Gotcha: The Alternative Minimum Tax

The Alternative Minimum Tax was established in 1969 as an alternative tax system for individuals that were able to avoid paying taxes while still earning above average incomes. The system is not indexed to inflation and over time has been applied to more and more medium income households. Recent changes to the tax code have attempted to minimize this negative and unexpected event.

Taxpayers find when their taxable income reaches a certain level and they have the right mix of tax adjustments that the AMT applies and increases their taxes for the year. Accountants are … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Many people have been troubled by the impact of the financial crisis on their savings. If you are retired, you probably know that there is an annual minimum distribution that you are required to take from your IRA if you are 70-1/2 or older, that is, you must take money out every year, or you are penalized on the funds. However, if you do not need the money to live on, you may consider it a disadvantage to have to cash something out at the moment, because you might want to leave your investments in place to recover, rather than … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Credits to Reduce Your Taxes

A tax credit reduces your tax bill by the exact amount of the credit and is therefore the number #1 way to reduce your tax burden. And for some will little income, credits can actually create a refund beyond what was paid to the government for the tax year.

Child Tax Credit

For each child an individual or a couple have, they receive a tax credit of $1,000 above the $3,500 child tax exemption. There are income limits on the $1,000 credit which are $75,000 for single tax payers and $110,000 for married couples. At … Read more at 2009 Taxes