Income Tax and the IRS
Taxpayer Advocate Tells Congress, 'It’s Still Complicated'
In her latest annual report, U.S. Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson keeps on telling Congress that paying income tax is just too complicated.
Tax Mistakes - 10 Most Common Tax Mistakes
Here are 10 of the most common tax mistakes made on income-tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Tax mistakes can delay processing of your return and mailing of your refund, and lead to more serious problems such as audits.
Who is In the Middle Class?
Politicians say they love the middle class, a group for which the U.S. government has no definition.
IRS Not Really Helping Taxpayers, GAO Reports
In a report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office criticized the IRS for poor performance in answering questions from taxpayers.
Buffett Rule to Tax the Rich
The very rich Warren Buffett said he wanted to pay more taxes. President Obama thought that was a good idea and proposed that more of Warren's fellow well-off Americans should do the same. The idea has become known as the "Buffet rule." How many Americans could it affect?
How Much the Payroll Tax Cut Would Put in Your Pocket in 2012
How much might the payroll tax cut in President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act of 2012 put into your pocket?
Is Your Personal Information Safe With the IRS?
Learn how the IRS accidentally disclosed taxpayers personal information. Find out how frequent such errors are and why they are so dangerous. Read about steps the IRS is taking to correct problems. See which personal information can be used by scam artists and identity thieves.
Federal Gas Tax Rates
Find out how much gas tax the federal government collects. See the rates through history. Learn why Congress has increased the tax repeatedly over the years.
Obama Tax Return for 2010
Read about President Barack Obama's tax return and find out how much the president and first lady paid in taxes for 2010. Find out from the Obama tax return how much President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama earned in 2010. See the list of charitable contributions and deductions on the Obama tax return and find out how much of a tax refund...
Survey Shows How Taxes Burden US Small Business
One in three U.S. small business owners spend two full work weeks annually trying to comply with federal tax laws, according to a new survey from the National Small Business Association (NSBA).
How to Check Your Tax Refund Status on a Smartphone
Discover how to use the IRS2Go smartphone app to check the status of your federal tax return. Learn important details about the security of the IRS2Go smartphone app. Find out where to download the IRS2Go smartphone app.
Illegal Immigrants Pay Taxes, Too
The belief that illegal immigrants, sometimes referred to as unauthorized immigrants, in the United States pay little or no taxes is far from correct, according to the Immigration Policy Center.
Check Your Earned Income Tax Credit Status, IRS Urges
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is urging all taxpayer to see if they qualify to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on their 2010 individual tax returns.
Top 5 Tips for Getting Your Tax Refund Quickly
Find out the quickest way to get a tax refund. See IRS tips for getting a tax refund quickly. Read important information about correcting mistakes in your tax refund.
Tax Code Complexity Slammed by Taxpayer Advocate
The federal tax code remain mind-numbingly complex; a fact National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson could have hardly made clearer when she wrote in her 2010 Annual Report to Congress, “The most serious problem facing taxpayers – and the IRS – is the complexity of the Internal Revenue Code.”
Tax Liens Abused by IRS
Find out why the IRS came under fire for its use of tax liens. Read a history of how often the IRS has filed tax liens during the recession. Discover how ineffective tax liens are at collecting revenue. Learn about the alternatives to tax liens.
Could a National Sales Tax Solve America's Debt Problem?
Read about a proposed national sales tax. Find out how much American would pay in a national sales tax on goods and services. Learn when the national sales tax would be phased in. See where revenue from the national sales tax would go.
Transaction Tax on Home Sales
Read an explanation of the transaction tax on home sales. Find out what the 2010 health care overhaul says about the new tax. See who is impacted by the transaction tax.
History of the US Federal Income Tax
While the federal income tax did not become permanent until 1913, taxes, in some form, have been a part of American history since our earliest days as a nation. Learn about the history of the income tax in America.
The Federal Tax ID or EIN 'Phishing' Scam
An email claiming to be from the IRS offering to help you get a n IRS Employer Identification Number, or EIN is really a dangerous identity theft “phishing” scam.
Are Breast Pumps Tax Deductible?
Find out whether the IRS considers breast pumps tax deductible. See when and why the IRS made breast pumps tax deductible. Discover the tax and public-health benefits of making breast pumps tax deductible.
IRS Help is Available from Several Sources
IRS help with federal income tax is available to taxpayers from a multitude of sources ranging from IRS help phone lines, IRS help web sites and walk-in offices, to its U.S. Taxpayer Advocate Service for more involved or ongoing tax issues.
Tax Stress Relief Tips from IRS
As the middle of April draws near, and you still haven’t filed your federal income tax return, you may be feeling a bit "taxed" over taxes. Don't worry... start filing, as IRS offers some tips to reduce "tax-time stress."
Tax Burden of the Wealthy Continues to Grow
In 2006, the top 5% of U.S. taxpayers, those with gross annual incomes of at least $153,500, paid about 60% of all income tax collected.
Can Future Tax Rebates be Improved?
Delivery delays and amount calculation confusion combined to make the 2008 tax rebates a bitter sweet experience for many Americans. What might the IRS do to make future tax rebates go more smoothly?
