IRS Special Edition Tax Tip 2012-02 - The Internal Revenue Service has issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” tax scams list, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud. Read more →

Congress passed an extension of the 2% payroll tax cut that had been scheduled to expire at the end of February. The extension means 160 million working Americans will continue to pay social security tax on their wages at a 4.2% rate for the rest of 2012, rather than at a 6.2% rate. Read more →

Health care legislation passed in 2010 included a tax credit for small businesses that provided health care coverage for their employees. Recent surveys have shown that the majority of small companies that could qualify for the credit have failed to take it. The reasons given for ignoring the credit ranged from being unaware of it to finding the credit too complicated to compute. Read more →

If you own foreign investments, you may have an additional federal tax filing requirement this year.

Form 8938, “Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets,” is due April 17, 2012, and is filed as part of your individual tax return. You’ll use Form 8938 to disclose interests in certain foreign financial accounts when your ownership exceeds the reporting requirements.  Read more →

If you’ve given up itemizing deductions, you’re not alone. These days over half of all taxpayers find they’re better off using the standard deduction. But even if you take the standard deduction, you can also deduct some individual expenses on your 2011 tax return, including the following: Read more →