First Time Homebuyer Credit Eight Essential Facts

Eight Essential Facts about Claiming the First-Time Homebuyer Credit

IRS Tax Tip 2011-27, February 08, 2011

If you purchased a home in 2010, you may be eligible to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a long-time resident purchasing a new home.
The purchaser must have been at least 18 years old on the date of purchase; for a married couple, only one spouse must meet this age requirement.
A dependent is not eligible to claim the credit.

Here are Eight Essential Facts the IRS wants you to know about Claiming the First-Time Homebuyer Credit:

1. You must have bought – or entered into a binding contract to buy – a principal residence located in the United States on or before April 30, 2010. If you entered into a binding contract by April 30, 2010, you must have closed on the home on or before September 30, 2010.
2. To be considered a first-time homebuyer, you and your spouse – if you are married – must not have jointly or separately owned another principal residence during the three years prior to the date of purchase.
3. To be considered a long-time resident homebuyer you and your spouse – if you are married – must have lived in the same principal residence for any consecutive five-year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the new home is purchased.
4. The maximum credit for a first-time homebuyer is $8,000, half that amount for married individuals filing separately. The maximum credit for a long-time resident homebuyer is $6,500. Married individuals filing separately are limited to $3,250.
5. You must file a paper return and attach Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit with additional documents to verify the purchase. Therefore, if you claim the credit you will not be able to file electronically.
6. New homebuyers must attach a copy of a properly executed settlement statement used to complete such purchase. Buyers of a newly constructed home, where a settlement statement is not available, must attach a copy of the dated certificate of occupancy. Mobile home purchasers who are unable to get a settlement statement must attach a copy of the retail sales contract.
7. If you are a long-time resident claiming the credit, the IRS recommends that you also attach any documentation covering the five-consecutive-year period, including Form 1098, Mortgage Interest Statement or substitute mortgage interest statements, property tax records or homeowner’s insurance records.
8. Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit.

Five Tax Tips if You Changed Your Name Due to Marriage or Divorce

IRS TAX TIP 2011-23,  February 02, 2011

If you changed your name as a result of a recent marriage or divorce you’ll want to take the necessary steps to ensure the name on your tax return matches the name registered with the Social Security Administration.

A mismatch between the name shown on your tax return and the SSA records can cause problems in the processing of your return and may even delay your refund.

Here are five tips from the IRS for recently married or divorced taxpayers who have a name change.

1. If you took your spouse’s last name or if both spouses hyphenate their last names, you may run into complications if you don’t notify the SSA. When newlyweds file a tax return using their new last names, IRS computers can’t match the new name with their Social Security Number.
2. If you were recently divorced and changed back to your previous last name, you’ll also need to notify the SSA of this name change.
3. Informing the SSA of a name change is easy; you’ll just need to file a Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card at your local SSA office and provide a recently issued document as proof of your legal name change.
4. Form SS-5 is available on SSA’s website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov, by calling 800-772-1213 or at local offices. Your new card will have the same number as your previous card, but will show your new name.
5. If you adopted your spouse’s children after getting married, you’ll want to make sure the children have an SSN. Taxpayers must provide an SSN for each dependent claimed on a tax return. For adopted children without SSNs, the parents can apply for an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number – or ATIN – by filing Form W-7A, Application for Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions with the IRS. The ATIN is a temporary number used in place of an SSN on the tax return. Form W-7A is available on the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov, or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

How To Use Your Federal Tax Refund To Buy Savings Bonds

Your Federal Tax Refund is a clear indication that you were able to manage your personal finances without the need for those funds.

There are many ways that you can best use those funds during the year and also when you get Your Federal Tax Refund.

Buying Savings Bonds with Your Federal Tax Refund is an option that you can consider.

IRS Tax Tip 2011-22,  February 01, 2011

You can buy Series I U.S. Savings Bonds with a portion or all of your federal tax refund for yourself or anyone. Series I bonds are low-risk bonds that grow in value for up to 30 years. While you own them they earn interest and protect you from inflation.

Here are six things the IRS wants you to know about using your federal refund to purchase savings bonds.

