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Taxes

IRS Accepting Returns With $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Credit March 30

by Flexo

Update: The IRS is now accepting tax returns claiming the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit. Earlier this month, and in some cases at the end of February, major tax software providers like H&R Block, Intuit TurboTax, and TaxAct updated their programming to allow qualifying taxpayers to claim the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home ... Continue reading this article…

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How to Claim the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit of 2009

by Flexo

Claim the tax credit with Intuit TurboTax or H&R Block At Home. Are you claiming the home buyer tax credit with your 2009 income tax return? Read these new instructions. The credit has been extended and expanded to qualify for more people, including long-time homeowners. I’ve included some of the basic information below. Because the ... Continue reading this article…

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What Is a Refundable Tax Credit?

by Flexo

When I first came across the term “refundable tax credit,” I have to admit I was confused about its meaning. And now that the economic stimulus bill has been signed into law, and as other refundable credits have made the news, I’ve seen that my misconception is shared by others. A tax credit is a ... Continue reading this article…

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Understand the Recovery Rebate Credit

by Flexo

According to the Internal Revenue Service, 15 percent of 2008 income tax returns that have been filed already have errors involving the recovery rebate credit. Here is what the government wants you to know: Some tax returns erroneously claim the credit, do not claim the proper amount of recovery rebate credit or mistakenly enter the amount ... Continue reading this article…

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How Will You File Your Taxes?

by Flexo

I’ve started receiving W2s, 1099s, and a variety of other tax-related documentation in the mail and online, which means one thing: It is time to get serious about determining my final tax liability. If I planned right, I will have paid just enough between estimated taxes and withholding to avoid an underpayment penalty, but it’s ... Continue reading this article…

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Filing Your 2008 Taxes With the Economic Stimulus (Recovery Rebate Credit)

by Flexo

If you didn’t received a payment from the economic stimulus that was devised by the United States government last year and your situation now qualifies you for the credit, you should claim this amount when filing your 2008 taxes. On the 2008 tax filing forms, there is a line designated to enter this amount, listed ... Continue reading this article…

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Rich People are More Likely to Cheat on Income Tax Returns

by Flexo

According to a new study by Joel Slemrod, a professor at the University of Michigan’s business school, and Andrew Johns, an IRS researcher, the more you earn, the more likely you are to cheat on your taxes. The study compiled data from tax returns from 2001, audits, and unpublished data from the Internal Revenue Service. ... Continue reading this article…

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Income Tax Filing Deadline is Today for Those Who Have an Extension

by Flexo

This is a reminder in the form of an article I posted a few weeks ago. If you’ve filed for an extension for reporting your 2007 federal income tax, your deadline is today. Here are some important resources to help you file today without a penalty. File your taxes for free. The Free File Alliance ... Continue reading this article…

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Deadline for Income Tax Extension Filing, October 15, is Almost Here

by Flexo

If you’ve filed for an extension for reporting last year’s federal income tax, your deadline is quickly arriving. Here are some important resources to help you make that deadline. File your taxes for free. The Free File Alliance allows residents in most states to file for free as long as the taxpayer meets certain qualifications. ... Continue reading this article…

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Comparing McCain and Obama’s Tax Plans

by Smithee

American Presidential elections are a great big spectacle of promises, speeches, mud slinging, rumors, misinformation and debates. A lot of people make their decisions based on soft aspects like a candidate’s personality. I like to look for the hard numbers that you won’t find on the nightly news, and I found a good summary of ... Continue reading this article…

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2007 New Jersey Homestead Rebate: Receive Up to $2,000

by Flexo

Homeowners in New Jersey are eligible for a partial rebate of property taxes paid. If you owned and lived in a house in New Jersey on October 1, 2007, you are eligible. Renters like me are eligible for a separate rebate up to $860. If you haven’t received an application, you should shortly. The state ... Continue reading this article…

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Deduct Your Miles at 58.5 Cents Each

by Flexo

The Internal Revenue Service is recognizing the increasing costs of transportation and has revised the rate that taxpayers can use for deducting business-related travel expenses. For miles driven between July 1 and December 31, 2008, the new rate is 58.5 cents per mile, up 8 cents from the rate used for the first half of ... Continue reading this article…

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McCain Proposes Summer Gas Tax Holiday (Again)

by Flexo

The presidential candidates are fighting hard for your vote, and the economy seems to be one of the top issues. To soothe jitters over an economically turbulent near future, Senator Barack Obama proposed a second economic stimulus payment, similar to the one proposed and passed by President Bush and Nancy Pelosi earlier this year. It’s ... Continue reading this article…

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Obama Proposes Second Economic Stimulus Package

by Flexo

Click here to understand how Obama’s new 2009 economic stimulus plan might affect you. Presidential candidate and Senator Barack Obama is calling for a second economic stimulus package to help boost the economy where the first attempt may have failed. This second stimulus plan, supported by the Democrats in Congress, will provide a $50 billion ... Continue reading this article…

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McCain vs. Obama: Your Future Tax Bill

by Flexo

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center released a report yesterday that explains in detail the effect that a McCain presidency and an Obama presidency would have on the tax bill for American households. The data are stratified by income range and reflect a wide difference in stated policy between the two candidates. In addition to making ... Continue reading this article…

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If You Had Filing Fees Deducted From Your Tax Refund, You Will Receive a Paper Check Rebate

by Flexo

This has been noted on Consumerism Commentary many times in the last month. If you filed your taxes using third party software like TurboTax or H&R Block, were owed a tax refund, had your filing fees or tax preparation fees deducted from your refund, and qualified for an economic stimulus payment, then you will not ... Continue reading this article…

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1,500 Economic Stimulus Payments Sent To Wrong Accounts

by Flexo

The 2008 economic stimulus package is a story that won’t die. Many people have been concerned that they haven’t received their stimulus payment via direct deposit by the date originally scheduled based on the last two digits of their Social Security number. The Associated Press is now reporting that 1,500 stimulus payments have been sent ... Continue reading this article…

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Didn’t Receive Your Economic Stimulus Payment Yet?

by Flexo

Welcome to Consumerism Commentary. If you are new here, consider subscribing to our RSS feed (more info here). Consumerism Commentary always has the latest information about the economic stimulus payment. Several disappointed people contacted me today. They expected to receive their economic stimulus payment deposited into their bank account today but they have not seen ... Continue reading this article…

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What to Do With Your Economic Stimulus Payment (Or Any Found Money)

by Flexo

This week, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States will begin sending direct deposits to those who qualify for the economic stimulus tax payment and checks soon after. Everyone who is interested in the tax ramifications of this payment should now know that the money received as a result will not be counted as ... Continue reading this article…

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Question for Tax Day: How Would YOU Reform the Tax Code?

by Flexo

If you were given the responsibility of changing laws, and the government and people of the United States had no choice but to uphold your laws (other than being thrown in jail), how would you reform the tax code? Do you think that either the “flat tax” or the “fair tax” would be appropriate for ... Continue reading this article…

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