- What to Do If You Receive a Dreaded IRS Letter
- Now that most tax refunds are deposited directly into taxpayers’ bank accounts, the dream of opening your mailbox and finding an IRS refund is all but gone. However, the IRS still sends letters that can increase taxpayers’ heart rates; because of extensive computer matching, the IRS does most of its auditing through correspondence.
- What is an IRS Penalty Abatement and Am I Eligible for One?
- There are different types of IRS penalties that can be assessed against you. The most common penalties include those for failing to file a tax return, filing your return late, or accuracy-related penalties if you didn’t correctly state items on your tax return. But were you aware that sometimes, the IRS can issue penalty abatements if you believe you’ve been penalized unfairly?
- Forget Something on Your 2018 Return?
- If you forgot to include necessary information on your 2018 return, you are not alone. In addition, you may have received a revised 1099 or K-1 since filing your return. The IRS has struggled to deal with the enormity of the changes in the recent tax reform; despite significant pressure to update its regulations, forms, and publications, the IRS could not finish all of its tax-reform updates in a timely manner. Some IRS publications still have not been updated for 2018, and others even include errors. The new tax regulations have been dribbling out, but the IRS still has not provided sufficient guidance for some issues.
- Why Tax Basis Is So Important
- For tax purposes, the term “basis” refers to the original monetary value that is used to measure a gain or loss. For instance, if you purchase shares of a stock for $1,000, your basis in that stock is $1,000; if you then sell those shares for $3,000, the gain is calculated based on the difference between the sales price and the basis: $3,000 – $1,000 = $2,000. This is a simplified example, of course—under actual circumstances, purchase and sale costs are added to the basis of the stock—but it gives an introduction to the concept of tax basis.
- Protecting Yourself from Scams, ID Theft and Cyber Criminals
- As much as the Internet has changed our lives for the good, it has also opened us up to threats from crooks from all over the world. They are smart and always coming up with a new trick to separate you from your hard-earned dollars or with an illegal way to use your stolen ID. They apply for loans and credit cards with stolen IDs, file fraudulent tax returns, make purchases with stolen credit card info, and tap into your bank account with stolen account information, and the list goes on. As a result, everyone needs to be very careful and mindful of the tricks used by these scammers to not end up becoming a victim.
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