Tag: taxes

Saw an interesting graphic in the Economist depicting the approximate amount of taxes (net of offsets) governments around the world collect on $100,000; about the middle class average income level in developed countries. This is compared to the amount of social security (or safety net) the government provides to its…

The article below shows what options you have if you mistakenly over contributed to your employer 401k plan or IRA. Over Contributed to Employer Sponsored 401(k) Plan Firstly, congratulations on having reached your annual maximum contribution. But over contributing to your 401k (or IRA plan as discussed below) subjects you to the…

In a recent town hall the President pretty much confirmed that the Trump tax cuts will not be extended for higher income earners, but will be for those earning less than $250,000. While most people won't be affected by these tax changes, there will be adjustments across all tax brackets…

[Update Jan 2013] 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. You can see details of the extended tax breaks in this article. [Update Sep-Oct 2010] Obama's Small Jobs…

Nothing is more significant over the long term from a financial planning aspect than ensuring you are setting aside and investing a sufficient amount of money to take care of your monetary needs in retirement. This can be easy to put off, especially if retirement is far away and taking…

We are more than halfway through the year and yet many major economic indicators are still showing the economy is not recovering as many would have hoped. Consumer confidence numbers showed that only 3% of people want to buy a car. These numbers are interesting considering previous tax credits targeted…

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation today that includes a provision to expose hidden 401(k) fees that may be eating into Americans’ retirement savings. The provision was part of the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213). A majority of American workers rely on 401(k)-style plans to…

[Updated with New IRS provisions] The IRS has released more details on tax-saving opportunities included in recently enacted HIRE act federal legislation (see details in previous update below). A variety of business tax deductions and credits were created, extended and expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009…

The IRS standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating a car (includes vans, pickups or panel trucks) for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes are shown in the table below. These are effective from Jan. 1. The business mileage rate is based on an annual study of the fixed…

See this article for the latest IRS tax brackets. Federal Income Tax Rate and Brackets and various tax benefits will remain unchanged or change only slightly over 2009 levels as shown in the table below. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), used by…

When closing on my home last year I had to request a copy of my tax return. I had thought that this would be a hassle given that the requesting parties wanted an official transcript (not a H&R Block or Turbo tax copy). However it was actually a very simple…

To answer the first part of the question. The answer is yes you have to pay taxes. In fact despite all the conspiracy theories and constant political threats to shut down the IRS because, taxes are the law of the land. It is known as the Internal Revenue Tax Code, which…

A slumping economy and the prospect of prolonged unemployment has led many workers to consider going to business themselves and because of the perceived safety, brand name and established support structures, franchising is often a popular option. In fact rather than use their redundancy payouts to pay off a chunk…