The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the South Dakota vs Wayfair case that opens the door for states to impose the sales tax on sellers outside their borders. The case highlights a new standard of business presence called “economic nexus” that may have major implications for businesses and consumers alike. Economic nexus explained The exact definition varies, but in general, economic nexus makes a connection between a taxing authority (usually a state) and a

No-one likes to be blindsided by financial hardship. Listed here are 10 ideas to help ensure your financial situation stays healthy.

There’s a new student loan repayment program that forgives some student loan debt if other payments are made. This new debt forgiveness is creating a tax surprise for the unsuspecting student. Here is what you need to know. The debt forgiveness program dilemma To combat the hardship of high student loan debt, a popular new repayment option is the income-based repayment plan. These plans limit monthly payment amounts to a percentage of discretionary income. They also

Here are several popular free or inexpensive online tools that can help manage and protect your online activities. They range from password management tools to security protection services. Password Managers A decade-old study by Microsoft estimates that the average person memorizes about six passwords and reuses them over and over. Today most people use dozens if not hundreds of online sites that require passwords. You put your security at risk if you are still using a

Like a bundle of sticks, good business partners support each other and are less likely to crack under strain together than on their own. In fact, companies with multiple owners have a stronger chance of surviving their first five years than sole proprietorships, according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. Yet sole proprietorships are more common than partnerships, making up more than 70 percent of all businesses. That’s because while good partnerships are strong, they can

Whether it makes sense to amend your return depends on which of these situations you’re in: If you owe the IRS If you discover an omission on your tax return that results in you owing additional tax, you need to correct it with an amendment and provide the tax due. Don’t delay if this is your situation. If the IRS discovers the omission before you do, they may add interest and penalties to your bill.

The average household carries $137,063 in debt, while the median household income is less than $60,000, according to data from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Labor Department. While it’s easy to get into debt, it can be hard to get out. Here are five tips personal finance experts recommend to lower your debt burden:

Planning to replace common items Part of financial planning is having a good sense of how much it will cost to replace your possessions when they break down or wear out. But many of the big-ticket consumer products may cost more to replace and wear out sooner than you think. An essential part of financial planning is to budget replacing some of these items each year. To help you do this, here are some common big-ticket

New parents have their work cut out for them. Not only are they dealing with lost sleep, they also face the extra cost of raising a child. At least there are a lot of potential tax breaks available to them. Check out this list and share it with any new parents you know.

July 4: Independence Day July 31: Quarterly federal excise tax returns (Form 720) due July 31: Employer quarterly federal tax returns (Form 941) due July 31: Calendar-year employee retirement and benefit plan returns (5500 series) due