The TurboTax ItsDeductible App

The TurboTax ItsDeductible App

Intuit Inc. announced on December 3, 2013 its new TurboTax ItsDeductible app, had become available for use on the iPhone. The app is geared towards assisting the estimated seventy-five percent of US citizens, who make donations to charity, to be able to convert their goodwill into considerable tax deductions. Free of charge, the app is offered on the iPhone with iOS7 app store.

The Turbo Tax Online program is very popular. Persons are able to monitor their charitable donations easily with TurboTax ItsDeductible, through the combination of the convenience and portability of a mobile device. Valuations for over ten thousand items commonly donated, such as toys, sporting goods, clothing, appliances, games, household products among others, are featured on this app.

Most taxpayers are aware that non cash donations can be tax deductible, however they do not always accurately value the goods that they donate. This is usually because they randomly guess the value. An example of this is when bags of clothing are donated, and perhaps valued at $50.00, when in fact the actual value is over $300.00.

Before leaving a donation facility, persons can quickly and easily enter their donated items into TurboTax ItsDeductible. The app will then automatically use the guidelines established by the Internal Revenue Service, to make a fair market valuation. This will ensure that users receive the total deductions that they are entitled to, on their tax returns. Location sensitive technology is used by the app to capture the address of the charity quickly, for the purpose of tax record keeping. So that philanthropists can be rewarded properly for their generosity, they should use this app to monitor their donations.

Finding Free Tax Tips For Your Taxes

Free Tax Tips

No one wants to make a mistake when filing his or her taxes to the federal government. Unfortunately, filing on your own can be a bit difficult. If you want to file correctly, you probably want to take the time to look at free tax tips. Below are a couple sources of free tax tips for your 2013 or 2014 filings.

One of the best places to start looking for tax tips is always with the IRS (www.irs.gov). Not only is this the official source for tax information in the United States, but its tips are actually quite easy to follow. If you want a bit more information, it might be useful to take some time to look at some of the tax processing sites out there. Sites like TaxAct (www.TaxAct.com) and TurboTax (www.turbotax.com) have a great deal of filing information available even for those who do not choose to use the services. If you want to go straight to a trusted information source for even more, though, you might want to check out CNNMoney (money.cnn.com) for information when it gets closer to tax time.

If you are looking for more traditional sources, large tax processing services like H&R Block tend to have information about filing taxes available around tax time. In fact, it may be possible for you to get a quick class on how to file your own taxes from a similar giant, or even from a local tax accountant. Free classes tend to pop up around January each year, so taking the time to look at these information sources can be helpful.

Free SCORE Tax Tips

Free SCORE Tax Tips

Having your own small business can be a rewarding experience. There are many aspects that can be difficult to accomplish on your own though. The most important issue that needs to be watched and completed correctly is taxes. Ten free tax tips offered by the Score business website can be helpful to any business owner.

Deductions are the most important thing to remember with your own business. Do not overlook those deductions that may not be the most obvious. Even trips that combine business and pleasure can be used as a write off, just make sure more than half is business related. If your business has employees, you need to worry about getting the correct taxes out of paychecks. Social security, medicare, state and federal taxes all must be withheld. Also unemployment taxes and employer matching are also important.

Keep all of the tax documents for at least seven years. Good record keeping could save money in the end. Business tax returns and licenses should be kept indefinitely though.

Make sure that all of the business tax deadlines are met. April 15 may be the personal deadline but it is not the same for business. All business owners know that estimated taxes are due four times a year. And they remember that sales taxes are due either monthly or quarterly or their bookkeeper keeps track of the dates for them. Employee taxes are even more difficult, they are due either weekly, monthly, or quarterly. This will decide manly on the size of the business. All of these different rules can affect the business greatly. Keep on top of your taxes to avoid tax penalties and interest charges from the IRS.

