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Filing Income Tax and Paying Taxes - Make Payment Terms with IRS
As the deadline for filing federal and state tax returns nears, many taxpayers are finding it hard to pay their income taxes that are due. During this economic slowdown period when unemployment is high and money is tight some people are making the choice not to file their income tax returns because they owe taxes and don’t know how they will make the payment. The IRS is well aware of the problem and are unofficially willing to cope with and understand the situation some taxpayers are in and not able to pay their tax bill in full at this time.
If you are in a similar situation and don’t have the funds to pay your state or federal income tax due, don’t avoid the problem by not filing your tax return. Federal law requires everyone to file their tax return by April 15th whether you pay the amount due is another issue. If you don’t file at all the fines are higher and the IRS enforces stricter rules for not filing. The IRS has the authority to garnish your paycheck, withdraw money from your bank accounts and/or attach your assets for the amount of tax due plus penalties.
The IRS does not openly offer options for partial payments or special conditions but they may, on an individual basis, consider a reasonable payment solution on your behalf to ease the burden or threat of increased fines or attachments to your accounts and assets. The most important thing for you to do is to communicate and notify the IRS of your situation and present a payment plan that you will abide by. There may be interest fees charged by the IRS on your balance due during an agreeable time payment of taxes made after April 15th, in these tough times the IRS is being more flexible than in past tax years. In your proposed plan try to pay at least 20% of your tax bill when you file to show good faith and your sincere intention to pay your income tax in full over time.
Another option is to file for an extension to gain some more time to make payments, although there may be interest charged on the tax balance due from April 15th. By filing your return you will avoid the penalty for not filing on time and this will allow you more time to make options to pay your taxes.
If you fail to file a tax return on time or at all, the Internal Revenue Service will take it upon itself to calculate your taxes due from w2’s and 1099’s on record from your employers reporting of this income in your or your spouse’s name. The IRS will figure your tax due on your gross income not allowing for any tax deductions or exemptions which will show a higher amount of tax due. Once the tax is assessed the IRS will start the collection process to collect the money or garnish your personal assets.
By filing your tax return on time and entering all deductions and exemptions on the forms your actual amount of income tax due will be lower and the penalties and interest will be less. You may even have a lower tax amount due applying some of the new tax laws and stimulus deductions including new car buyers, first time home buyer and home improvements made that qualify for energy credits.
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Economic Stimulus Package- Income Tax Deductions and New Free E-file
Many taxpayers are asking when will they receive the tax refund or tax rebates. The economic stimulus package money is being distributed in different ways, some in which you will not directly get a refund or rebate. Individual and Family tax breaks of $400-$800 will be given in the form of lower tax deductions from your paycheck. Your employer will make an adjustment to your paycheck about $8 a week which could start in a couple of months. Included in this package is stimulus checks received by taxpayers last summer in the 2008 tax rebate.
First time Home Buyers are eligible for an $8000 tax credit which doesn’t need to be repaid unless you sell within 3 years. The credit is available to taxpayers who buy a primary residence between January 1 and December 1, 2009. Adjusted Gross income must be $75,000 of less for individuals or $150,000 for married couples. The credit can be applied to your 2008 tax return due by April 15th.
New Car Buyers- If you purchase a new car, SUV, motorcycle, light truck or motor home during 2009, the sales tax is deductible up to a purchase of $49,500. To qualify a single taxpayer must have AGI of $125,000 or less and married taxpayers must have AGI of $250,000 or less. There is no need to itemize to claim this deduction. This deduction varies from state to state depending on your states %rate of sales tax. This has no start date as of yet but will end on December 31 this year.
Federal Income Tax on Unemployment. In the past all unemployment income was taxable on your Federal Return The economic stimulus package excludes the first $2400 in state unemployment benefits from your 2009 taxes. Realize you are still responsible to pay income tax on the amount above the $2400 in 2009.
Extended Energy Credits- the energy saving tax credit for home improvements has been increased from 10 to 30 percent maximum and extended through 2010. Qualifying improvements include energy efficient skylights, windows and exterior doors, energy-saving water heaters and high efficient rated central air conditioners. There are limits in each of the categories which may be less than 30 percent.
For 2008 Federal Tax Filing – The IRS is offering a new option- Free File Tax Forms that allows free electronic filing of tax returns for most taxpayers. This option allows taxpayers who use e-file, the option to choose electronic direct deposit of your tax return. This can speed up the time it takes to receive your refund in as little as 10 days. E-filing also allows taxpayers to file now and pay later if they owe taxes. Filing your taxes electronically also allows filing federal and state forms at the same time.