1. You may use a portion of your refund to purchase up to $5,000 in U.S. Series I Savings Bonds for yourself or anyone.
2. The total amount of saving bonds purchased must be in multiples of $50. Any portion of your refund not used to buy savings bonds will be deposited into another financial account – such as a checking or savings account or can be mailed to you as a paper check.
3. Paper bonds will be issued in your name or the name you designate as primary owner, co-owner or beneficiary. If you are married and filed a joint return, the bonds will be issued in yours and your spouse’s name. You can also designate a beneficiary or co-owner under this name registration option.
4. You will receive the U.S. savings bonds in the mail.
5. Buying bonds with your refund is easy. Just select this option by filing Form 8888, Allocation of Refund (Including Savings Bond Purchases).
6. Form 8888 has step-by-step instructions on how to select this option and how to specify the amount of your refund you want to use to purchase savings bonds.

Top Ten Earned Income Tax Credit Tips

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a very important and helpful tax credit.

As a worker:

• You Earned It!
• You Keep It!
• You Save It!
• EITC – Don’t Overlook It

IRS Tax Tip 2011-20, January 28, 2011

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a financial boost for workers earning $48,362 or less a year.
Four of five eligible taxpayers filed for and received their EITC last year.
The IRS wants you to get what you earned also, if you are eligible.

Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to know about this valuable credit, which has been making the lives of working people a little easier for 36 years.

1. As your financial, marital or parental situations change from year to year, you should review the EITC eligibility rules to determine whether you qualify. Just because you didn’t qualify last year, doesn’t mean you won’t this year.
2. If you qualify, the credit could be worth up to $5,666. EITC not only reduces the federal tax you owe, but could result in a refund. The amount of your EITC is based on your earned income and whether or not there are qualifying children in your household. The average credit was around $2,100 last year.
3. If you are eligible for EITC, you must file a federal income tax return and specifically claim the credit – even if you are not otherwise required to file.  Remember to include Schedule EIC, Earned Income Credit when you file your Form 1040 or, if you file Form 1040A, use and retain the EIC worksheet.
4. You do not qualify for EITC if your filing status is Married Filing Separately.
5. You must have a valid Social Security Number. You, your spouse – if filing a joint return – and any qualifying child listed on Schedule EIC must have a valid SSN issued by the Social Security Administration.
6. You must have earned income. You have earned income if you work for someone who pays you wages, you are self-employed, you have income from farming, or – in some cases – you receive disability income.
7. Married couples and single people without children may qualify. If you do not have qualifying children, you must also meet the age and residency requirements as well as dependency rules.
8. Special rules apply to members of the U.S. Armed Forces in combat zones. Members of the military can elect to include their nontaxable combat pay in earned income for the EITC. If you make this election, the combat pay remains nontaxable.
9. It’s easy to determine whether you qualify. The EITC Assistant, an interactive tool available on the IRS website, removes the guesswork from eligibility rules. Just answer a few simple questions to find out if you qualify and estimate the amount of your EITC.
10. Free help is available at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers to help you prepare and claim your EITC. If you are preparing your taxes electronically, the software program you use will figure the credit for you. To find a VITA site or TAC near you, visit http://www.irs.gov.

Tax Tips for Self-employed Individuals

Self employed individuals in the trades or professions will greatly benefit from the following six Tax Tips for Self-employed Individuals.

IRS Tax Tip 2011-16, January 24, 2011

If you are in business for yourself, or carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor, you generally would consider yourself self-employed and you would file IRS Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business or Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit From Business with your Form 1040.

Here are six things the IRS wants you to know about self-employment:

1. Self-employment can include work in addition to your regular full-time business activities, such as part-time work you do at home or in addition to your regular job.
2. If you are self-employed you generally have to pay Self-employment Tax. Self-employment tax is a social security and Medicare tax primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the social security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners. You figure SE tax yourself using a Form 1040 Schedule SE. Also, you can deduct half of your self-employment tax in figuring your adjusted gross income.
3. If you are self-employed you generally have to make estimated tax payments. This applies even if you also have a full-time or part-time job and your employer withholds taxes from your wages. Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding. If you don’t make quarterly payments you may be penalized for underpayment at the end of the tax year.
4. You can deduct the costs of running your business. These costs are known as business expenses. These are costs you do not have to capitalize or include in the cost of goods sold but can deduct in the current year.
5. To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your business. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary. In addition, you must be able to substantiate your expense..
6. For more information see IRS Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business, IRS Publication 535, Business Expenses and Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, available at http://www.irs.gov or by calling the IRS forms and publications order line at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Five Important Facts about the Making Work Pay Credit

IRS Tax Tip 2011-15 January 21, 2011
Many working taxpayers are eligible for the Making Work Pay Tax Credit in 2010.