New Tax Relief For Education

New Tax Relief For Education

The Lifetime Learning Credit 2010 gives a tax credit of up to $2,000 dollars for types of higher learning. It differs from the American Opportunity Tax Credit because it can be claimed for part-time students  and even for courses that don’t count towards a degree. This credit has been made available through 2011, 2012, and again this year. Eligible Expenses include Tuition but not room and board, Books, Equipment, and fees that may be required by the University. The Lifetime Earning Credit isn’t eligible with tuition paid fro by a scholarship, employer funds or a grant. Even if multiple students are eligible the Lifetime Learning Credit can only be claimed once a year per household. The tax credit reduces taxes by 20% for non qualified expenses for up to $10,000 dollars for a total of up to $2,000.

A construction project to repair and update th...
A construction project to repair and update the building façade at the Department of Education headquarters in 2002 resulted in the installation of structures at all of the entrances to protect employees and visitors from falling debris. ED redesigned these protective structures to promote the “No Child Left Behind Act”. The structures were temporary and were removed in 2008. Source: U.S. Department of Education, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You may claim the credit if you, a dependent or your spouse attends an eligible university or educational institution. even if only one class is taken, the tax credit may be claimed. All accredited colleges and universities are eligible as well as vocational schools as long as their also eligible for the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Programs. Single head of households and qualifying widows earning between $53,000 and $63,000 have been phased out for 2013. If you’re married and filing jointly, the phase amount is $107,000 to $127,000. This amount is up from 2012’s phase out range of $52,000 to $62,000 for qualifying widows and single, head of household and a range of $104,000 to $124,000 for Married couples filing jointly.

Using TaxBrain.com Software And Calculators

Using TaxBrain.com Software And Calculators

Filing and preparing taxes each year is a responsibility of all American wage earners.  While it is a recurring obligation, the process of filing and preparing taxes can be pretty complicated considering the complexity of the current tax code.  When filing your taxes, it would be a good idea to take advantage of online tax preparation and guidance services provided by TaxBrain.com. Update: TaxBrain.com Software has been discontinued.

It Takes Taxes and Bonds - NARA - 534022
It Takes Taxes and Bonds – NARA – 534022 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Through the use of TaxBrain.com, you will receive a number of different services.  The primary advantage is that you will be able to take advantage of all the current tax code benefits.  While taxes are required every year, deductions and credits that you qualify for could vary considerably from one year to the next.  The software will allow you to input all of your personal information and then will determine what exactly you qualify for, which could end up saving you a lot of money.

Another advantage of using the personal accounting website is that you can be assured that your taxes are compiled and filed correctly.  This can help assure that your annual tax bill is accurate, which could help you avoid fees and other tax penalties in the future.

Beyond paying taxes each year, you should also spend time tax planning for future years.  Through the use of a tax calculator, you will be able to determine what you future year’s tax liability will be.  Based on this information, you will be able to determine better if you should withhold more or less taxes during the year.

TurboTax Sees Glitch, #Fails On Twitter

TurboTax Sees Glitch, #Fails On Twitter

Filing taxes is a stressful task no matter how anyone puts it, and if anything goes wrong during the filing, it becomes a nightmare. That is what exactly happened last month when TurboTax users faced a glitch as the deadline to file federal tax returns loomed.

Day 25-A Taxing Evening
Day 25-A Taxing Evening (Photo credit: Mark Sinderson)

The service run by Intuit was unavailable for approximately an hour for some users during evening, which is considered peak hour for the service. It seemed that all would be well since their problems were resolved and service was issued in less than an hour. That, however, was not the case. During the time the site’s Twitter account kept sending out messages, which, although innocent, the affected users thought were mocking them.

“Dependence isn’t always terrific, but it is at #tax time! Aren’t you curious why? #TaxBreaks #TurboTaxTip,” read a popular tweet. A user was quickly to reply with “#TurboTaxFail” hashtags, adding insult to injury. It did not take too long for users to pile on the account, which was actually designated to send out tips and not help users.

Intuit was quick to notice this, interestingly, and canceled tips and focused on helping their affected customers. Having said that, the damage was already done and users felt disgruntled at how they received no immediate help or notices on Twitter, which is often used by other services to broadcast down times and errors to their users.

As it stands right now, the company has learned from its mistake and is sure to assign someone to manually handle their Twitter account.