IRS

 GAO: Taxpayer Identity Theft is Soaring

September 5, 2014 

GAO: Taxpayer Identity Theft is Soaring

The IRS is grappling with a nearly five-fold increase in taxpayer identity theft between 2008 and 2010, a Government Accountability Office official plans to tell a House hearing Thursday. There were 248,357 incidents in 2010, compared to 51,702 in 2008.

 Using Your Car for Business Purposes? Keep Good Records for the Tax Deduction

September 1, 2014 

Using Your Car for Business Purposes? Keep Good Records for the Tax Deduction

What often sets business taxpayers apart from individuals is the potential for deducting expenses relating to business driving. For virtually everyone else, the cost associated with operating a car or other vehicle is a nondeductible personal expense. However, if you use your own vehicle for business trips, you’re usually entitled to deductions on your federal…

Ken Berry, JD

Tax-Scam-300x2033

August 28, 2014 

5 Ways to Spot Fake IRS Phone Calls

The Internal Revenue Service continues to warn taxpayers across the country of a series of scam phone calls from people pretending to be IRS officials in order to get sensitive personal information. On Thursday, the agency issued a new consumer alert to provide taxpayers with additional tips to protect themselves.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

morning-commute-1031111

August 21, 2014 

5 Ways to Get Tax Deductions for Local Transportation Uses

Frequently, the IRS challenges deductions for business-related driving expenses, especially when they involve local travel. Start with this basic premise: To qualify for transportation deductions, you must be traveling away from your tax home to a business location. For this purpose, your tax home is generally your principal place of business, not the place where…

Ken Berry, JD