The IRS, or Internal Revenue Service, is the agency in the federal government responsible for regulating and collecting taxes. Learn more here about your taxes and what the IRS does in these articles, columns, blog posts, videos and radio shows.
Tax Liens and Bankruptcy: What You Need to Know
Tax liens can hang around, even after you file for bankruptcy. Here’s what you need to know to avoid issues post-bankruptcy. Q: I recently sold a property that had a tax lien on it along with a few other "things from the past." I had a wildly successful business for eleven years that failed after [...]
Do Appliances Increase the Cost Basis of Your Home?
Do appliances increase the cost basis of your home? The short answer: it depends on your situation. Q: How can you say, as you did in a recent newspaper article, that putting in a new washer and dryer is an expense that would increase your basis in a condo? Aren't appliances simply replacements rather than [...]
Will a Loan From a Family Member Impact My Taxes?
Will a loan from a family member impact my taxes? The IRS will treat the loan differently, depending on how you pay it back. Q: My mom is giving us money to buy a vacation home. We will pay her back monthly but it's more of a handshake agreement. Will there be any tax implications [...]
Will Tax Reform Kill The Housing Market and Tank Home Prices?
Is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act going to kill the housing market and tank home prices? With the passage of Tax Reform in the House of Representatives, real estate industry groups have gone on the warpath to prevent legislation they believe is ultimately damaging to real estate. Is tax reform going to kill the [...]
Will Being on the Title of Your Parent’s Home Affect Your Taxes?
When a parent adds their children to the title of their home - and later sells that home - the tax implications for the children are complicated. Q: I read somewhere that what my mother did by putting her kids on the title to her home with her was wrong. How can the title be [...]
Cosigning a mortgage for foreign property? What you need to know at tax time
Cosigning a mortgage for foreign property? What you need to know at tax time so you don’t get caught by the IRS. Q: I was wondering if you could help me find some answers. I helped my cousin buy a home in Canada which she used as her principal residence. I did not help her [...]
Capital Gains Tax When You Sell Your House After a Divorce
After divorce, your capital gains tax burden on the sale of a property owed with your ex-spouse can be difficult to determine. Q: I separated from my husband five years ago, was divorced four years ago. As part of the divorce decree, he was to live in the house until both of our children went [...]
IRS Policy Change Aims to Help Victims of Identity Theft
From 2011 through 2014, identity thieves submitted more than 19 million suspicious tax returns to the IRS for more than $63 billion in fraudulent refunds. But until recently, taxpayers weren’t allowed to see the fraudulent returns filed using their Social Security numbers (SSNs). That changed recently, thanks in part to a letter sent to the [...]
4 Common Errors to Avoid When Filing Your Taxes
Everyone makes mistakes, but if your mistake happens to come in the middle of filing your taxes, you may find yourself facing a delayed refund (if you’re owed one), or a lengthy amendment process. According to the IRS, people who manually file their tax returns are about 20 times more likely to make mistakes than [...]
My Tax Refund Was Stolen—What Should I Do?
Odds are rapidly increasing that you could become a victim of identity theft or have your tax refund stolen. In early 2015, the IRS announced that tax-related identity theft was once again a major concern for consumers, naming it to the agency’s “Dirty Dozen” tax scams list for the year. According to the latest data [...]