The credit is based on earned income and is claimed on your 2010 tax return when you file your taxes in 2011.
Here are five things the IRS wants you to know about this tax credit to ensure you receive the entire amount for which you are eligible.

1. The Making Work Pay Credit provides a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for individuals and up to $800 for married taxpayers filing joint returns.
2. Most workers received the benefit of the Making Work Pay Credit through larger paychecks, reflecting reduced federal income tax withholding during 2010.
3. Taxpayers who file Form 1040 or 1040A will use Schedule M to figure the Making Work Pay Tax Credit. Completing Schedule M will help taxpayers determine whether they have already received the full credit in their paycheck or are due more money as a result of the credit.
4. Taxpayers who file Form 1040-EZ should use the worksheet for Line 8 on the back of the 1040-EZ to figure their Making Work Pay Credit.
5. You cannot take the credit if your modified adjusted gross income is $95,000 for individuals or $190,000 if married filing jointly or more, you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else return, you do not have a valid social security number or you are a nonresident alien.

How to Get Your Prior Year Tax Information from the IRS

Prior Year Tax Information is needed for a variety of reasons by taxpayers and their return preparers.

IRS Tax Tip 2011-13 January 19, 2011

Taxpayers who need certain prior year tax return information can obtain it from the IRS. Here are nine things to know if you need federal tax return information from a previously filed tax return.

1. There are three options for obtaining free copies of your federal tax return information – on the web, by phone or by mail.
2. The IRS does not charge a fee for transcripts, which are presently available for the current tax year as well as the past three tax years.
3. A tax return transcript shows most line items from your tax return as it was originally filed, including any accompanying forms and schedules.  It does not reflect any changes made after the return was filed.
4. A tax account transcript shows any later adjustments either you or the IRS made after the tax return was filed. This transcript shows basic data – including marital status, type of return filed, adjusted gross income and taxable income.
5. To request either transcript online, go to http://www.irs.gov and look for our new online tool called Order A Transcript. To order by phone, call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts in the recorded message.
6. To request a 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ tax return transcript through the mail, complete IRS Form 4506T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript. Businesses, partnerships and individuals who need transcript information from other forms or need a tax account transcript must use the Form 4506T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.
7. If you order online or by phone, you should receive your tax return transcript within 5 to 10 days from the time the IRS receives your request. Allow 30 calendar days for delivery of a tax account transcript if you order by mail using Form 4506T or Form 4506T-EZ.
8. If you still need an actual copy of a previously processed tax return, it will cost $57 for each tax year that you order.  Complete Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return, and mail it to the IRS address listed on the form for your area.  Copies are generally available for the current year as well as the past six years. Please allow 60 days for actual copies of your return.
9. Visit http://www.irs.gov to determine which form will meet your needs. Forms 4506, 4506T and 4506T-EZ can be found at http://www.irs.gov or by calling the IRS forms and publications order line at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Two Tax Credits to Help Pay Higher Education Costs

IRS Tax Tip 2010-12 January 18, 2011

There are two federal tax credits available to help you offset the costs of higher education for yourself or your dependents.  These are the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

To qualify for either credit, you must pay postsecondary tuition and fees for yourself, your spouse or your dependent. The credit may be claimed by the parent or the student, but not by both. If the student was claimed as a dependent, the student cannot file for the credit.

For each student, you can choose to claim only one of the credits in a single tax year. You cannot claim the American Opportunity Credit to pay for part of your daughter’s tuition charges and then claim the Lifetime Learning Credit for $2,000 more of her school costs.

However, if you pay college expenses for two or more students in the same year, you can choose to take credits on a per-student, per-year basis. You can claim the American Opportunity Credit for your sophomore daughter and the Lifetime Learning Credit for your senior son.

Here are some key facts the IRS wants you to know about these valuable education credits:

1. The American Opportunity Credit

• The credit can be up to $2,500 per eligible student.
• It is available for the first four years of post-secondary education.
• Forty percent of the credit is refundable, which means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000, even if you owe no taxes.
• The student must be pursuing an undergraduate degree or other recognized educational credential.
• The student must be enrolled at least half time for at least one academic period.
• Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, coursed related books supplies and equipment.
• The full credit is generally available to eligible taxpayers who make less than $80,000 or $160,000 for married couples filing a joint return.

