IRS Taxes Anyone?

How Do You Get a Replacement W-2 Form for 2011? When Should You Receive the Original IRS Form?

Now that we are in the new year, many U.S. taxpayers are eager to get their 2011 tax returns out of the way.  Throughout the month of January, you should receive important tax documents related to income of all kinds.  Most American workers are waiting on IRS Form W-2.  In this article, learn when to [...]

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Temporary 2012 Payroll Tax Cut Extension – Obama Extends Social Security Tax Cut

In 2011, American taxpayers enjoyed a temporary reduction in Social Security taxes.  For what was supposed to be one year only, taxpayers only paid 4.2% in payroll taxes, a 2% reduction from the normal 6.2% rate.  But just before that tax break was about to expire, Congress passed a last-minute short-term extension.  The payroll tax [...]

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Confused by the “Recapture” Provision of the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011? Me, Too!

Pursuant to the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (or H.R. 3765), American taxpayers will receive continued tax relief in the form of lower Social Security tax withholding for the first two months of 2012.  This is an extension of a temporary tax law that was in effect throughout 2011. The Confusing “Recapture” [...]

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Personal Income Tax Questions

I get random questions throughout tax season that don’t necessarily warrant a lengthy explanation, so instead of writing separate posts to address each one, I am going to post the questions and simple answers on this page. Questions about Personal Income Tax Returns and Related Issues Q: I lost my W-2.  How do I get [...]

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Can You File Taxes in December?

A question I often get asked in early December is this – can I file my taxes now or do I have to wait until the first of the year?  It’s a logical question and one I wish I could give a more popular answer to, but the answer is no – you should not [...]

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Registered Tax Return Preparer Competency Test Info – Official IRS Study Guide & Sample Prometric Exam Experience

I recently wrote about the forthcoming IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer (RTRP) competency test on Taxes and Stuff. I promised that the Registered Tax Return Preparer competency test would be available in October 2011.  Only a month behind schedule, the IRS announced that the competency examination is available as of the end of November.  :) [...]

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New IRS PTIN Requirements – Registered Tax Return Preparer Competency Testing Begins October 2011

**Update: The IRS rolled out the new testing requirement in late November 2011.  Read more about the RTRP exam in this post.** Last year, the IRS rolled out new requirements for tax return preparers effective as of January 1, 2011.  Anyone who wanted to prepare a tax return for compensation after 1/1/11 was required to [...]

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Missing Your 2010 Form W-2? What the IRS Says You Should Do

Form W-2 is used by companies to report wages and wage-related figures to the IRS and employees for tax reporting purposes.  This form notifies the IRS that an individual has earned money, and it lets the individual know how much was reported to the government. Missing 2010 Form W-2?  How Long Should You Wait for [...]

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When Can You File 2010 Taxes?

Ever since Congress passed last-minute tax law changes in December 2010, the IRS has been scrambling to make necessary changes to its tax processing systems in time for tax season. Unfortunately, when many Americans were eager to begin filing taxes in late January 2011 / early February 2011 upon receipt of Forms W-2 , 1099, [...]

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