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Do you receive income from a foreign source? Are you a U.S. citizen or resident who works abroad? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of those questions, here are some tax tips to keep in mind about reporting foreign income: Report Worldwide Income. By law, U.S. citizens and residents must report their worldwide income. Be sure you’re reporting foreign income from foreign trusts and foreign bank and...

April 18 was this year’s deadline for most people to file their federal tax return and pay any tax they owe. If you are due a refund there is no penalty if you file a late tax return. If you owe tax, and you failed to file and pay on time, you will most likely owe interest and late penalties on the tax you pay late. To keep interest and late penalties to a minimum, you should file your tax return...

The Internal Revenue Service today reminded people with home-based businesses completing their 2015 federal income tax returns that they can use the simplified home office deduction when claiming a deduction for business use of a home. In tax year 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available, more than 3.4 million taxpayers claimed deductions totaling just over $9.6 billion for...

Money you paid for higher education in 2015 can mean tax savings in 2016. If you, your spouse, or your dependent took post-high school coursework last year, there may be a tax credit or deduction for you. Here are some facts from the IRS about key higher education tax credits. The American Opportunity Credit (AOTC) is: Worth up to $2,500 per eligible student. Used only for the first four years at...

Your medical expenses may save you money at tax time, but a few key rules apply. Here are some tax tips to help you determine if you can deduct medical and dental expenses on your tax return: Itemize. You can only claim your medical expenses that you paid for in 2015 if you itemize deductions on your federal tax return. Income. Include all qualified medical costs that you paid for during the...

On Nov. 26, 2013, the IRS issued final regulations implementing the Additional Medicare Tax (AMT) as added by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Some taxpayers may be required to pay an Additional Medicare Tax if their income exceeds certain limits. Here are some things that you should know about this tax: Tax Rate. The Additional Medicare Tax rate is 0.9 percent. Income Subject to Tax. The tax...

Most states and cities get a good portion of their operating revenue from sales taxes tagged onto just about everything you buy. But on the federal level, Uncle Sam lets taxpayers use those taxes to help reduce their IRS bills. The sales tax deduction is particularly welcomed by taxpayers in states that do not collect income taxes but do levy state sales taxes, like our own great state of Texas....

Owning your own business can be rewarding, but as most entrepreneurs know, it also means a lot of work, much more than a traditional salary-based job working for someone else. With all the responsibilities, a well-meaning business owner is still at risk of making a regrettable tax mistake. Whether a business is incorporated and files returns as an entity, or is an LLC and the owner files a...

The new “extenders law” enacted late in 2015 retains several key tax provisions and makes them permanent with certain modifications. One of the most important ones to middle class families is the child tax credit. It can costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise a child these days, but at least the tax law provides several benefits to parents. One such tax break, the child tax credit,...

Small business owners face numerous everyday challenges, and they usually conquer them with their entrepreneurial strength. Unfortunately, keeping the books on their growing business is not a skill someone can simply persevere through and get it right. The potential consequences of messing up on the accounting functions can be serious when it comes to the success or failure of a business. Here...