Can I Claim My Disabled Spouse as a Dependent?
This question comes up now and then: My spouse is disabled and has no income; can we file as married filing separately and I claim him/her as a dependent on my tax return?
Can I Deduct Cash Put Into the Collection Plate at Church?
At first blush, the answer to the question posed in the title of this post would seem to be yes. Unfortunately, the answer is actually “no.”
What If My Ex Won’t Sign Form 8332?
If your ex won’t sign Form 8332 to let you claim the kids, you don’t have a lot of good options.
What are Excess Social Security Refunds?
What are “excess Social Security taxes” and how do some taxpayers get a refund of those taxes? Let’s take a look.
Revisiting a History of Marriage in the Tax Code, Part 13 (Wrapup Post)
This 13th post about the history of marriage in the tax code pulls together the previous 12 parts in one place, with links below.
Basics of Form 8283
Form 8283 is used to report non-cash charitable donations over $500.
What is the Tax Benefit Rule?
In tax terminology, the phrase “tax benefit rule” refers to whether or not a refund or recovery received in a future year is taxable. For example, whether or not a state income tax refund is taxable on your federal return depends on the “tax benefit rule.”
Retirement Plan Rollover Q&A
Here’s a sample of questions my clients commonly have about retirement plan rollovers.
Revisiting a History of Marriage in the Tax Code, Part 12
Let’s look at things that could be considered “hidden” marriage penalties.
Revisiting a History of Marriage in the Tax Code, Part 11
The tax reform of 1986 eliminated the marriage penalty at the lower income levels. The marriage penalty did still exist, but only at higher income levels.