In an effort to shame those that owe the state taxes, New York has taken the extraordinary (and desperate) measure to name the 500 biggest tax delinquents (individuals & businesses) on their website www.nystax.gov.
The move by the state Department of Taxation and Finance is part of a more aggressive effort to recoup some of the… Continue reading

The IRS has reported that more than 1.4 million tax payers are due over $1.3 BILLION in unclaimed refunds because they have not filed a 2006 tax return.  These refunds are still available, but only if a 2006 tax return is filed before April 15th, 2010.  After that, the government gets to keep your refunds.
Some… Continue reading

I recently read an article that breaks down the differences in the two most popular tax preparations software; Intuit’s TURBOTAX and H&R Block’s AT HOME (previously knows as TAX CUT).  I am going to post some of the interesting findings and add R&G Brenner’s comments underneath:
TAXES can make people do silly things, like investing in… Continue reading

It appears that for the third year in a row, NY state is planning on delaying refunds to New York taxpayers. The last two years, the state was savvy in delaying refunds by issuing a blanket letter requesting “additional documentation” in order to release refunds.  However, in many cases, the state already had all the… Continue reading

The First-Time Homebuyer Credit (FTHC)–where qualifying taxpayers can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit–is under tremendous scrutiny by the IRS as it has been earmarked this year as a credit that is likely to be abused.  This is not surprising considering the huge amount of money the IRS could stand to lose due to… Continue reading

As you get ready to prepare your 2009 tax return, the Internal Revenue Service wants to make sure you have all the details about tax law changes that may impact your tax return.
Here are the top five changes that may show up on your 2009 return.
1. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
ARRA provides several tax… Continue reading

Two H&R Block Tax Consultants have filed suit against H&R Block stating that they allegedly violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Barbara Petroski and Cathy Camden claim that Kansas City-based H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) enacted a companywide policy requiring its tax professionals to complete 24 hours of unpaid, mandatory training at the end of the tax… Continue reading

In an effort to slash over $700,000 from their budget, NY State has eliminated the mailing of form 1099-G (Statement for Recipients of State Income Tax Refunds) to New York taxpayers.  1099-G’s are issued to taxpayers that receive NY State refunds–which are considered taxable income on the following year’s income tax return.
In the absence of… Continue reading

By now, everybody is aware of the sheer devastation inflicted on the people of Haiti by a massive earthquake that struck 9 days ago.  It has been estimated that in excess of 200,000 people have been killed or are still missing.  The global outpouring of aide & donations are setting records daily.  However, in an… Continue reading

Jaskson Hewitt–the 2nd largest tax preparation business behind H&R Block–has lost over 50% of their Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) funding for the 2010 tax season.  Due to regulatory crackdowns, the bank that funded Jackson Hewitt’s RAL program–Pacific Capital Bankcorp Inc.–was blocked by the Office of the Comptroller, and ordered to leave the RAL business.
“It’s potentially… Continue reading