- How to Cut Your Utility Bills While Reducing Your Taxes
- After installing solar or other alternative energy systems in their homes, taxpayers generally benefit from lower utility bills. Taxpayers may also see a lower federal income tax bill for the year of the installation. Through 2016, taxpayers get a 30% tax credit on their federal tax returns for installing certain power-generating systems in their homes. The credit is non-refundable, which means it can only be used to offset a taxpayer's current tax liability, but any excess can be carried forward to offset tax through 2016.
- Gambling Income and Losses
- Generally, a taxpayer must report the full amount of his recreational gambling winnings for the year as income on his 1040 return. Gambling income includes, but is not limited to, winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and dog races, and casinos, as well as the fair market value of prizes such as cars, houses, trips or other non-cash prizes.
- Getting Around the Kiddie Tax
- Congress created the “Kiddie Tax” to prevent parents from placing investments in their child's name to take advantage of the child's lower tax rate. Kiddie Tax rules apply most often to children through the age of 17, although children aged 18 through 23 who are full-time students may also be affected. Under the Kiddie Tax, a child's investment income in excess of an annual inflation adjusted floor amount ($2,000 for 2014) is taxed at the parent's tax rate rather than the child's. These rules do not apply to married children who file a joint return with their spouse.
- Repeated Warning about Phone Scams
- This office has repeatedly warned clients about scams related to taxes. The problem has only gotten worse, so we feel obligated to issue another warning. The scammers out there are pretty sophisticated and are trying to steal your identity and your money. This office doesn't want you to become a victim, so please read this article and let family and friends know about this rapidly escalating scam based upon individuals' fears of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and their overreaction to calls claiming to be from the IRS. You can even forward this article to your friends and family, and especially be sure to make your elderly family members aware of these scams.
- Alcoholism & Drug Addiction
- Taxpayers are allowed a deduction for medical expenses paid during the taxable year, not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, for medical care of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent.
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