WHERE IS YOUR REFUND……….

DO YOU KNOW YOUR STATUS?

Have you ever went on Where’s My Refund or called and they don’t know they seem as clueless as you do about the whereabouts of your REFUND?

Here’s Some interesting Facts about Where’s My Refund……….

Where’s My Refund is actually a call center located in a WAREHOUSE in Virginia. The workers are paid min. wage and all they have access to is a computer and the website Where’s My Refund. That is why when you call they give you the same details that is on the website and they tell you mam/sir it is being processed but we have received it. They don’t Know anymore about where your refund is than you do..

But here is how you actually find out your status if you are having trouble with the website. You should look on you Tax Documents or call you Tax Preparer and ask them for you SUbmission/transaction ID # of your return and then call the IRS personally and give them the #. They will then be able to provide you with an accurate status of your Return…..

Single Fathers Beware…..

   Earned Income Credit

HEADS UP TO SINGLE FATHERS……

Being that it is uncommon for single fathers to claim dependents the IRS usually flags single fathers who take the EIC credit. If you have everything in order and have been take care of business don’t be worried when you see the notice in the mail.

Make sure that you have proof that your dependent is a qualifying dependent and that you qualify to claim Head of Household.

Red Flags occur when this is your first year claiming the child. It also occurs when you fail to present authorization from the mother that you can claim the child. Experienced tax preparer will usually ask for documents stating you can claim the child or inquire the mother’s permission.

TAX TIPS

Great Tax Tips Every 1st & 2nd time Homeowners Should Know

1. Take Advantage of the MCC (Mortgage Credit Certificate) Program.

All qualified participants will receive up to $2000 dollar credit against the Mortgage interest of the House. This equates up          to 60k in tax savings for the lifespan of your home.  In order to qualify the home must be your primary residence or you              couldn’t have owned a home the last 2-3 years  For more info please Visit My New Home Programs.

2. Downgrade Your Home & Save BIG TIME

You can use the profits from the sell of your first home and apply them to a down payment on your future home.  You are able to take the profits from your first home TAX Free. Depending on your filing status you can take home up to 500k profits from the sell of your home. You have to prove that you have been a residence for at least a couple of years.

3.Property Taxes 

You can deduct your property taxes paid for any number of property you own.

4. Rental Income

IF you rent out your residence for 14 days or less you don’t have to pay any taxes on the money you collected, no matter the amount.  Due to the great law of depreciation if you rent out your home for additional income depreciation usually eliminates your capital gain and you get to pocket the money TAX FREE.

There are numerous advantages that you can take advantage of when buying real estate.  You should discuss the opportunities with your spouse and tax consultant.  With great Tax Planning you can find great ways to use the gov’t to put more money into your pocket.  Most people have he attitude that the government is out to take all of their hard earned money.  The way to avoid this is to do the things they incentivize you to do and you will save tremendously. There are amazing tips available at http://www.irs.gov and also visit My Community Services Facebook Page for great Tax updates and info.

Free Income Tax Assistance Program

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

Do you or a Loved one Qualify for free Income Tax Assistance??

VITA (which stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) was created to help and provide assistance to elderly, disabled, and limited English speaking tax payers.  The program is great because it provides a safe haven for people who are usually targets of certain tax frauds and scams.  It provides a service that can educate and teach the disabled or elderly tax payers. Which will give them the knowledge to avoid being taking advantage of .  The program is safe and secure and it a provides a way for those who are on a fixed income to keep money in their pocket.  To Find our More about the services and requirements please go visit  VITA .

Uncover up to $60,000 in tax Savings with the New Home BUYER program…

Have you heard or taken advantage of the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program……..

Lets me start by saying that any credit is better than a tax deduction because a credit is a dollar for dollar deduction against your taxes owed.  Ex: if you owe a $1000 in taxes to the IRS and Have a $1000 tax credit then the tax credit will reduce your tax liability to 0.  Remember a credit is dollar for dollar so it will completely cancel your tax liability dollar for dollar.

Now that you know how valuable a credit is lets talk about how this MCC Program can help out first time homebuyers in a huge way.  The way I calculate it this can result in savings up to $60,000.  You would be foolish not to investigate and figure out if you are eligible for the Program…

Ok, the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program was created to allow homeowner to claim a percentage of the mortgage interest every year.

To be approve by the program you must meet some the following criteria:

• home must be used as primary residence
• meet the requirements of the mortgage loan
• have the income and purchase requirements
• have not owned a home or primary residence in 3 years
• homebuyer education course must be completed before loan closes
• MCC issuance fee of 1% of the loan

The MCC program will allow you to Credit 40% of your mortgage interest paid each year up to $2000. The credit can only be applied to tax liabilities and if the credit is more than your taxes owed you can apply the remaining balance to your next year tax return.  You are allowed to claim this credit every year for the  the entire length of the loan.  That is how I came up with $60,000 worth of savings by  multiplying 30 (avg. length of loan) x 2000(max credit allowed).

Please take the time to read more into the loan procedures and benefits.  Each state is different make sure you know the state requirements you need to qualify for the program.  A great company that is helping people with this program located in Houston, Texas is www.newhomeprograms.com ..

Being Organized Pay$ Well………….

The problem with most of us when it comes to saving and doing taxes is Organization. We are lazy & it is just takes too much out of us to get organized…….  Right?  Well I got news for you that way of thinking and doing could be costing you thousands of dollars each year in tax savings.  You have to understand that in order for your tax preparer to do the best job they can, they need you to provide them with accurate and proven info.  Most people enter a tax office and expect their preparer to do magic  when you have given them nothing to work with.  Dropping a shoe box full of receipts on your tax preparers desk is not doing you any good and is not helpful.  There are millions of apps on your phone (taxbot) that you can use and make your life a lot less taxing.  When you are unorganized your taxes are rushed and deductions and credits seem to always be missed.  The fact of the matter is it is up to you to take control of your documents and have them well prepared before tax season so it can be a smooth process which puts a lot more money into your pocket at the end of the day.  I suggest that you Tax plan and talk with your preparer on ways that you can help make their job easier to better serve you.

It literally takes a couple of seconds after a meal or business outing to pull out your mobile device and snap a pic of the receipt and purpose of the dinner.  With the unlimited access to tax apps available to help automate your tax diary there is no excuse to be unorganized.  If you know that you are not a organized person you can always hire someone or put your kids to work to keep track of your receipts and important tax documents… Start planning now to save and increase your refund for the upcoming season

Avoid Penalties and Interest

Today is the last the day to file your 2013 taxes if you filed for an extension.  Failure to file today will result and in additional penalties and interest.  Always know the two most important dates when dealing with income taxes which are : April 15 & Oct.15th.   To avoid tax penalties and interest make sure you contact your preparer/accountant and do some tax planning for the upcoming tax season.  Tax planning and keeping up with documents and receipts are great ways to avoid rushing and penalties.  Not to mention that when you are rushing and your paperwork is not organized there is a bigger chance that your tax preparer/accountant will overlook deductions that could have saved you money.