Articles & Videos
Gulf Oil Spill: Questions and Answers
Gulf Oil Spill: Questions and Answers Source: IRS.gov Posted: 7/2/2010 Q1. Is a taxpayer required to include in gross income payments the taxpayer receives for lost business income, lost wages or lost profits? A1. Yes. The law requires that a taxpayer include in gross income payments the taxpayer receives for lost business income, lost wages…
Free Money For College Students
Free Money For College Students College. Tuition, books, housing, computer, food, etc… Sound familiar? These items are just a few of the many frequent expenses encountered in a student’s college career. The government made education credits to try and offset these expenses by giving tax benefits to them. From a tax standpoint, Education credits have…
When Good Fortune Comes Your Way
When Good Fortune Comes Your Way Whether expected or not, an inheritance, divorce settlement, severance package or pension payout, proceeds from the sale of a business, life insurance, legal judgments, or even lottery winnings—all can put in your hands the equivalent of several years of earnings. Now you’re at a crossroads—suddenly called upon to switch…
Rising prices make inflation-protected securities more attractive
Rising prices make inflation-protected securities more attractive High oil and gasoline prices combined with trouble in the Middle East, saber-rattling by North Korea, and a slowing housing market have many investors worried anew about inflation. Inflation is an ugly creature; when it spins out of control, it can quickly erase gains built up over years…
India Gets Help From the IRS to Track Down So-Called “Black Money”
India Gets Help From the IRS to Track Down So-Called “Black Money” We’re all aware of the U.S. government’s efforts to bring home tax dollars from those who either hold or earn money in foreign countries. Whether a company or an individual taxpayer is open about their money or purposely trying to hide it, the…
Strategic Asset Management With a Revocable Living Trust
Strategic Asset Management With a Revocable Living Trust Developing a sound investment management strategy is more than allocating assets and diversifying among the various asset classes. It is also about attaining your financial goals in life. The long-term security of your family is likely to be a key goal. To reach it, you want to…
A Safer Way to Invest in Stocks
A Safer Way to Invest in Stocks Investing in stocks can be really risky—particularly when somebody invests a lot of money at once and expects quick results. But it’s also true that investing in stocks can be surprisingly safe for certain investors. The men and women who are putting regular amounts into stock funds through…
IRS Makes It Difficult to Use “Separate Share” Trusts
IRS Makes It Difficult to Use “Separate Share” Trusts By Mary Kay Foss California CPA, August 2003 The IRS has issued a series of private letter rulings (LTRs 200317041, 200317043, 200317044) this year that make it difficult to use “separate share” trusts. A separate share trust is a trust named as an IRA beneficiary that…
Deductions Available to Collectors at Charity Auctions
Deductions Available to Collectors at Charity Auctions Posted: 7/25/11 Collectors who want to make donations may consider donating artwork and collectibles to charity auctions. If this is something you are thinking about and would like to take full tax benefits, the following tips may help. Making Donations to Charitable Organization Auctions: 1. Make sure you…
Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment
Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment People often think that in order to become an investor you need a lot of capital to make it worth your while and believe me, nothing can be farther from the truth. Certainly, if you are planning to make a living exclusively out of your investment, you…
Investing with Style
Investing with Style How do you define your approach to investing? There may be many answers to that question. One answer goes to the style of investing that you choose: value or growth. Are you looking for value? The goal of a value investor is to seek out “bargains,” finding those companies whose stock may…
Introducing the “Total Return” Trust
Introducing the “Total Return” Trust The fundamental purpose of most trusts is to create a plan of financial protection for more than one beneficiary, often beneficiaries in different generations. “All the trust income to my surviving spouse, with the balance to be divided among our children at her death” might be used in a marital…
Making Tax-wise Investments
Making Tax-wise Investments Tax considerations are not, and should never be, the be-all and end-all of investment decisions. The choice of assets in which to invest, and the way in which you apportion your portfolio among them, almost certainly will prove to be far more important to your ultimate results than the tax rate that…
Reducing Risk With a Diversified Portfolio
Reducing Risk With a Diversified Portfolio Have you been worried about the stock market’s recent volatility? You’re not alone. The stock market in March was a roller-coaster ride that served as a reminder to investors that the market’s ups and downs can be a little dizzying. But a volatile market should not leave you feeling…
Are You Defining Items in QuickBooks Correctly?
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Create item records in QuickBooks carefully, and QuickBooks will return the favor by running useful, accurate reports. Figure 1: Clearly-defined items result in precise reports. Obviously, you’re using QuickBooks because you buy and/or sell products and/or services. You want to know at least weekly — if not daily — what’s selling and what’s…
Saving Money for College: Education Credits
Saving Money for College: Education Credits Education credits are tax credits available for qualified education expenses paid by the taxpayer in the furthering of their education. Qualified education expenses are defined as an expense paid during the tax year for tuition and fees required by an eligible educational institution for student enrollment and attendance. Room…
Thinking About Giving up Your U.S. Citizenship? Think Twice
Thinking About Giving up Your U.S. Citizenship? Think Twice While not a lot of people ever entertain the thought of giving up their U.S. citizenship, there are more people every year that are making that choice. Among them are several wealthier people whose main reason for renouncing is to escape the country’s overloaded tax system;…
Health Care For Senior Citizens – Understanding Medicare!
Health Care For Senior Citizens – Understanding Medicare! By Dennis Wolfe In America having health care cost protection (also known as medical insurance) is not a right. Neither is it a right to access health care services. Health care services in strict economic definitions are simply services for which we consumers pay fees. As consumers…
Rate Yourself Using Debt-to-income Ratio
Rate Yourself Using Debt-to-income Ratio By Linda Stern WASHINGTON (Reuters) – If you were a company, what would the analysts be saying about you? Most investors use financial ratios to grade the companies the average debt to income ratio by age buy and sell, but they rarely subject their own finances to the same…
Where Should You Retire if You’re Wealthy?
Where Should You Retire if You’re Wealthy? Best Places Retire in USA if You’re Wealthy You’ve spent your lifetime accumulating wealth through your employment and other business endeavors. You have been successful at what you do and now the time has finally come when you’re ready to ride off into the sunset, so-to-speak. It’s time for…