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Tax Tips for Individuals

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  • Tax Incentives for Higher Education
    The tax code provides a variety of tax incentives for families who are paying higher education costs or are repaying student loans. You may be able to claim an American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit for the qualified tuition and related expenses of the students in your family who are enrolled in eligible educational institutions.
  • Check Withholding to Avoid a Tax Surprise
    Whether or not you owed taxes or received a refund last year, check your tax withholding to avoid having too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at tax time next year.
  • 5 Tips For Early Preparation
    Earlier is better when it comes to working on your taxes. The IRS encourages everyone to get a head start on tax preparation. Not only do you avoid the last-minute rush, early filers also get a faster refund.
  • Amended Returns
    Oops! You've discovered an error after your tax return has been filed. What should you do? You may need to amend your return.
  • Ayuda en Espanol
    If you need federal tax information, the IRS provides free Spanish language products and services. Pages on IRS.gov, tax topics, refund information, tax publications and toll-free telephone assistance are all available in the Spanish-language.
  • Filing an Extension
    If you can't meet the April 15 deadline to file your tax return, you can get an automatic six-month extension of time to file from the IRS. The extension will give you extra time to get the paperwork into the IRS, but it does not extend the time you have to pay any tax due. You will owe interest on any amounts not paid by the April deadline, plus a late payment penalty if you have paid less than 90 percent of your total tax by that date.
  • Car Donations
    The IRS reminds taxpayers that specific rules apply for taking a tax deduction for donating cars to charities.
  • Charitable Contributions
    Your donations can add up to a nice tax deduction if you itemize deductions on IRS Form 1040, Schedule A.
  • Earned Income Tax Credit for Certain Workers
    Millions of Americans forgo critical tax relief each year by failing to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal tax credit for individuals who work but do not earn high incomes. Taxpayers who qualify and claim the credit could pay less federal tax, pay no tax or even get a tax refund.
  • Refinancing Your Home
    Taxpayers who refinanced their homes may be eligible to deduct some costs associated with their loans.
  • Selling Your Home
    If you sold your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly) from your federal tax return.
  • Deductible Taxes
    Did you know that you may be able to deduct certain taxes on your federal income tax return? The IRS says you can if you file Form 1040 and itemize deductions on Schedule A. Deductions decrease the amount of income subject to taxation.
  • Gift Giving
    If you gave any one person gifts valued at more than the gift tax annual exclusion amount, it is necessary to report the total gift to the Internal Revenue Service. You may even have to pay tax on the gift.
  • Marriage or Divorce
    Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names on their tax returns match those registered with the Social Security Administration (SSA). A mismatch between a name on the tax return and a Social Security number (SSN) could unexpectedly increase a tax bill or reduce the size of any refund.
  • Filing Deadline and Payment Options
    If you're trying to beat the tax deadline, there are several options for last-minute help. If you need a form or publication, you can download copies from the IRS Forms page under Tax Tools on our website. If you find you need more time to finish your return, you can get a six month extension of time to file using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. And if you have trouble paying your tax bill, the IRS has several payment options available.
  • Refund, Where's My Refund?
    Are you expecting a tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service this year? If you file a complete and accurate paper tax return, your refund should be issued in about six to eight weeks from the date IRS receives your return. If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in about half the time it would take if you filed a paper return even faster when you choose direct deposit.
  • Tips and Taxes
    Do you work at a hair salon, barber shop, casino, golf course, hotel or restaurant or drive a taxicab? The tip income you receive as an employee from those services is taxable income, advises the IRS.

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