officially referred to by…

Millions of Americans contribute to an employer sponsored 401K or traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account). And over the last few years the government has steadily been increasing the maximum contribution people can make to ensure that folks can build a larger nest egg during retirement. But thanks for the low inflation environment…

Given the low inflation environment over the last year, the 2015 IRS Tax Brackets, standard deductions and personal exemptions have only seen a moderate increase over 2014 levels. Federal income tax brackets and related tax items, under the tax code, provide for mandatory annual adjustments based on inflation. This is to prevent…

The table below presents the average IRS federal refund payments over recent years, based on official year-end IRS data. These figures may be updated over time as late filings and additional refunds are processed. Refunds are expected to be higher this tax season due to new provisions in Trump's OBBB…

Article summary: Should I take my pension as an annuity in retirement where I receive monthly payments or take a lump sum that I rollover into an IRA account and manage the investments myself? Answer : It depends on whether you can invest the money better than the returns you…

See this article for the latest IRS updates to federal tax brackets and standard deductions. ____________ Below are the 2014 IRS federal tax brackets based on annual inflation adjustments. Given the low inflation environment there were only moderate increases in tax brackets, standard deductions and to the personal exemption. The main changes…

See this updated article for the latest 401(k) and IRA Contribution, Eligibility, Income and Tax Deduction Limits The IRS has released updated 2014 limits for defined contribution (or pension) plans such as 401(k) and IRAs. This was delayed from the usual mid-October release due to the government shutdown. The annual limits…

April 15th 2014, or the 2013 tax filing due date, is not that far away. Which means its time to do some serious tax planning so that by year end you maximize your income while minimizing your taxes dues when filing in 2014.  But first, the official rates and tables…

The IRS allows all taxpayers to deduct the total qualified unreimbursed medical care expenses for the year that exceeds 7.5% of their adjusted gross income (AGI), found on line 11 of Tax Form 1040. [Prior year updates] You are only allowed to deduct your medical/dental expenses if the total paid…

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has published an interesting report titled, The Distribution of Major Tax Expenditures in the Individual Income Tax System, that shows how 10 of the largest tax breaks, credits and deductions are distributed across household with different income levels. These tax breaks (or tax expenditures as…