In tax lingo, your principal residence is the place where you legally reside. It’s typically the place where you spend most of your time, but several other factors are also relevant in determining your principal residence. Many of the tax benefits associated with home ownership apply mainly...

Wondering what to do with your annual IRA Required Minimum Distribution? If you can live without the income (and taxes) that a large Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) generates, think about taking a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA)...

As just about every investor knows, it’s not what your investments earn, but what they earn after taxes that counts. After factoring in federal income and capital gains taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and any applicable state and local taxes, your investments’ returns in any given...

As the end of the year draws near, the last thing anyone wants to think about is taxes. But if you are looking for ways to minimize your tax bill, there’s no better time for tax planning than before year-end. That’s because there are a number of tax-smart strategies you can implement now...

Without a doubt, income tax laws are complex. Yet, many individuals do their own income tax returns. Sure, the advent of personal income tax software has somewhat eased this burden. Tax preparation software is reasonably inexpensive. However, you still have to gather all the information. But, on...

Tax planning is more advantageous when done during the year and well in advance of year’s end. Opportunities exist for you to minimize tax liability, which will leave more income for you and/or your family. Generally, people put off tax planning because paying income taxes is an obligation. So, this...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accepts the following reasons for failure to file tax returns on time: 1. Late receipt of the return, although it was mailed in time to reach the IRS by the deadline (as evidenced by the postmark). 2. Filing to the wrong IRS District Office. 3. Death or disability...

The April 15th tax deadline always seems just around the corner. Preparing in advance to file your federal income tax return might help make a sometimes overwhelming process easier to tackle. Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has established several convenient methods to help each taxpayer...