Tag: tax

If you don't want to pay a preparer or a software subscription fee, there are several genuinely free ways to get your taxes done or get expert help along the way. Here's where to look, and who actually qualifies for each option. Subscribe here to get the latest tax and…

Most of the refund attention every season goes to the federal IRS refund, but over 40 states also collect income tax — and every one runs its own processing schedule, its own refund tracker, and its own delays. State refunds routinely take 2 to 12 weeks, often landing after your…

The average federal tax refund as of March 6, 2026 was $3,676 — up 10.6% from $3,324 at the same point in 2025. By early April the average settled to $3,462, still up 11.1% year-over-year. The IRS has paid out $241.7 billion in refunds through early April, compared to $211.1…

The IRS says 9 out of 10 refunds go out within 21 days of an accepted e-filed return. But per the National Taxpayer Advocate's mid-year report to Congress (released June 24, 2026), more than 14 million returns were suspended for further review this filing season, and over 1 million taxpayers…

Most people fill out a Form W-4 once, when they start a job, and never touch it again. That's a mistake, because a long list of ordinary life events — marriage, a new baby, a side gig, a big itemized deduction — quietly changes how much tax you actually owe…

The short answer for 2026: if you e-file with direct deposit and nothing flags your return, the IRS issues most refunds in under 21 days — and over 80% of refunds this season went out inside that window. Paper filers and paper-check refunds wait considerably longer, typically 6 to 8…

Boosting retirement savings isn't about finding one clever trick — it's mostly about using the accounts and incentives already available to you more fully than you currently are. Here are ten concrete ways to do that in 2026. 1. Get Your Full Employer Match If your employer offers a 401(k)…

The honest answer to "how long should I keep this?" depends entirely on what kind of record it is and what happened on your return. The IRS's retention rules are tied directly to how long it (or you) can still legally act on a given tax year — called the…

[Update July 2010] - This bill - HR4213 - was passed by Congress and is expected to signed into law by the President. The bill, also known as the American Jobs and Closing Loopholes Act of 2010 originally contained a provision to extend unemployment benefits, as well as a number…

Most taxpayers, myself included, share the same dread of getting audited. In reality, the odds aren't that high for most filers, and recent IRS staffing cuts have pushed them even lower — though not evenly across income levels. The IRS audits well under 0.5% of the more than 150 million…

The average credit card now carries north of 21% APR — higher on new accounts, per the Federal Reserve — while a 30-year mortgage runs closer to 6%. That gap alone tells you most of what you need to know about labeling debt "good" or "bad," but it's not quite…

Short answer: there is no active federal first-time homebuyer tax credit for 2026. If you're searching for this because you've heard about a "$15,000 homebuyer credit," you're likely thinking of a proposal from the Biden administration's housing agenda that was floated but never passed Congress. It's not law today, though…