U.S. States With No Income Tax
While individuals and businesses in all 50 states pay federal income tax, residents in 41 states also pay state income tax. Nine states have no state income tax.
What is the Tax Gap and Why Does it Cost You Money?
The federal "tax gap" runs over $350 billion a year, but what is the tax gap, where does the tax gap come from, what's being done about the tax gap, and why does the tax gap cost honest taxpayers money?
IRS to Close 68 Taxpayer Information Offices
Saying more taxpayers are using better, more cost-effective ways to get tax help, the IRS has announced it will close 68 of its 400 nationwide walk-in Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TAC) in the fall of 2005.
IRS Makes Lexus Hybrid Eligible for Tax Deduction
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the addition of the 2006 Lexus RX 400h hybrid to the list of vehicles eligible to earn their owners a clean-burning fuel deduction on their income tax. What other hybrids qualify for a deduction?
Bill Would Repeal 107-Year Old Tax on Talking
U.S. Rep. Gary Miller (R-California) has introduced a bill to repeal a "temporary" tax on talking enacted 107 years ago.
Most Americans Feel They Pay More Taxes Than Trump
If you sent the IRS a check this year, you may agree with a recent Harris Interactive® poll showing that 59 percent of Americans believe they pay more federal income tax as a percentage of income than billionaire Donald Trump.
Income Tax E-filing Setting Record Pace in 2005
At the mid-point of the 2005 tax filing season, the Internal Revenue Service announces that taxpayers have used e-file at a record rate.
Federal Panel Wants to Hear About Tax Headaches
Does doing your federal income tax give you headaches from struggling with an unnecessarily complex and often unfair system? If so, the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform wants to hear your complaints. Learn how to make a positive contribution toward reforming the federal tax system.
Who Pays the Most Income Tax?
Feeling overtaxed? Under the U.S. income tax system, most of the taxes collected are supposed to be paid by the people who make the most money. Thanks to President Bush's tax cuts, that is exactly the way the system works, says the U.S. Treasury Department.
How to Avoid Income Tax Preparer Fraud
As the federal income tax season gets into full swing, the IRS warns taxpayers to beware of falling victim to paid income tax preparers who file fraudulent tax returns on behalf of their customers.
IRS Opens 2005 Tax Season: Easier Filing, Tax Law Changes
The Internal Revenue Service today opened the 2005 tax filing season, highlighted by expanded electronic services, easier tax filing rules and new tax law changes. The IRS also expects to surpass a milestone in the e-file program by the April 15 filing deadline.
"Tax Buster" Scheme Busted by Justice Department
Contrary to what you might have been told, or "sold," taxpayers cannot avoid paying income tax by “renouncing” their Social Security numbers and claiming to be “sovereign citizens," as promised by promoters of the so-called "Tax Buster" program.
IRS & HUD to Help Low-income Families Cut Taxes
In an unprecedented joint effort of public outreach, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have agreed to work together to help millions of low-income working families save thousands of dollars on their annual income taxes.
E-file Still Available for Extended Tax Filers
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reminding taxpayers that e-file, its popular electronic filing service, will remain available for their use long after the regular April 15 filing deadline.
Bush Plans to Make Tax Cuts Permanent
In his radio address of Jan. 11, 2003, President Bush stated he planned to ask Congress to make permanent all of his previous tax relief measures, and warned of coming tax hikes if Congress doesn't go along.
Is a 'Fair' Tax in America’s Future?
The latest "dump the IRS" idea from Washington's wishful well of best intentions -- the Fair Tax bill -- would abolish all federal income taxes and replace them with a national retail sales tax.
Forms - Federal - IRS
Every IRS form, schedule and instruction book. Dowloadable in .PDF format.
Forms - State
Links to sites for downloading state tax forms, publications and information. from your About.com Guide.
IRS Upgrades Website for 2004 Tax Season
Taxpayers pondering a question, taxpayers searching for a form or taxpayers looking for their refund now can go to just one new IRS Web page.
Complete Set of IRS Tax Forms On CD-ROM
All official IRS tax forms, instructions and many other tax publications are now available on a single CD-ROM from the National Technical Information Service.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The Internal Revenue Service is the nation's tax collection agency and administers the Internal Revenue Code enacted by Congress. It's Web site is one of the most useful and most often overlooked sources of tax help.
Tax Stress Relief Tips from IRS
Is yours one of the 66,270,000 tax returns the IRS has received this year? Whether you’re tax-stressing now or waiting for later, here are some tips on coping with it all.
Old Tax Returns - How to Get
Instructions and the form needed to order copies of old tax returns and other records from the IRS. From your About.com Guide.
About the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service
Does it often seem as if the entire Internal Revenue Service is out to get you at income tax time? Not true. There is actually one IRS employee whose sole task is to stand up for taxpayers? It's true.
Search the Entire US Tax Code
Jump to the Government Printing Office site for a plain language search of the entire US Tax Code (26 CFR). Enter a phrase like "self employment" and get all references from the Code.
TaxWorkout.com
Professional tax attorneys ready to help taxpayers with real IRS problems. Offers in Compromise, Audits, Un filed Returns, and Payment Plans are just a few ot their specialties.