The House of Representatives passed an estate tax reform bill (HR 5970) that would exempt all but the largests estates from the federal estate tax. The legislation has an uncertain ... Read More

Fifteen states, including the District of Columbia, are offering sales tax holidays just in time for back-to-school shopping. One state, Massachusetts, may or may not have a sales tax holiday ... Read More

With temperatures rising across the nation, taxpayers are looking for ways to beat the heat. A weekend home-improvement project may be just what you need to keep cool and lower ... Read More

Today's tax question comes from J. Lin in California. He asks: "My father recently passed away in the beginning of June 2006. I then moved back home to live and ... Read More

Many taxpayers filed extensions early in 2005 because they were missing some important tax documents, such as W-2, 1099, and other tax forms. Good news, the Internal Revenue Service receives ... Read More

I have helped many clients plan for retirement, and figure out how much in taxes they will be paying after they retire. It comes as a shock to many people ... Read More

U.S. citizens living and working in foreign countries will be paying higher taxes on their 2006 tax returns thanks to revenue-raising provisions in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act. ... Read More

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson delivered her semi-annual report to Congress. The National Taxpayer Advocate is an independent federal agency that acts as a watchdog over the Internal Revenue. ... Read More

The Internal Revenue Service announced that the Honda Civic GX compressed natural gas vehicles, the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid, and GMC and Chevy pickups will qualify for the ... Read More

By filing an Offer in Compromise, you are offering to pay less than the full amount of your tax debts to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS, at its discretion, ... Read More

It seems the real estate market is picking up a bit, as several people have asked me about the capital gains tax when selling a house. You can exclude the ... Read More

Donations of cash or personal property to a qualified tax-exempt charity can help society and lower your taxes at the same time. In order for your charitable donation to be ... Read More

You can revise a previously filed tax return to correct any mistakes you made. In IRS jargon, this is called "amending your return" or "filing an amendment." You should amend ... Read More

Sales Tax Holidays offer shoppers savings for a limited period by exempting sales tax on certain purchases. Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia all offer a Sales Tax Holiday in August ... Read More

When entrepreneurs think about starting a business, they often focus on the business opportunity. Will they make a profit? How much start-up capital do they need? Where can they find ... Read More

It seems like a lot of people are thinking about starting a business. Perhaps people are seeing a good business opportunities, or perhaps independent contractors have decided they need the ... Read More

Kay Bell, a prolific tax journalist who blogs at Don't Mess With Taxes, has published the second issue of her Carnival of Tax. This issue's theme is the Fourth of ... Read More

Clients often call me saying they want to file bankruptcy in order to settle their tax debts. Here's exactly what I tell them. First, bankruptcy should be your last tactic, ... Read More

The Internal Revenue Service has outsourced the Special Enrollment Examination to Thomson Prometric. The Special Enrollment Examination is a gruelling 3-part test covering all aspects of federal taxation. Test-takers who ... Read More