Category: Taxes and Retirement

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…

[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…

[Update] - See this article for 2012 and 2013 Tax Rates/Brackets The IRS has released its 2011 Tax Rates and Income thresholds following approval of the Bush-Era Tax Cuts. The latest 2011 IRS federal tax table is shown below with the following key tax changes: Personal exemptions and standard deductions…

[Update - No New Taxes with Tax Extensions Approved] President Obama has now signed into law a bill that covers a temporary extension of all the bush-era tax cuts. The new bill also contains extensions to some of the 2008 stimulus tax breaks, and even has some new tax cuts. With…

Tax season is almost here and it's important to think about your tax minimization and management strategies so that you save when filing. I will be publishing more tax related posts over the next few weeks (subscribe), but in the meantime here is a cool Tax Infographic with some interesting…

In addition to keeping the current tax rates for all Americans, President Obama announced a compromise plan with the Republican leadership that would extend aid for the long-term unemployed for another 13 months. Other taxes that will be implemented or remain unchanged as part of the compromise include: The payroll…

As the year draws to a close it’s always a good idea to review your tax situation and in light of that we have put together a collection of fifteen tax deductions worth considering to lower your overall tax bill. But act soon, because if you wait until next year…

Things are different now. Decades ago when you took a job, you stayed with that company for a long time, often for life. Today, studies show that the average American holds over eight jobs between the ages of 18 and 45. Because of that, many are asking the question during job…

To tackle America’s growing national debt problem, President Obama put together a task force earlier this year to look at options on how to cut government spending, implement tax reform and improve the effectiveness of federal entitlement programs. The deficit reduction commission co-chairs (Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson) put forward…

[Update] You can now see the most up-to-date 401K/403b, IRA and Roth IRA limits here The IRS has released the latest 401k, 403b, IRA and other retirement/thrift plan contribution and income limits. With COLA remaining unchanged again this year, 2011 plan limits have also remained largely unchanged for the third year in a row.…

It’s hard to believe that Social Security has been in existence for over 75 years. During that time, however, it has become an income staple for many Americans, with nine out of ten people over 65 receiving benefits. Although Social Security provides benefits for other than just retirement income, those…