If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, his famous quote Nothing is certain, except death and taxes might include a third item — paying medical expenses. Fortunately a health savings account (HSA) is a great way to cut your spending on medical expenses. A major tax break If you have a high deductible health insurance plan (a [...]
Beginning in 2023 there is a new way to save money for college that won't impact your student’s ability to qualify for financial aid. This change is in the 529 college saving program and is a change that every parent, grandparent, or friend of a future scholar should know. Simply put, grandparents can now [...]
Whether you receive a big refund or pay your taxes on tax day, taking action now can ensure next year’s tax bill is optimized by not paying a dollar more than necessary. Update paycheck withholdings and forecast estimated tax payments. Reviewing and updating withholdings now gives you several months to spread out the tax impact [...]
As a busy working parent, you may be concerned about what activities are available for your kids this summer. There may be a solution that’s also a tax break: summer camp! Using the Child and Dependent Care Credit, you can be reimbursed for part of the cost of enrolling your child in a day [...]
Your kids are getting older. Before you know it they’ll be dating, driving and entering college (if they aren't already!). Tax breaks drop dramatically as your children grow up, but you may be able to offset the losses with some timely tax planning. Consider the following tax events based on the age of your [...]
Three-fourths of filers get a tax refund every year, with the average check weighing in at $2,972* so far this tax season. Here are some ideas to put that money to good use: Pay off debt. Part (or all!) of your refund could be used to reduce or eliminate debt. With interest on credit cards [...]
Market values of homes are skyrocketing and higher property tax bills are soon to follow. Prepare now to knock your property taxes back down to earth. What is happening Property taxes typically lag the market. In bad times, the value of your home goes down, but the property tax is slow to show this [...]
Both your individual tax return AND first quarter estimated tax payment are due by Tuesday, April 18th. Here is what you need to know. First quarter due date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 The estimated tax payment rule You are required to withhold or prepay throughout the 2023 tax year at least 90 percent of your [...]
The popular Where’s My Refund feature on the IRS website allows you to see the status of your refund after filing your income tax return. What you should know Refunds of e-filed returns usually take 10 to 21 days to process. Paper returns take longer than e-filed returns. The IRS states that 90 percent of refunds are [...]
In an effort to keep taxpayers from transferring wealth from one generation to the next tax-free, there are specific limits to the amount of gifts one may give to any one person each year. Amounts in excess of this limit are subject to filing an annual gift tax form. For most of us, this [...]
