FAQ

What do I do if I receive a notice from the IRS about my taxes?
Don’t panic! the first thing to do is carefully read the notice—to determine why it was sent, what the IRS is requesting, and what they want you to do. It may be nothing of importance; it may even be a notice in your favor. After reading it you should bring it to our attention.

What do I need to bring when I am having my taxes prepared?
Following is a list of the more common items you should bring if you have them.
- Wage statements (Form W-2)
- Pension, or retirement income (Forms 1099-R)
- Dependents' Social Security numbers and dates of birth
- Last year's tax return
- Information on education expenses
- Information on the sales of stocks and/or bonds
- Self-employed business income and expenses
- Lottery and/or gambling winnings and losses
- State refund amount
- Social Security and/or unemployment income
- Income and expenses from rentals
- Record of purchase or sale of real estate
- Medical and dental expenses
- Real estate and personal property taxes
- Estimated taxes or foreign taxes paid
- Cash and non-cash charitable donations
- Mortgage or home equity loan interest paid (Form 1098)
- Unreimbursed employment-related expenses
- Job-related educational expenses
- Child care expenses and provider information And any other items that you think may be necessary for your taxes.

How do I find out about my refund?
The best way is to use the Check Your Refund link from the Resources pages of our website! To look up the status of your federal or state refund, you will need your social security number, filing status, and exact amount you’re expecting back.

What are the consequences of early withdrawals from my retirement plans?
If you withdraw money from a 401(k) or an IRA before age 59 ½, the distribution is taxable and there is a 10% penalty on the taxable amount. The main exceptions that let you withdraw money early without penalty are as follows:

  • Qualified retirement plan distributions if you separated from service in or after the year you reach age 55 (does not apply to IRAs).
  • Distributions made as a part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments (made at least annually) for your life or the joint lives of you and your designated beneficiary.
  • Distributions due to total and permanent disability.
  • Distributions due to death (does not apply to modified endowment contracts)
  • Qualified retirement plan distributions up to (1) the amount you paid for unreimbursed medical expenses during the year minus (2) 7.5% of your adjusted gross income for the year.
  • IRA distributions made to unemployed individuals for health insurance premiums.
  • IRA distributions made for higher education expenses.
  • IRA distributions made for the purchase of a first home (up to $10,000).
  • Distributions due to an IRS levy on the qualified retirement plan.
  • Qualified distributions to reservists while serving on active duty for at least 180 days.

Are there plans with tax savings for college?
The main plans for saving for college are the 529 plans and the Coverdell plan.

What is the child tax credit?
The child tax credit is a credit of $1000 per child from the IRS. In order to qualify the child must: 1. Be under 17 at the end of the tax year 2. Be a citizen of the United States 3. Be your child 4. Live with you for more than half the year 5. Not be treated as the qualifying child of someone else

What medical expenses are deductible?
A deduction is allowed only for expenses paid for the prevention or alleviation of a physical or mental defect or illness. Medical care expenses include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or treatment affecting any structure or function of the body. Except for insulin, only prescription drugs are deductible. The cost of health insurance is deductible. You may also deduct the cost of traveling to and from the care provider. You can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

If I donate my vehicle to charity, how much can I deduct on my tax return?
In the past there were a lot of charities asking you to donate your car, and there were a lot overinflated appraisals of the fair market value for these vehicles. But recently the IRS has gotten stricter on the way you determine the value of your car. Now you must claim the actual amount the charity received at an auction to sell the car, and the charity should give you timely acknowledgment to claim the deduction. If the vehicle is actually used by the charity instead of sold at auction, then you may claim the vehicle's fair market value.

What are the tax consequences of buying a home?
The main tax consequence of buying a home is that you may be able to deduct the property taxes you pay and any mortgage interest you pay. Points you pay may also be deductible. Please contact our office to determine the eligibility. Normal expenses for maintaining a home are not deductible, but you should keep records of any major expenses for repairs or improvements. I you have a taxable gain when you sell your home, these expenses may be deductible.

I haven’t been filing my tax returns what should I do?
First, you must determine if you were required to file in the years you did not file. There are many different items that could figure into this—such as your filing status, your sources of income, whether you had any tax withheld, etc. This is a link to the IRS instructions for filing requirements for 2007: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96623,00.html. If you determine you should have filed, contact us and we can handle all of your prior year filings. It is very important that you do not just continue to not file. If you owe money the penalties for not filing are high. If you are owed a refund you will lose your claim to it 3 years after the due date of the return.