Fire Disaster

Tax Relief for Victims of 2020 Natural Disasters

Most of us will always remember the year 2020, as much as we may like to forget it. On top of the COVID-19 emergency, street protests (both peaceful and not), and hotly contested election races, the U.S. has had numerous natural disasters –…

Increased Business Meal Deductions for 2021 and 2022

If you recall, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), effective beginning in 2018, eliminated the business-related deduction for entertainment, amusement or recreation expenses. However, it did retain a deduction for business meals when the expense…

Obscure and Overlooked Tax Deductions, Credits, and Benefits

As tax time approaches, here are some tax issues that taxpayers frequently overlook, ranging from obscure deductions to overlooked tax credits and benefits. Of course, not everything can be included since the tax law has grown significantly…

Beware: These Tax Return Red Flags Could Catch the Eye of the IRS

Tax time can be one of the most hated times of the year. Just preparing the forms is enough to be an irritant, and if you owe the government money there’s a good chance that you’re downright annoyed. But neither of those things compare to…
Hand Drawing Money

How Biden’s Rescue Plan Might Impact Your Taxes

President Biden released his “American Rescue Plan” on January 14. It is a wish list of proposals he wants Congress to enact to address the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis. While some of the proposals are intended to be…
Charitable Giving

Charitable Contributions Deduction Liberalized for 2021

As a means to stimulate charitable contributions during the COVID crisis, Congress made two notable changes for 2020—one allowing taxpayers that don’t itemize their deductions an above-the-line deduction for cash contributions of up to $300…
Hands Holding House

Sold or Thinking of Selling Your Home?

In spite of (or in some cases, because of) the COVID-19 pandemic, and with near-record-low home mortgage interest rates, the housing market has been booming. September 2020 existing home sales were up 9.4% from August 2020 and 20.9% from 2019,…
US Currency
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Here’s What Could Happen If You Try to Short-Change the IRS

Some refer to it as “creative accounting” or just “a little fudging here and there,” but if your tax return is missing some income that should have been reported or includes overstated deductions, regardless of whether you prepared your…
School Children

Big Tax Break for Adoptive Parents

If you are an adoptive parent or are planning to adopt a child, you may qualify for a substantial income tax credit. The amount of the credit is based on the expenses incurred that are directly related to the adoption of a child under the age…