Category Archives: *AskTaxMama Newsletter

AskTaxMama

IRS Automates Installment Agreement User Fees

Courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service IR-2008-033 WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it has automated the user fee calculations for taxpayers entering into an installment agreement. Previously, taxpayers were required to submit a paper Form 13844 to request a reduced user fee. Now, eligibility for reduced fees is determined automatically by the […]

New Form for Employees Misclassified as Independent Contractors

Your 1099 Should Have Been a W-2 Due to the widespread problem of employees getting 1099-MISCs from their employers instead of W-2s, the IRS created a new form in 2007 – the Form 8919. Using this form has saved employees thousands of dollars, while protecting their Social Security records and their tax status. Though it […]

The Numbers Never Lie

SACRAMENTO—A public school teacher was arrested today at Los Angeles International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide rule, and a multi-function calculator. At a morning press conference, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he believes the man is a member of the notorious […]

Deduct Job Search Expenses

This Week’s Advice: “Did you know your job search expenses from resume preparation to phone charges are deductible? However, there are a few qualifications that you must meet. First, your search must be within the same occupation. Next, there cannot be a substantial break between ending your last job and looking for a new one. […]

Online Filing – The 2008 Overview

[Update – see the Fi-Life article where they test all the Free-File sites.] Electronic filing of tax returns has become the norm. And that means more demand for online tax-preparation programs. If you are in the market for a provider this year, here’s a look the latest the industry has to offer. Prices vary widely […]

Ask Taxmama Issue 448 – Happy Leap Year

Dear Family, 47 days and 16 hours and 20 minutes to go until April 15th. (Did you see the countdown widget at www.taxmama.com ?) And today is the filing deadline for a bunch of stuff (that’s a technical term, you know) – see TaxMama’s Tax Calendar https://www.taxmama.com/taxcalendar.html Aaaah, today’s issue is filled with lots of […]

Tax Rates for a Child’s Investment Income

Courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service TT-2008-38 Part or all of a child’s investment income may be taxed at the parent’s rate rather than the child’s rate. Because a parent’s taxable income is usually higher than a child’s income, the parent’s top tax rate will often be higher as well. This special method of figuring […]

California FTB News Flash – Wrong IRA Deduction AGI Phaseouts Published

Courtesy of Spidell Publishing Inc. The FTB stated that the instructions for Schedule CA (540 and 540NR), California Adjustments, contain the wrong phase out amounts on line 32 (IRA Deduction) for taxpayers using the married filing joint and qualifying widow(er) filing statuses. In turn, most, if not all, tax software is also using the incorrect […]

QuickBooks 2008 – Update – additional Resources

NEWS FLASH! QuickBooks releases useful customization tips compiled from feedback Intuit’s received from experienced QuickBooks customers. Here are three customization videos on YouTube that you could use as well. Basic Customization Additional Customization I Additional Customization II ——-   Ah yes, just what the world needs – another edition of QuickBooks. Sigh. You know how […]

PASSIONATE PLEA – TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!

A few minutes ago, I got this note from a divorced woman who is facing a mountain of tax debt generated by her ex – and whose expensive tax attorney couldn’t win a legitimate innocent spouse case: Unfortunately when I was married, my husband of 27 years prepared our return and would rush me to […]