“Basis” is one of the most important words in the lexicon of taxes. Sometimes you see it by itself. Sometimes it’s called “cost basis” or “adjusted basis” or “tax basis.” Whatever it’s called, it’s important to calculating the amount of gain or loss when you sell an asset. To find out more about this important tax concept, see the full TurboTax article.
Working hard all year to help your company meet its annual goals deserves a reward, and you’ve definitely earned that bonus. But bonuses count toward your income for the year, so they’re subject to income taxes. To learn how much tax you can expect to pay on your bonus—and for tips on reducing your tax liability, see the full TurboTax article.
Small businesses create jobs and help drive economic growth, and they can improve their bottom line at tax time under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act that was passed in 2015. Recent provisions in the Act extend and protect certain tax benefits for businesses, making long-term planning easier for fledgling companies, entrepreneurial firms, and startups, to name a few. To find out more, see the full TurboTax article.
If you earn money selling your words to websites and other publishers, the Internal Revenue Service will likely say you’re a small business owner. Freelance income is self-employment income, and so are any royalties you receive for that book you published or self-published. That can be a good thing, because the self-employed are privy to some tax perks that employees don’t usually receive. To learn more, see the full TurboTax article.
The decision to send your child to a public or private school is a personal choice. If you settle on private K-12 schooling, there are a few benefits that can help to reduce your federal tax liability and, in some states, your state tax as well. You’ll really see a tax benefit, though, when you send your child to college. Both private and public post-secondary educations come with some generous tax breaks for your family to help make education more affordable. To learn more, see the full TurboTax article.
The United States uses a progressive tax system, which means different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. To learn more about this system and how it impacts your taxes, see the full TurboTax article about tax brackets.
Having a side gig can help you make ends meet or build your rainy day fund. Income from freelance work, running your own small business or working at a second job brings in extra income without requiring you to quit your day job. But, like your main source of income, a second job or side gig must be reported on Form 1040 at tax time. To learn more, see the full TurboTax article.
Careless mistakes at tax time can leave people paying more money to the IRS. Those mistakes are avoidable through awareness of and strict adherence to the tax rules, including deadlines. See the full TurboTax article to learn the five most common IRS penalties and how to avoid them.
Certain red flags in a tax return are sure to draw scrutiny by the IRS. Some are easy to sidestep. Others, can’t be helped. These include:
To find out more, read the full TurboTax article.
If you paid interest on a qualified student loan, you may be able to deduct some or even all of that interest on your federal income tax return. Student loan companies use IRS Form 1098-E to report how much you paid in interest. Borrowers get a copy of this form, and so does the IRS. To learn more about who sends it and what to do if you don’t receive one, see the full TurboTax article.
Running a photography business requires a lot of space—from the studios where you shoot to the storage space where you keep a library of props. You can deduct the cost of the venues used for your business. You can also deduct other costs associated with studio space that are used to maintain it, like electricity, phone, internet, and insurance. For more tax tips, see the full TurboTax article.
“Tenancy in common” (or TIC) refers to a situation in which ownership of a piece of property is divided among multiple people. When the owners of a piece of real estate have a tenancy in common, it can create a number of complications related to taxes. See the full TurboTax article for details.
If you receive income from a source other than earned wages or salaries, you may receive a Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income. Generally, the income on this form is subject to federal income tax and state income tax. The IRS requires those that pay miscellaneous income in the course of their trade or business to issue Form 1099-MISC to their payees and requires the payees to include these payments on their tax returns. For details, see the full TurboTax article.
You can find almost anything for sale on eBay, from a piece of fine art to clippings of Justin Bieber’s hair. So it’s no surprise that the IRS doesn’t view all sellers alike in the online marketplace. You may not have to pay tax at all if you are essentially hosting an online garage sale, but if you run your eBay account more like a business, you should be reporting your sales to the IRS. To find out more, see the full TurboTax article.
Attractive pay with a side of flexibility makes on-demand food delivery an ideal way to put extra cash in your pocket. Like most other income you earn, the money you make delivering food to hungry folks via mobile apps such as — UberEATS, Postmates and DoorDash—is subject to taxes. To find out what to put on your tax return, see the full TurboTax article.