The Internal Revenue Service receives thousands of reports each year from taxpayers who receive suspicious emails, phone calls, faxes or notices claiming to be from the IRS. Many of these scams fraudulently use the IRS name or logo as a lure to make the communication appear more authentic and enticing. The goal of these scams – known as phishing – is to trick you into revealing your personal and financial information. The scammers can then use your information – like your Social S...

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Summer and Fall are usually big for wedding season. Soon-to-be-married taxpayers or "just married" taxpayers should be aware of their changing tax status. Although the last thing on your mind is taxes, while planning a wedding or coming home from your honeymoon, there are some important steps you should take to avoid stress at tax time.

1. Notify the Social Security Administration. Report any name change to the Social Security Administration so your name and Social Security number will match when...

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Were you among the thousands of taxpayers who got a big tax refund this year? While most Americans happily accept their tax refund checks, smart taxpayers understand that refunds actually cost them money. Here's why:

• The government pays no interest on refunds. Kept in your hands, those dollars could have been productive. For example, you could have invested the money or used it to pay off your debt during the year. If the money had been added to a 401(K) plan, tax would have been deferred ...

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Did you know that almost everything you own and use for personal or investment purposes is a capital asset? Capital assets include a home, household furnishings, and stocks and bonds held in a personal account. When a capital asset is sold, the difference between the amount you paid for the asset and the amount you sold it for is capital gain or capital loss.

Here are 10 facts you should know about gains and losses and how they can affect your Federal income tax return:

1. Almost everything you ow...

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