2. Lifetime Learning Credit

• The credit can be up to $2,000 per eligible student.
• It is available for all years of post-secondary education and for courses to acquire or improve job skills.
• The maximum credited is limited to the amount of tax you must pay on your return.
• The student does not need to be pursuing a degree or other recognized education credential.
• Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, course related books, supplies and equipment.
• The full credit is generally available to eligible taxpayers who make less than $60,000 or $120,000 for married couples filing a joint return.

You cannot claim the tuition and fees tax deduction in the same year that you claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit. You must choose to either take the credit or the deduction and should consider which is more beneficial for you.

For more information about these credits see IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education available at http://www.irs.gov or by calling the IRS forms and publications order line at 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

How to Prepare and File Your Taxes Electronically

IRS Tax Tip 2011-10, January 14, 2011

IRS e-file: It’s safe. It’s easy. It’s time. IRS e-file is now the norm; not the exception. The number of e-filed Form 1040 tax returns is approaching 1 billion after 20 years of safe, secure service. In 2010, 99 million people – 70 percent of all individual taxpayers – used IRS e-file to electronically transmit their tax returns to the IRS. It’s safe, it’s easy to use and it’s time for you to try it.

The 2011 tax season will mark a significant change for both tax preparers and taxpayers. Starting January 1, many tax return preparers must be authorized IRS e-file providers so they can transmit tax returns electronically. The requirement does not apply to volunteer tax preparers. More information for paid preparers is available at http://www.irs.gov.

For taxpayers, this means it’s time to give e-file a try. The number of people who use a paper tax return or who mail a tax return dwindles each year – and for good reason.

An e-filed tax return is safe and secure. The taxpayer receives an acknowledgement within 48 hours that that IRS has received the return. If the IRS rejects the return, the receipt will explain why so the return can be quickly corrected and resubmitted.

Faster Refunds; Greater Payment Options

An e-filed tax return means a fast refund. Taxpayers who combine e-file and direct deposit can get their refunds in as few as 10 days. Nearly 75 percent of all taxpayers receive a refund and last year the average refund was approximately $2,900.

An e-filed tax return means more payment options. Taxpayers can file early and set an automatic payment withdrawal date for any date on or before the April due date. Some taxpayers may like to pay by paper check. And, they still can by mailing a check with a voucher. Taxpayers can even pay by credit card.

Get It Done with e-file

Using e-file is easy. You can e-file through your tax preparer, through commercial tax preparation software or through Free File, the free tax preparation and e-filing service available exclusively at http://www.irs.gov.

The number of people preparing their tax returns on their personal computers is growing tremendously. Software – such as that offered through Free File – guides people through a step-by-step question-and-answer process. So whether you do it yourself or have it done, just get it done with e-file.

Eight Facts About Income Tax Filing Status

IRS Tax Tip

2011-09,  January 13, 2011

The first step to filing your federal income tax return is to determine which filing status to use. Your filing status is used to determine your filing requirements, standard deduction, eligibility for certain credits and deductions, and your correct tax. There are five filing statuses: Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household and Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child.

Here are eight facts about the five filing status options the IRS wants you to know so that you can choose the best option for your situation.

1. Your marital status on the last day of the year determines your marital status for the entire year.
2. If more than one filing status applies to you, choose the one that gives you the lowest tax obligation.
3. Single filing status generally applies to anyone who is unmarried, divorced or legally separated according to state law.
4. A married couple may file a joint return together. The couple’s filing status would be Married Filing Jointly.
5. If your spouse died during the year and you did not remarry during 2010, usually you may still file a joint return with that spouse for the year of death.
6. A married couple may elect to file their returns separately. Each person’s filing status would generally be Married Filing Separately.
7. Head of Household generally applies to taxpayers who are unmarried. You must also have paid more than half the cost of maintaining a home for you and a qualifying person to qualify for this filing status.
8. You may be able to choose Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child as your filing status if your spouse died during 2008 or 2009, you have a dependent child and you meet certain other conditions.

There’s much more information about determining your filing status in IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information. Publication 501 is available at http://www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). You can also use the Interactive Tax Assistant on the IRS website to determine your filing status. The ITA tool is a tax law resource on the IRS website that takes you through a series of questions and provides you with responses to tax law questions.