California Comes Out on Top of Estimated Tax Revenue

Who says California isn’t doing well financially? When it comes to taxes, it appears that the Golden State is doing just fine. California is definitely one of the worst locations to live if you want to keep your tax bill low. With the latest report from the state’s Controller, Betty Yee, it’s no wonder that taxpayers wonder why they lose so much money to the government.

According to recent reports, the month of February was a very good month for the state treasury. That’s because Ms. Yee reported that California beat it’s tax revenue for the month of February by about $1 billion. In fact, the state received about $6.6 billion in total tax revenue in February, which beat Governor Jerry Brown’s estimates by close to 18 percent.

Of that amount, $2.6 billion came from tax receipts from personal income taxes. That was 26 percent more than expected. Meantime, taxes for retail and use were up about 16 percent. As for the fiscal year, revenue for the general fund is already 1.4 percent higher than forecasted.

While the news is good for the state, the extra money could be gone fast. That’s because with all the extra cash, many expect that democratic lawmakers will encourage the governor to increase spending.

Posted in

FATCA Is Officially Underway

We’ve been talking about it for months and according to the IRS, FATCA is now officially underway. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act is live and the IRS is actively exchanging information with several other countries that have signed on. So what does that mean for you and your information if you have funds in…

Be Careful of Scams When Donating to Charities

The world is full of good Samaritans, those people who see other people suffering, and want to help or who get involved in a good cause. Donating time, talent and money to charities and other good causes is a noble endeavor. However, as with most things in life, there are always those on the other…

What’s the Hold Up On A $5.22 Million Tax Refund?

What would you do if you filed your tax return and it showed that you were owed a refund of $5.22 million dollars? However, despite the fact that your return was legitimate the IRS still hadn’t paid up. It’s not a very common scenario, but nevertheless that is exactly what is happening to one man…

Things to Consider for Your 2015 Capital Gains Tax

There are all kinds of investors in the world. Some are looking to make a quick buck by buying and then quickly selling stocks as soon as they increase in value. Other investors buy stocks with an eye toward the future, which means they are in it for the long haul. In any case, anyone…