Yes, that's right, it's that time of year nobody loves - tax time! No, this is not too early to think about it, especially if you have money coming to you.
All right, so it's not fun to think about doing your taxes. But there is a distinct advantage to getting an early start - it's a reminder to be more organized in this regard in the year to come. Make this as pleasant as possible next year.
Now, if you and your spouse each have jobs rather than businesses, your employer has handled the bulk of the paperwork as far as paying taxes goes. You just have to know what your deductions are.
If you're only taking the standard deduction, you may be paying too much, sometimes quite significantly. If you aren't sure what all you can take a deduction on, consult your accountant. Of course, if you have a home business, you have more paperwork and more deductions to consider.
This is why many home businesses prefer to use an accountant. It saves a lot of worry and can be worth the expense. You can deduct in many cases for your home office, business supplies and more. Consult with a tax professional, and be sure you have receipts for everything in case you are unlucky enough to be audited. I am not a tax professional, so I really cannot give you better advice than that.
Now, if you've done your taxes and find out you're getting a big refund, it's time to celebrate, right? Not really. If you're getting a big refund, that means you gave the government an interest-free loan. You need the money more than they do, right?
If you are overpaying to avoid underpaying (and who likes paying more at tax time?), put the excess you were thinking about paying into some kind of savings account. Even a plain savings account in a bank pays more than nothing, and you're still getting the advantage of money saved up. This is far harder to do, of course, since the money is nicely within reach, but it's a good practice in general to have some money you rarely touch anyhow.
Getting your taxes under control now can save you a great deal of trouble next year and in future years. Build good filing habits so that if you are ever audited you can easily justify your deductions. And finally, consult with a tax professional to get the most out of your tax return.
Every year, millions of Americans dread the inevitable; they have to gather all of their receipts and records and get ready to file their Federal Income Tax Returns. When was tax season first initiated? Here, we will take a look at that magic day of April 15 and why it was chosen as tax day.
During Abraham Lincoln’s presidency in the 1860’s, were first legally required to pay income taxes. The President and Congress created the Commissioner of Revenue and enacted a Federal Income Tax law in order to fund the costly Civil War.
The original deadline for submitting your income taxes was March 1, not April 15. It was in 1918 when the Congress pushed the date out to March 15. Then in 1954, the date was once again moved, this time to April 15, the date we still know as tax day.
If you are an individual taxpayer, you are required to file either a return or an extension (Form 4868) by April 15. Corporate and other legal group entities must file their tax return or an extension by March 15. The extension merely gives you extra time to file your tax return, not extra time to pay if you owe.
For some years after World War 2, the tax burden was shared relatively equally by the corporate world and the individual taxpayer. Today, the shift seems to be toward the individual carrying the load of the tax burden.
An interesting event that occurred during formation of income taxation laws in America occurred during 1918. Up until then, a lot of revenue for government funding came from alcoholic beverage sales.
Then came Prohibition. In 1919, Congress passed an amendment to the Constitution that made it illegal to manufacture or sell alcohol. In order to replace that lost revenue, income tax was the proposed solution, and despite the repeal of Prohibition, we’ve been paying income taxes ever since.
When the Revenue Act of 1942 was passed and the “New Deal” era was begun, government control and expenditures has continued to increase exponentially, and today the American taxpayer supports a multi-trillion dollar National Debt.
April 15 is around the corner. File your return today! Prepare and e-file your return with CompleteTax.
Currently, all the tax regulations for this country are under the management of the Internal Revenue Service, in which there are four major division: Wage and Investment, Small/Business Self-Employed, Large and Midsize Business, and Tax Exempt and Government. Each division governs the taxpayers and the laws as they are relevant to their particular department.
