#tax deductions

Little-Known Tax Tips for Small-Business Owners

Attax time, small businesses look for ways to save money and maximize credits and deductions. “One of the most overlooked ways for small businesses to save at tax time starts at the beginning of each tax year,” advises David Ayoub, CPA in Syracuse, N.Y. “It’s simple. Keep every receipt. Find a way to corral all the loose receipts lying around your desk, in your purse and in your car. They can add up to a lot of deductions.” Another easy and often overlooked deduction is the cash transactions that many small businesses do. “Keep track of everything in a log,” adds Ayoub. To find out more, see the full TurboTax article.

What to Know About Taxes on Found Property

It’s happened to many of us at some point—you may be walking along a street and look down. Lo and behold, there’s a $20 bill in your path. Or maybe it’s a silver bracelet. Either way, it’s found property. The tax ramifications of finding a $20 bill are negligible. The bracelet is a different story if it has any value. Now the Internal Revenue Service gets involved. See the full TurboTax article to get the breakdown on how the IRS treats found propertyattax time.

The Difference Between a 1099 and a W-2 Tax Form

Both the Form W-2 and Form 1099 serve a similar purpose—to report income you earned from sources throughout the tax year—but each is issued under different circumstances and requires slightly different approaches for tax season planning. See the full TurboTax article for some tips to decode these two forms and what to expect when preparing your taxes.

Common Tax Deductions for Construction Workers

Regardless of your trade in the construction industry, allowable tax deductions can lower your tax liability and possibly lead to getting a tax refund. You can deduct common expenses such as tools and materials, and even certain other items that come in handy in your business or on the job. 

If you’re an employee for a construction company, rather than an independent contractor, and your employer doesn’t reimburse you for expenses on the job, your unreimbursed employee expenses are no longer deductible. Independent contractors generally have no limit on the ability to deduct work related expenses. See the full TurboTax article for details so you can plan ahead.

Cost Basis: Tracking Your Tax Basis

“Basis” is one of the most important words in the lexicon of taxes. Sometimes you see it by itself. Sometimes it’s called “cost basis” or “adjusted basis” or “tax basis.” Whatever it’s called, it’s important to calculating the amount of gain or loss when you sell an asset. To find out more about this important tax concept, see the full TurboTax article.

Making Taxes Easy: Tips for Organizing Receipts and Expenses

Tracking your expenses could help you save money at tax time. But it’s essential that you keep receipts and documentation to back up each expense and justify your deductions if necessary. See the full TurboTax article for tips to organizing receipts and expenses to make taxes easy.

Top Tax Deductions for Consultants

Consultants are likely to have deductible business expenses that can help you save big on your taxes. A checklist can help you account for every deduction you’re entitled to use. See the full TurboTax article for the top tax deductions for consultants.

How Bonuses Are Taxed

Working hard all year to help your company meet its annual goals deserves a reward, and you’ve definitely earned that bonus. But bonuses count toward your income for the year, so they’re subject to income taxes. To learn how much tax you can expect to pay on your bonus—and for tips on reducing your tax liability, see the full TurboTax article.

Tax Tips for Freelance Writers and Self-Published Authors

If you earn money selling your words to websites and other publishers, the Internal Revenue Service will likely say you’re a small business owner. Freelance income is self-employment income, and so are any royalties you receive for that book you published or self-published. That can be a good thing, because the self-employed are privy to some tax perks that employees don’t usually receive. To learn more, see the full TurboTax article.

Work as a Hair Stylist? Tax Tips for Hairdressers

As a hair stylist, you’re probably more focused on giving your clients the perfectly tousled waves than thinking about your tax liability. But a bit oftax savvy can save you some serious dough at tax time—just make sure all your documentation is in line. See the full TurboTax article to learn how to get the most from your business deductions and minimize the taxes you may owe.

What Is My Tax Bracket?

The term “tax bracket” refers to the highest tax rate charged on your income. Under the federal income taxsystem,different rates apply to different portions of your income. So people in, say, the 25 percent tax bracket don’t actually pay 25 percent of their income in taxes; rather, the last dollar they earn is taxed at 25 percent. To find out more, see the full TurboTax article.

What Are Tax Brackets?

The United States uses a progressive tax system, which means different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. To learn more about this system and how it impacts your taxes, see the full TurboTax article about tax brackets.

What Is the Federal Supplemental Tax Rate?

If you work as an employee, the amount of tax withheld from your paycheck is based upon the information you provided on Form W-4. However, if you receive any form of supplemental wages during the year, your employer may be required to withhold tax using a different method. To learn more how supplemental wages affect your tax return, see the full TurboTax article.

What Is Form 1098-E: Student Loan Interest Statement?

If you paid interest on a qualified student loan, you may be able to deduct some or even all of that interest on your federal income tax return. Student loan companies use IRS Form 1098-E to report how much you paid in interest. Borrowers get a copy of this form, and so does the IRS. To learn more about who sends it and what to do if you don’t receive one, see the full TurboTax article.

Tax Deductions for Voluntary Interest Payments on Student Loans

Most taxpayers who pay interest on student loans can take a tax deduction for the expense—and you can do this regardless of whether you itemize tax deductions on your return. The rules for claiming the deduction are the same whether the interest payments were required or voluntary. To learn more about claiming the deduction, see the full TurboTax article.

Sending Kids to College

TurboTax can help you take advantage of tax breaks to ease the financial burden of sending kids to college, including tax credits, tuition deductions, tax-free savings and more. To learn more about what is available and who is eligible, see the full TurboTax article.

The Golden Years Guide to Tax-Free Retirement

The earlier you begin socking away savings, the much better off you’ll be in your “golden years.” By using some tax tips, you can end up paying little or no taxes after you retire. To learn more, see the full TurboTax article.

The Musician’s Guide to Taxes: Top Tax Deductions

The chance to be creative—and the opportunity to be your own boss—makes working as a musician exciting. Launching and maintaining your music business usually involves paying some basic business expenses, and you can deduct these on your tax return. See the full TurboTax article for some of the top business deductions and expenses for self-employed musicians, as well as some tips to guide you through filing your tax return.

Tax Tips After You Retire

Even if your current retirement income plan doesn’t provide maximum tax benefits, you can still restructure your payment strategies to optimize your tax results. For money-saving details, see the full TurboTax article.

About Student Loans and Tax Credits

The federal government offers two tax credits that reduce your tax bill on a dollar-for-dollar basis for your school-related expenses—the American Opportunity credit and the Lifetime Learning credit. To find out more, see the full TurboTax article.