Do I have to File a Tax Return?
You must file a tax return if your income is above a certain level. The amount varies depending on filing status, age and the type of income you receive.
Posts Tagged Information
IRS TAX TIP 2010-19
Feb 10
Get Your Refund Faster – Choose Direct Deposit
If you want to get your refund as quickly as possible, just tell the IRS to deposit your refund directly into your bank account. By choosing Direct Deposit, you can get your refund much sooner than if you chose to have a paper check mailed to you.
Here are the main reasons 73 million taxpayers chose Direct Deposit in 2009:
IRS info on EIC
Feb 8
IRS Marks EITC Awareness Day; Highlights Expanded Tax Credit
WASHINGTON — An expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) means larger families will qualify for a larger credit, offering greater relief for people who struggled through difficult financial times last year, the Internal Revenue Service said today.
The IRS and the Treasury Department marked EITC Awareness Day as their partners nationwide worked to highlight the availability of this important tax credit. EITC, which is in its thirty-fifth year, is one of the federal government’s largest benefit programs for working families and individuals. Last year, nearly 24 million people received $50 Billion in benefits. The average credit was more than $2,000.
IRS on Publication 17
Jan 27
Five Facts about IRS Publication 17
While the Internal Revenue Service provides publications about a wide range of topics, there is one publication every taxpayer should have with them when they are preparing their federal tax return. Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax is available at IRS.gov and contains a wealth of information for individual taxpayers.
Here are the top five things the IRS wants you to know about Publication 17 and how it will come in handy when you prepare your taxes.
From IRS – Issue Number: IRS Tax Tip 2010-15
Ten Things You Should Know about the Making Work Pay Tax Credit
Many working taxpayers are eligible for the Making Work Pay Tax Credit, a provision created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in early 2009.
Click to continue reading “You Should Know about the Making Work Pay Tax Credit”
When you prepare to file your 2009 tax return, there are two things that will factor into your tax situation: dependents and exemptions. Here, the IRS gives you five important facts that you should know about dependents and exemptions before you file your 2009 tax return.
- If someone else claims you as a dependent, you may still be required to file your own tax return. Whether or not you must file a return depends on several factors, including the amount of your unearned, earned or gross income, your marital status, any special taxes you owe and, any advance Earned Income Tax Credit payments you received.
- Exemptions reduce your taxable income. There are two types of exemptions: personal exemptions and exemptions for dependents. For each exemption you can deduct $3,650 on your 2009 tax return. Exemption amounts are reduced for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is above certain levels, depending on your filing status.
- If you are a dependent, you may not claim an exemption. If someone else – such as your parent – claims you as a dependent, you may not claim your personal exemption on your own tax return.
- Your spouse is never considered your dependent. On a joint return, you may claim one exemption for yourself and one for your spouse. If you’re filing a separate return, you may claim the exemption for your spouse only if they had no gross income, are not filing a joint return, and were not the dependent of another taxpayer.
- Some people cannot be claimed as your dependent. Generally, you may not claim a married person as a dependent if they file a joint return with their spouse. Also, to claim someone as a dependent, that person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national or resident of Canada or Mexico for some part of the year. There is an exception to this rule for certain adopted children. See IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information for additional tests to determine who can be claimed as a dependent.
For more information on exemptions, dependents and whether or not you or your dependent needs to file a tax return, see IRS Publication 501. The publication is available on IRS.gov or can be ordered by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Links:
Click to continue reading “Five Important Facts about Dependents and Exemptions”
