by Michele Cagan | Mar 7, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
With all of the forms, and papers, and numbers, it’s very easy to make a mistake on your income tax return – it happens all the time. Sometimes it’s a missed signature, sometimes it’s a miscalculated tax credit, and still other times it’s a number typed in wrong. In...
by Michele Cagan | Mar 3, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
Don’t ignore it. Don’t throw it out. And, most importantly, if you get a letter from the IRS about your Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), don’t panic. The first thing to do is read the letter – it has all the information you need to clear up whatever the issue is...
by Michele Cagan | Feb 28, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Managing Debt, Personal Finance, You Need to Know This
UPDATED FOR 2021 If you’re paying down a student loan, you can deduct up to $2,500 of the interest on your tax return – and you don’t even have to itemize to get that deduction. And while there are limits how much you can deduct, millions of Americans can...
by Michele Cagan | Feb 22, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
It’s tempting to use the (almost always) free and super easy tax form choices – 1040EZ and 1040A – but using them could make your tax bill higher than it needs to be. If you have a very simple tax situation – single, no kids, a W-2 job, a little interest income, for...
by Michele Cagan | Feb 17, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, You Need to Know This
UPDATED FOR 2021 Most people have no idea they could shrink their tax bills by up to $1,000 extra. But it’s actually very easy. Plus, it’s in the form of a tax credit – called the Saver’s Credit – that benefits you twice. First, this is a tax credit, not a tax...
by Michele Cagan | Feb 15, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
Lower your income tax bill by taking advantage of every single deduction you can… and that includes some rarely-used but totally legit tax breaks that can put more money back in your hands. Each of these little-known deductions comes with its own set of twists and...
