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Tax Saving Tips

Tips for income taxes, property tax, sales tax...



What To Do When You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

Posted In:  taxes

After the rush of preparing your files and information to complete your tax forms, it can be very disappointing to discover not only are you not getting a refund, you actually have to pay into the IRS. Not long after, the disappointment may be replaced by the fear you can not afford to pay your taxes back, especially in a lump sum with your prepared return.
 
So what should you do?
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How To Find The Right Tax Preparer

Posted In:  taxes

Tax Preparer
It is that time of year again. Time to gather your tax documentation and file your taxes for the previous year. With all the do-it-yourself help available today, many people have taken to filing their own taxes. There remains however a large percentage of the population that either does not feel comfortable filing their own taxes or simply lack the know-how to do it properly. If you are paying a tax preparer to perform the task, you should know that not every preparer is the same.Read the rest...



Taxes and your year-end bonus

Posted In:  taxes

Oh, the age old question: What to do with a year-end bonus? If you get one. And if you do, this year, it will probably be smaller than usual. But still. What to do with it?

It’s so tempting to rush out and spend a year-end bonus on gifts for your family and yourself. After all, it’s been a ridiculous year and you deserve a treat. Go ahead, but limit your spending to 10 to 20 percent of the bonus. 

For the rest, consider putting it in an emergency high-yield savings account to help out if the economy worsens. Another idea is to contribute to or open an IRA. 

IRA For Independence
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"Making Work Pay"

Posted In:  taxes

It may benefit you to check your tax situation now before you find out next April that you owe Uncle Sam some more $, or that your expected IRS refund may not be as hefty as you hoped it would be.Read the rest...



5 Tips to Keep Your Income Taxes Low as Possible

Posted In:  taxes

We all know about taxes - we have to pay them each year. What is not so commonly known, however, are that various techniques you can use to be able to reduce your taxes and keep them to a minimum. Here are 5 ways to do just that.

1. Learn All You Can about TaxesRead the rest...



2008 tax software - Save big on filing your taxes with a little research.

Posted In:  taxes

Hoping for a big refund in 2008 to make up for the sluggish economy? You'll need to file your 2008 taxes first, and with the tax laws as complex as they are, most of us are hoping to use tax software to compute and file our taxes online. Tax software guides you through the process of filing by asking questions, rather than filling out forms. And, the best software will help you find deductions you might have missed, and can also tell you if you've done anything that might flag you for an audit. In short, it's almost silly these days to file without using software.

Aside from the biggest player, TurboTax, there are other options that might save you money.  Up to about $50 on the software alone! And, if you meet the federal income guidelines you can even get free tax software as well as free electronic filing.

We scoured the internet to find the greatest tips and advice to figure out your taxes and file them electronically...without breaking the bank.Read the rest...



Property Tax Appeal - Challenge your property tax appraisal and save

Posted In:  taxes

property tax appraisalUp to 60% of taxable property in the U.S. is assessed at a value that's higher than it should be, according to the National Taxpayer's Union, an advocacy group from Washington, D.C. with a goal to lower taxes. And that means the property is taxed at a higher rate as well

Additionally, the American Homeowner's Association references a Consumer's Report article that up to 40% of property appraisals have clerical errors in them.

So what can do about it if your property value has been overestimated, resulting in higher property taxes? You can appeal! Less than half of homeowners ever try to appeal. Many homeowners don't fight back because they either don't understand the process, or feel that the amount of research and paperwork won't be worth the time.

However, the process isn't really all that complicated once you break it down into steps:Read the rest...



Use 529 savings plans to help with kids college costs.

Posted In:  taxes  family

529 planIf you are in a position to put aside money for your children's education, one option you should look into is a 529 plan, an investment vehicle with tax advantages that are designed to save for your children's future college needs.

A 529 plan has benefits like reduced state and federal taxes, scholarship or grant opportunities and, most importantly, is exempt from state financial aid calculations. Read the rest...

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