The IRS recently announced that it will adjust its use of tax liens to collect back taxes. A federal tax lien gives the IRS a claim on a delinquent taxpayer’s property for unpaid taxes. This change means the IRS won’t use a tax lien unless at least $10,000 in back taxes is owed; the previous threshold had been $5,000. In addition, the IRS says it will “withdraw” more tax liens once the back taxes have been

“Tax Freedom Day” fell on April 12 in 2011, three days later than in 2010. According to the Tax Foundation, all the money earned by taxpayers in the first 102 days of 2011 will go to pay their federal, state, and local taxes. Another statistic from the Tax Foundation: If the government were to collect enough taxes to fund all spending for 2011 (with no deficit), Tax Freedom Day would be May 23, 2011. That’s 41

Planning to rent out your vacation getaway? When it comes to taking advantage of the tax benefits, timing is an important factor. Here are two points to remember. The fourteen-day-or-ten-percent test. The IRS applies this test to determine if you use your vacation home as a personal residence. If you stay in the home more than 14 days or 10% of the total days it’s rented in a calendar year (whichever is greater), the general rule

Recent events here and abroad are reminders that disasters can occur at any time – often with staggering human and financial costs. If you’re an unlucky victim of a disaster, you may receive help from insurance and federal disaster aid. But the tax code also offers some relief. You may be able to take an itemized deduction for part of your loss. In tax terms, it’s a “casualty loss,” and it can also apply to events

Suppose you’re selling your business, and it’s worth $400,000. You’re offered $210,000 down and lump sums of $100,000 at the end of year one and year two. Should you take the offer? Most people know that $1,000 now is worth more than $1,000 a year from now. Here’s why: 1. Inflation: In a year, a dollar will buy less than it would today. 2. Risk: Over time, the risk increases that some of the money owed

There’s good news if you’re concerned about estate taxes. For the next two years (2011 and 2012), the value of your estate that’s excluded from tax is set at $5 million. And the top rate on taxable estates is 35%. The $5 million exemption is per person, thus a couple’s exemption is $10 million. Also notable in the law is the new portability of unused exemptions. Under prior law, couples frequently performed complex estate planning to

On April 14, 2011, President Obama signed legislation – the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Replacement of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 – repealing expanded reporting rules for businesses and landlords that had been created by laws passed in 2010. Business reporting. The Form 1099 reporting rules were changed by the 2010 health care legislation. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, every business, charitable organization, and governmental unit was required to

Sunset was postponed last December, at least in the world of taxes. Many existing laws, which had been due to expire, or “sunset” at the end of 2010, were extended through 2012. At the same time, new rules that can impact your tax planning came into effect. With so many changes, you’ll want to make sure you understand the possibilities available to you as you undertake your tax planning for 2011. Here are some suggestions. Business