If you think you might like to use tax software to prepare your taxes this year, ask yourself a few questions. Do you like to use technology for other tasks, like selling possessions on eBay? Are you comfortable relying on tax software to correctly file your taxes? Do you have complicated income sources or deductions that you would enter into tax software?
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service audits taxpayers to see if they've filed their taxes correctly. While the word audit may seem scary, it doesn't have to be if you're prepared for an audit from the IRS. The IRS isn't trying to catch you, just keep track of your receipts, deductions and expenses, and you should be fine. Learn about what you should do to be ready for an audit and what an audit means from CPA Michelle Swenson.
Every year when you go to file taxes you will have to collect various tax forms. Learn about various tax forms including the W-2, 1099, 1098 and K-1 from CPA Michelle Swenson. Understanding different tax forms will ensure smoother tax filing.
Filing your income taxes doesn't have to be a stressful experience. Keep your income tax files organized throughout the year, and dealing with April 15 will be a snap. Make sure your employer has sent you all the forms you need by the end of January, because ultimately, filing your income taxes is your responsibility.
What can you do when you own commercial real estate and your tenant doesn't pay rent? How can you evict the commercial real estate tenant? Eviction laws vary by state and some attorneys specialize in evictions for commercial real estate.
If you inherit a home, you would pay tax on the difference between the value of the home at the time the owner died and the sales price of the home when you sold it. You know the sales price for the home, but you may or may not know the value of the home at the time the owner died. Generally, if the property is sold within a year of the time of death, that sales price is a good indication of the value of the home.
If you lost a spouse, do you still qualify for the $500,000 home sale exemption when selling your primary residence? A new law permits widowed spouses to take the married exemption if the house is sold within two years. The exemption allows sellers to keep $250,000 in profits tax-free or $500,000 if married.
The new Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, signed into law at the tail end of last December, is supposed to provide some relief to those who sell their homes short -- that is, sell for less than the mortgage amount. Also, the law provides if the taxpayer is insolvent to the extent of the amount of debt, a short sale would not be taxable income. You may seek other help if you owe a tax debt. Although the IRS cannot touch your retirement savings they may suggest getting tax debt help by borrowing against them.
Selling inherited property will have its tax implications. To determine what taxes you would pay on selling inherited property, you'll have to get an estimate for the value of the property when it was inherited. You may also own capital gains taxes and state income taxes for the inherited property.
Inheritance tax is usually paid by the estate. If the value of the estate is more than $2 million dollars, the estate will pay inheritance tax on the overage.
