Tag: IRS

Missed the April Tax Deadline 2022?

Tax season is here again, and if you’ve missed the April Tax deadline 2022, you have some important decisions to make. First thing’s first: what should you do if you missed the April 15th Tax Deadline? You can do three things.

April 18 was the deadline to file your tax return. If you missed the filing deadline and need more time, we can help. Apply for an extension of time to file your return by April 18. Depending on your situation, you don’t have to pay any additional taxes due by doing this. The extension gives you until Oct. 15 to file and pay taxes without penalty or interest charges.

April Tax Deadline 2022
April Tax Deadline 2022

Tax Deadline

Tax laws are complex, and filing late can lead to costly mistakes. This year, there’s still time to discharge your taxes if you missed the April deadline by filing an extension. April is the best month for tax extensions. If you owe interest or penalties skip straight over to the payment instructions and find out how to pay now and avoid late fees, penalties, and interest charges. For details on other extensions, see below…

Don’t stress. You have options if you missed the April tax deadline. If you’re looking for resources to help, visit IRS.gov, or call 800-829-1040.

Penalties and Interest

If you’ve filed your taxes late, you should send a payment as soon as possible to avoid penalties and interest. The IRS accepts many forms of payment, including by check or money order, online payment via debit or credit card, and even payment by phone with a credit or debit card. No matter which method you choose, it’s important to include a cover letter with your name, social security number and the exact amount you are paying.

Extra Time To File

Because of recent major disasters declared by the President, taxpayers who have been affected by these events have extra time to file their tax returns and pay any taxes due. This includes some disaster victims, taxpayers living overseas, certain military service members and eligible support personnel in combat zones.

The Department of Defense offers Military OneSource® members a free tax resource through MilTax. Eligible MilTax users can file their federal and up to three state income tax returns for free. MilTax is easy to use, accessible from any computer with internet access, and takes only about 20 minutes.

Bitcoins Ruled As Taxable Property by the IRS

The US Government has recognized Bitcoins which is good in a way but at the same time they have decided to view them as property, making them taxable. If they had decided that the virtual currency actually was a currency then a tax could not be placed on them when they gain in value. Some view this as making the currency legitimate, and a good thing.

Bitcoin Magazine
Bitcoin Magazine (Photo credit: zcopley)

The fact that they can now be taxed reduces the interest for some who see the risk in the fluctuations in value and don’t want to take on the additional tax risk. Spending them would trigger the taxation while holding onto the property would not create a taxable situation. An odd part of the IRS decision is that miners would need to count their Bitcoins as income.

Stability in the marketplace is what many hope for with a couple exchanges having financial trouble in recent months. This decision by the government should increase stability.

It will be interesting to see if there’s a form to claim Bitcoin income in the future or if exchanges will need to issue 1099 tax forms to miners at the end of each year.

How To Check Your Tax Return Online

Check Your Tax Return Online

Everyone needs to be updated on the progress of his or her application for a tax return after they file. Failure to do this could unnecessarily prolong the waiting time, which is typically twenty one days. In most cases, the internal revenue service, commonly known as the IRS, is able to meet the 21 day target. However, delays associated with incomplete information or inaccurate details will hold up the process especially if the applicant does not get details of the hindrance. As a rule of thumb, one is advised to keep track of the process by checking the status of his or her tax return online.

There are several ways of verifying the condition of your tax return. To begin with, one can use a telephone to check the status of is of her tax return. The process is simple and it entails calling the IRS hotline at 1-800-829-1954. Besides this toll-free hotline, those with iPhone and Android phones can also check their tax return via a special application, IRS 2go. If you would like to check your tax return status online, the IRS website is the most appropriate place to visit. The website application is easy to navigate through and thus accessible to all and sundry.

The Where’s my Refund IRS web application will help you get the status of your tax return. However, this website is usually updated once in a day. For electrically-filed tax return, the refund information should be available in 24 hours after ISR receives the information. Alternatively, you can check your tax return online by simply having your security number ready at hand while logging in to the IRS website. Going by this option, a number of details would be required, including the exact amount to be refunded. Nevertheless, the goal will be met since one will be able to quickly learn the status of his or her returns.

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Checking Your Tax Refund Status After Using TurboTax

Checking Your Tax Refund Status

After filing your taxes with TurboTax 2013, you’ll immediately begin wondering about the status of your refund. Nobody likes filing their tax returns, but nobody complains about receiving money back each year. The Internal Revenue Service and TurboTax.com make finding this information a relatively simple affair. However, there are certain things that taxpayers need to keep in mind before looking up their status. Such information isn’t available right away after all.

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A status checker is available right on the IRS website. Fortunately, the same checker is available on TurboTax.com, too. An individual will need to enter some personal information about themselves in order to find their status. This process takes seconds and grants a status immediately. By using this tool, taxpayers will know when to expect their refund or whether an issue is blocking the refund. It’s important to keep up to date with this information as often as possible.

