The articles below have been provided for you to do research on issues you may have questions about. If you have questions about any of the items below or general issues regarding your situation, our friendly staff is only a phone call away. Business Owner Articles Starting a business Advantages and disadvantages of self-employment Choosing an entity for your business Funding a business Hiring your first employee Qualifying for the home office deduction Record keeping for your own business Starting or buying a business Tax planning for the self-employed Decision Tools Choosing an entity Choosing a business entity Comparison of LLCs, LLPs, and professional corporations How C Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Liability Partnerships Protect Personal Assets Tax planning Accelerating deductions/postponing income Accelerating income/postponing deductions Transferring or selling a business Business succession planning alternatives Business succession strategy analyzer Buy-sell agreement analyzer Buy-sell planning questionnaire How cross purchase plans work How entity purchase plans work Planning for succession of a business interest FAQs Incorporating a business Can I change my business from a C corporation to an S corporation? Can I change my business from an S corporation to a C corporation? Should I incorporate my business? Personal Finance Articles Managing credit and debt Choosing a credit card Contemplating bankruptcy Credit traps for the unwary Debt consolidation How student loans inpact your credit Understanding your credit report Owning a home Applying for a mortgage Buying a home Buying a home both you and your insurer will love Opening the door to homeowners insurance Refinancing your mortgage Selling a home Tapping the equity in your home Tax benefits of home ownership Your home as a source of dollars in retirement FAQs Credit basics How can I correct errors on my credit report? How can I figure out my net worth? How can I get credit if I have no credit history? How can I protect myself against identity theft? How can I reduce my spending? How can I repair my poor credit? How do I get a copy of my credit report? How long should I keep copies of my tax returns? How much money should I keep in a savings account for emergencies? I can't pay my bills. Should I declare bankruptcy? Should I invest my extra cash or use it to pay off debt? Will debt consolidation hurt or help my credit rating? Selling a home How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home? I'm having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage? I'm retired now and own my home outright, but I need money to live on. How can I use my home to raise some money without selling it? Should I sell or rent out my present home? Tax Planning Articles General tax planning Am I having enough withheld? Choosing an income tax filing status Help! I can't pay my tax bill Income tax planning and 529 plans Surviving an audit Tax benefits of home ownership Tax planning for income Tax planning for the self-employed Taxation of investments Year-end tax planning Tax credits and deductions Education tax credits Personal deduction planning Qualifying for the home office deduction Understanding personal tax credits Taxes and insurance Income tax tips: business insurance Tax planning for annuities Tax planning tips: auto insurance Tax planning tips: disability insurance Tax planning tips: life insurance Tax tips: health insurance Tax tips: homeowners insurance Tax tips: long-term care insurance Decision Tools General tax planning Accelerating deductions/postponing Income Accelerating income/postponing deductions Federal individual income tax fundamentals Remarriage with children: income tax considerations Tax credits and deductions Comparison of education tax credits and deductions General business tax credits Is my home mortgage interest fully deductible? Tax credit sampler FAQs General tax planning Am I having enough tax withheld from my paycheck? Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax? Are scholarships and grants subject to federal income tax? Do I have to file a federal income tax return? Do I have to pay U.S. taxes when I work abroad? How did the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 change capital gains tax rates? I don't have the cash to pay my taxes. What can I do? I have investment property. What does basis mean, and how do I determine the basis of my property? I received a state tax refund last year. Must I include that amount as income on my federal return this year? My spouse passed away this year. When I file my taxes, what filing status should I claim? What is my tax bracket? What is the alternative minimum tax? What is the basis of property received as a gift? What is the kiddie tax? What penalties and interest will I be charged for paying and filing my federal income taxes late? What's the difference between an "injured spouse" and an "innocent spouse"? Will I have to pay tax on my investment income? Tax credits Can I take the credit for the elderly or disabled? Can I take the tax credit for child care? Now that my child is in college, am I entitled to any education tax credits? What are the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit? What is the child tax credit? What is the difference between the child tax credit and the child and dependent care tax credit? What is the earned income credit and who qualifies for it? Tax deductions Can I deduct home office expenses? Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance? Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home? How do I deduct and substantiate my gambling losses? I paid my mother's real estate taxes last year. Can I deduct this on my tax return? I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return? If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year? If I work at home occasionally, am I entitled to a home office deduction? Is student loan interest deductible? My spouse and I are filing separate returns. Can we both itemize our deductions? If so, how do we split the deductions? My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return? We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement? Taxes and child support/alimony Are alimony payments considered taxable income? What are the tax implications of child support payments? Taxes and home ownership Can I deduct the cost of improvements or repairs I've made to my home? How do I figure the tax on the sale of my home? I refinanced my principal home last year and paid points. What are points, and can I deduct them on my tax return? I rent my home out for two weeks each year. Do I have to show this rental income on my federal income tax return? If I prepay next year's taxes this year, can I deduct them this year? My town has assessed against me a real estate betterment for new sewer lines installed in my street. May I deduct this amount on my tax return? We just bought our first home. What can we deduct from the settlement statement? Taxes and insurance proceeds Are life insurance proceeds income taxable? I receive disability insurance payments. Are they taxable?
The articles below have been provided for you to do research on issues you may have questions about. If you have questions about any of the items below or general issues regarding your situation, our friendly staff is only a phone call away.