Taxes

  • A freelancer’s guide to income taxes

    Managing your work as a self-employed person can be hectic. You have to market yourself, deliver a product or service and handle dozens of other tasks. Because they’re so busy, many freelancers don’t invest the time to understand how to…

  • close up of hands filling in tax form

    Tax Law Changes You Need to Know Before Filing a Return in 2021

    With 2020 finally over, that means the tax season to account for it is underway. Just like 2020 itself, this tax season promises to be full of unique considerations – due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic — so it’s important…

  • mom walking her kids to school

    The Best and Worst States for Middle-Class Taxpayers

    Few people like paying taxes, but some have more reason to gripe about their tax burden than others. A study from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that a vast majority of state and local tax…

  • Felipe Castro holds a sign advertising a tax preparation office for people that still need help completing their taxes before the Internal Revenue Service deadline on April 14, 2010 in Miami, Florida

    Where Your Federal Income Tax Money Really Goes

    The federal budget for the 2020 fiscal year (that us, Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020) is about $4.6 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office — which requires quite a bit of borrowing, considering tax revenue for the…

  • happy family sitting at home in living room

    14 Tax Deductions That Parents and Grandparents Shouldn’t Overlook

    It’s that time of year that a lot of people dread: tax season. Taxes can be very confusing when it comes to knowing what you can and can’t claim, deduct or write off. And the rules are ever changing, so…

  • woman doing taxes

    16 Steps to Get Organized Before Tax Season

    With tax season just a few months away, it’s time to start getting organized in order to make the filing process as painless as possible. From gathering all of your relevant financial documents to making last-minute moves to nailing down…

  • money on tax refund

    12 Smart Financial Moves to Make With Your Tax Refund

    The average tax refund this year, as of mid-March, is $2,957, according to the Internal Revenue Service — a sizable sum to get all at once. Deciding what to do…

  • woman pulling out file on tax season 2018 tax refund

    20 Fun and Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

    Tax time can cause headaches, but the strain often pays off. While fewer people are receiving refunds this year — due to changes in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs…

  • professionals dealing with taxes and markets

    This Last-Minute Move Could Lower Your Taxes

    With less than two weeks left before the tax filing deadline, many of us are scrambling to find last-minute deductions. Most tax-savings strategies must be implemented during the previous calendar…

  • close-up of a young person writing on a tax document

    Too Busy to File a Tax Return? 12 Tips for Procrastinators

    Uh-oh. The tax-filing deadline is around the corner, and some people are rushing to prepare their tax returns at the last minute. A mistake can be costly, both in terms…

  • tax form individual tax return with pen

    Can I Still Claim This? 13 Popular Tax Deductions

    Determining what expenses to deduct on a tax return can be difficult. For starters, it may make more sense to use the standard deduction than to itemize. For the 2018…

  • magnifying glass on tax form 1040

    Is Your Tax Bill Too High? 22 Ways to Save

    Certain things in life are unavoidable, and taxes are one of them. While there have been many changes lately, the good news is that there are still numerous ways to…

  • the phrase 'Tax Time' appearing behind torn brown paper

    11 Cheap or Free Ways to File Your Taxes

    Preparing and filing taxes can be expensive, but free or cheap options are available to most Americans. Low- to middle-income earners may even qualify for free in-person help from volunteers…

  • woman holding donation sign

    8 Ways to Give to Charity and Get a Tax Break

    For many people, buying gifts for friends and family is just the start of holiday giving. The next step is giving to charities or people in need before the end…

  • Down. The. Drain.

    19 Biggest Wastes of Tax Dollars

    It’s difficult enough managing your own money without making unwise impulse buys, so when governments and bureaucracies receive billions of taxpayers’ dollars, those splurges can multiply exponentially. These are some…

  • Get To Giving

    16 Tips for Making Tax-Deductible Charitable Donations

    As the clock winds down on 2018, many people are scurrying to make their final charitable donations of the year and tally up ones already made. In 2017, Americans gave…

  • internet shopping with laptop

    What the Supreme Court Ruling Means for Online Shopping in Your State

    Amazon has been paying sales tax in the 45 states that charge it, but that hasn’t been the case for many other online retailers, or even some of the sellers…

  • tax free stamp

    When to Shop Tax-Free in 12 States

    Summer vacation may still be in full swing, but for residents of states offering tax-free shopping days, it pays to get into a back-to-school state of mind. Shopping during designated…