Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." And the two may be even more closely linked than we thought -- a new study shows fatal car crashes rise on April's annual tax deadline day.
Remember the kids who always sat in the front of the classroom, the ones who reminded the teacher when she forgot to hand out homework? Those kids grew up into adults who get their oil changed every 3,000 miles, visit the dentist every six months like clockwork and file their taxes as soon as they can.
Then there were the back of the class kids. They're now the reasons dentists send those "we
Tax time can be very frustrating when you realize you're not going to get as big of a refund as you were expecting, or worse, you're going to have to send the IRS a check. So it's no wonder people might ask if their pet counts as a dependent (it doesn't) or if they can write off that new suit jacket (probably not).
"Nothing can said to be certain, except death and taxes." As April 15 approaches, those famous words from Benjamin Franklin resonate stronger and stronger. Yet Franklin spoke them 100 years before the most difficult and vexing tax to most Americans -- the income tax -- even existed.
So how exactly did the income tax as we know it come to be?
Using online programs like Turbotax to file personal taxes is growing more and more popular, but there are still plenty of good reasons to hire a professional. The money you save by doing it yourself may not ultimately be worth it, since an accountant is trained to find those extra deductions and other ways to lower your overall bill to the IRS.
Amount of income, number of deductions, total receipts, amount of times you banged your head on the table: April is the month of figures.
If the amount of money in your bank account and number on your tax return are making you crazy, take a break, take a breath and distract yourself with some of these numbers from the IRS.
Tax day is right around the corner -- but that doesn't mean we'll all pay our fair share.
An IRS survey last year found the percentage of people who thought it was acceptable to cheat “as much as possible” on their returns doubled compared to 2010.
It may still be early in the year, but it's not too early to start thinking about your taxes for next year. As much fun as it is to procrastinate, now is the time you can really make a difference in next year's IRS bill. If you plan ahead, you can save a bundle in 2014 using these five simple (and some not-so-simple) ways:
Start a Health Savings Account
If you're young or middle-aged and have conc
It's that time of year when people are starting to do their taxes. It's something we have to do every single year, we have to get those returns done and in to the IRS. However, it seems criminals come out of the wood works trying to get your hard earned money. The Amarillo Police Department is warning of scammers.