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Filing Income Tax Return Federal and State - Claiming Stimulus Rebates
As many taxpayers are filing their 2008 Federal tax returns the IRS has reported there have been a large number of mistakes in reporting the stimulus checks they received in 2008. The stimulus checks that were sent out by the government last summer ranged from $300 to $1200 and according to the IRS they are not taxable. The IRS federal tax return form requires you to record the amount of your tax rebate on the 2008 tax form but does not charge tax on the amount you received, it is only to record who received the stimulus package refund. There are some tax preparer's and early tax preparation software programs that have made mistakes in the calculation of this rebate and many have been corrected. If you are using tax software to prepare your income taxes and the calculation is wrong, contact the maker for software updates to have it corrected. The IRS recommends if the tax software you are using calculates this wrong you should leave it blank or enter $0 as the refund amount even if you have received a stimulus check tax rebate.
The IRS has admitted that the instructions included with the new federal income tax return forms are also confusing and taxpayers and professionals have made mistakes in the way the stimulus rebate is calculated and added it to taxable income. Almost 20% of the tax returns filed and processed so far by the IRS has had this mistake on the completed tax return and will cause a delay of refunds sent to you if you already filed. If you prefer let the IRS complete you tax return to calculate the correct amount and this will not delay your tax refund if you have overpaid federal income tax.
The stimulus money is not taxable on most individual state income tax returns. There are federal laws in place that state governments can participate in which allow states to take all or part of a federal tax refund and apply it to back taxes owed to the state. So the answer is no, the rebates are not taxable by your state but the state can indirectly claim any portion of a federal refund.
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Stimulus Packages, Tax Rebates, Stimulus Tax Cuts, Tax Bailouts
If you said the words “Stimulus Package” 3-4 years ago most people would have thought you were talking about a prescription for Viagra. Different these words are in 2009, as it means, how they can tease the consumer to spend beyond their means again and stay in debt. There’s no doubt the economy is in trouble and something must be done, the question is how much it will take to make America feel comfortable to start spending again. This concept seems backwards but they say it works. Imagine, we got into trouble from overspending and over borrowing and when we finally start to control our personal budgets it sends our economy into recession. Purely- the global economy needs to operate on less money, as the inflated spending dollars of the past have vanished.
The new plan of giving tax cuts to all to the tune of about $500 per taxpayer is supposed to help spark a start of the recovery out of recession. Let me understand, if I receive this $500 and spend $500 it helps out, if I save the $500 or pay down past credit it doesn’t. What am I to do with this money- help the economy or help myself? You see no different than any tax rebate in the past, many people will spend the tax return 2 fold before it reaches their wallet. But what happens if Americans really have changed their spending habits and put the money in a savings account or pay off a past bill? This does nothing for the economy because it hasn’t moved one retail product off of the store shelves or sold one more car or house.
I think most agree the cost of living must come down before we can commit to spending and borrowing again. If consumers fell short of cash during the booming economy of the past, they certainly can’t afford more now until the cost of living drops. As for the family looking to purchase a home, the $500 doesn’t make or break the deal. The interest rates, local real estate taxes, health insurance costs, college costs, auto insurance, utility expenses are what stops the prospective buyer because the consumer is tapped out.
I am not against the proposed stimulus package, as anything is better than nothing. But a sparse spreading of bird seed over America will hardly reach the ground to keep employment from increasing or stop foreclosures. Americans need a lower cost of living to survive and catch up on debt. Similar as in the 1950’s when VA home mortgages were available, an American could buy a new home with no money down and at a very low interest cost so not only could they move into that new house but they would be able to afford it for the years ahead. Incentives must be made available to the prime earners in our country so they can afford to stay housed and keep debt under control.
Remember the recent bail out stimulus package for the auto industry. Ask GM if they have sold more cars since they received the funds or have they drastically lowered the price to the buyers to move out surplus inventory. I think you will find GM paid down past debt and sales have continued to fall. Remember there is still a balance of about $350billion to give to the automakers and you can bet GM’s hands will be out again by the end of March.
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It is that time of year again when you have to start to think about your year end state taxes. With the economy in a slowdown many people and businesses will find it hard to set aside the money for their New Jersey Sate income tax or sales tax. Plan for your estimated taxes now so you will be prepared in January to pay the taxes. Do not avoid paying the taxes due because the penalties are high and the interest will accrue. There maybe breaks given or rebates for real estate taxes paid. Business will be given tax deduction incentives to purchase equipment and expand their businesses to help the economy. President Obama new stimulus package to include large tax cuts for families and taxpayers who are head of household to try to cut taxes with the new tax cut package proposed. Take advantage of the new stimulus package and stimulus rebate and pay down debt. New York Cityscapes What’s the Story
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