There are many tax breaks that get overlooked, but homeowners often overlook the most obvious deductions. The truth is, as a homeowner, you stand to save hundreds if not thousands off your taxes. However, it all boils down to knowing what you qualify for. The following are just some of the tax breaks homeowners may be missing out on.

Mortgage Interest

The interest you pay on your mortgage should be one the first tax breaks you take advantage of. Those filing single can deduct mortgage interest on homes up to $500,000 ($1 million for married couples). This will require a … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Many people get nervous when it comes to thinking about retirement investing. It can be a very confusing process with complicated terms and options available. However, it is vitally important to save for your future. The earlier you start the better when it comes to saving for retirement. The successful investors are the ones who consistently put money away no matter what the markets are doing. To reach your financial retirement goals there are a couple of options available to most people.

401(k)

If you work for an employer who offers a 401(k), or similar plan, it is quite easy … Read more at 2009 Taxes

According to emerging news reports, Romney has a vast amount of wealth invested in funds through Bain Capital LLC.  This powerhouse is one of the offshore tax havens often used to help lower the 2012 taxes.  Several of the Bain funds have connections offshore that are allowing the financial elite to take advantage of tax breaks.

These news sources are interested in dissecting Romney’s tax returns to see how his use of offshore strategies has allowed him to avoid taxes.  Investments by Romney and others in Bain funds, have money scattered from Delaware, to Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Ireland … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Filing taxes can be a frustrating experience. Hiring a professional for tax filing is not an option for some people. It is easy to file your own taxes with Turbo Tax. In fact, it is possible to file right from an iPhone.

Since many people use their smart phones to do virtually everything, tax filing should not be left out. That is why Turbo Tax has a app for easy filing. It is as easy as snapping pictures of required documents and the app turns them into proper forms.

There is a small charge for electronic tax filing. … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Some reports from an IRS watchdog have indicted the federal tax agency for certain practices regarding offshore account disclosure. An arm of the IRS known as the Taxpayer Advocate Service has been responsible for reporting these kinds of voluntary disclosure policies aimed at wealthy Americans. According to the watchdog report, the IRS has failed to cap penalties in cases of this kind of disclosure.

A standard practice of the IRS has been to reduce the penalties for those who willingly disclose that they have hidden offshore bank accounts. These taxpayers have often accumulated this wealth from overseas jobs or from … Read more at 2009 Taxes

The career of a freelance writer can be very rewarding. However, the career can quickly lose its appeal when tax time arrives and you owe several thousand dollars. Thankfully, there are things you can do to reduce your tax bill and prevent owing such a large sum at once. The following are just five essential tax tips for freelance writers.

Pay Your Estimated Taxes

This cannot be stressed enough. Freelance writers need to pay estimated taxes in April, June, September and January of the following year. These payments will ensure that you don’t get penalized for paying your taxes late … Read more at 2009 Taxes

Each year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports the most common tax deductions taxpayers forget about when submitting their income tax return.  Among one of the most common mistakes taxpayers make is they forget to place their Social Security number on the form or they make a mistake when entering the information.

It is possible for some taxpayers to be overpaying so it helps to make sure you review deductions available and understand how to claim them correctly to obtain the credit.  Below is a list of the most common deductions overlooked by taxpayers:

1. State sales tax: Taxpayers who live
… Read more at 2009 Taxes

Welcome to the October 25, 2011 edition of Tax Carnival Ecstasy. In this edition of the Tax Carnival Ecstasy we have a number of great articles from different financial blogs. Roger White starts us off with 401k Contribution Limits in 2011 and 2012, for those looking to max-out their retirement savings. SteveR has a good post with What to Expect after Receiving an IRS Certified Letter, if you just discovered that you are being audited. And finally, Al Peters presents 4 Things You Should Know About Your Self Assessment Tax Return 2011. Hope you enjoy the material, bookmark, share, tweet,

Innocent Spouse Relief has always been available as a way for taxpayers who file joint tax returns and who were not aware, nor had any kind of reason to be aware, that her or his spouse had underpaid or understated their liability for income taxes. It was designed to offer the innocent taxpayer some protection from the faults of their partners and spouses and details of how it works were to be found in Publication 971 which was entitled Innocent Spouse Relief.

The regulations detailed in Publication 971 state that innocent spouse requests that are seeking relief from liability need … Read more at 2009 Taxes

More and more consumers are choosing to make purchases online today. Retailers lure them on line with web sites or even mobile apps for smart phones that compare prices and features on items from diverse sources. One selling point is that such transactions are usually free of state sales tax. In Massachusetts, though, that may not be the case for long.

Even as members of most committees of the legislature leave town for the summer break, the Committee on Revenue quietly sent legislation that would let Massachusetts start collecting sales tax on transactions that take place on the Internet. Supporters … Read more at 2009 Taxes