Taxpayers who use TurboTax 2013 and want to know their status should keep the following things in mind. For starters, a status won’t show up for the first 24 to 48 hours after filing a return. The government needs time to process and accept all of the tax forms that constitute an income return. Plus, return statuses don’t always update immediately, so nothing is guaranteed to change over the course of a single day or two.

TurboTax 2013 from TurboTax.com offers some great features for taxpayers. Individuals can file their returns for free or use a paid version of the software. Luckily, options are available for self-employed individuals and stock investors alike. The software guides people through their returns step by step without a hassle. In the end, the site even offers a refund status checking tool for users.

Everyone should consider using TurboTax 2013 from TurboTax.com for their return. The benefits speak for themselves, and the inclusion of a refund status checker is a great bonus. Not all sites offer this simple but necessary feature. Without a doubt, this is the best option for most individuals that need to file their annual return. Taxpayers should always check the status of their return a day or two after filing.

Free Tax Filing For Amended Returns

Free Tax Filing For 2010 Amended Return

Even with the best of intentions, mistakes happen. Sometimes they can be costly. But in the case of amended tax returns, fixing them could be free.

There are any number of reasons why people may want to amend their federal tax return. In addition to correcting simple errors, they may want to take advantage of a new credit, such as the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. Or they may have forgotten that lottery win back in July 2010.

IRS Form 1040X, 2005 revision
IRS Form 1040X, 2005 revision (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whatever the cause, free tax filing for 2010 amended return is as simple as filling out Form 1040X available from the IRS website or from some online tax preparation applications like FreeTaxUSA or TurboTax. The IRS, however, is not set up to accept electronic filings for Form 1040X, so they will have to be printed out and mailed.

Be sure to have your completed 2010 tax return ready to include any necessary information. In offering free tax filing for a 2010 amended return, many online tax services can provide this information quickly and easily.

Then just fill in the second section of Form 1040X identifying what has changed. Be sure and download any additional credit IRS forms needed to explain your claim. Explain why you are amending the return, print the form and send it to the appropriate IRS address. Be sure and include any documentation to support your claim, such as a bill of sale, copy of a deed and such.

If you have used online services such as TurboTax or H&R Block, check for free services offered in filing for a 2010 amended return. Other services, such as filing for state amended returns, may require a fee.

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10 Tax Tips For Small Businesses

Come tax time, owning a small business can be even more overwhelming than it normally is. Taxes can be confusing for any business owner, but may be more manageable if you keep these ten tips in mind.

  1. Keep a log of all of your business’ expenses. This can be a daily or weekly log, but it needs to be thorough. Detail the date of the expense, whom or what the money was paid to and the exact amount of money that was spent. Should you receive any confirmation numbers or other pertinent information in regards to an expense paid, be sure to attach it to your expense log so that it is easy to find come tax time.
  2. Know what you can and cannot deduct on your tax returns. Most small business owners end up losing money because they are not taking all of the deductions that they are legally allowed. A business owner can deduct for expected things such as home offices, travel time and insurance, but most don’t know that they can also claim deductions for things such as entertainment and meals. Be sure to keep receipts for your deductions as you will need to know the exact amounts that you have spent.
  3. Although deductions are great, be sure not to trap yourself. Try not to claim more in deductions that you actually earned as income in a tax year. This raises a red flag to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and may cause you to be audited. In the event that you are audited by the IRS, those receipts from the above will come in very handy.
  4. Save for retirement. Nobody wants to work his life away. You must earn income every year in order to qualify for a tax-deductive small business retirement plan.
  5. Don’t forget to save information about the equipment you buy for your business. A small business that spends less than 2 million on equipment may be eligible for up to $500,000 in deductions on that equipment. Repairs can also be tax-deductible on your return.
  6. Pay your payroll taxes. This may sound obvious, but many small business owners spend the taxes they withhold on payroll for other items for the business. This could leave you with a big bill come April 15. It is best to pay taxes quarterly.
  7. Look into health insurance credits. If you provide health insurance to your employees, you may be eligible for a tax credit. Check with a CPA for eligibility requirements.
  8. Hire a veteran. Veterans are in dire need of jobs and can benefit your business in many ways, including on your taxes. Certain veterans will allow you to be eligible for an expanded tax credit if you hire them during the tax season.
  9. Donate to charity. Not only is it a great community builder, it will benefit your tax return. Keep records of any non-cash items that you donate to charity. It will earn you extra tax credits with the IRS.
  10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are at all confused, it is best to call a professional CPA. It is better to pay for a CPA now than to mess up on your tax return and pay the IRS much more than the CPA would have cost.

Taxes don’t have to be confusing. Do some research and decide if it is more beneficial for you to prepare your return yourself or hire a professional. Either way, do not hide them in a corner and hope they go away as they will not!

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Michele Golden is a driven blogger and artiat from Vermont. Shes loves helping people save money, and make better decisions for their future. When she isn’t blogging shes studing to be a registered financial advisor or stock broker, whatever pays the bills.