Tax Matters - The Top Tax Defenders Blog

Many taxpayers cannot wait for the tax filing seasons to end. Once you hit the Submit button or put your return in the mail box, you are ready to enjoy the rest of the year, knowing that you have filed your taxes successfully.

While you are entitled to every bit of relief that you feel after tax season, you should not delay in preparing to file your returns next year. You can start your prep work now by following a few simple and fast tips.

The IRS is one of the most powerful organizations in the federal government. As much power as it wields, it still must afford you and every other taxpayer full due process according to the law. Learn what your rights are as a taxpayer and at what point you can use them to your benefit.

Every year, as the end of tax season approaches, last minute filers are looking for the easiest and fastest ways to file and submit their returns. Instead of going to a CPA or a tax prep service, many are using mobile applications. Discover the pros and cons of tax apps and whether they can help you file your taxes on time this year.

The IRS offers a variety of credits and deductions designed to ease people's tax burdens. Out of all of them, the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, many times proves to be the most lucrative. You can determine if you can use the EITC on your tax returns this year by learning the key facts regarding this credit and for what purpose the IRS makes it available.

Filing your taxes could leave you with an IRS bill that you cannot afford right now. Rather than ignoring what you owe or exhausting your bank account to pay it, you may be able to settle your IRS debt through other means. These six options allow you to file your taxes even if you cannot afford to pay your taxes by the yearly April deadline.

Taxpayers generally want to owe the IRS as little money as possible after filing their taxes. They use a number of different options to offset their tax liabilities and lower the amount that they are expected to pay to the government each year.

One of the newest ways to lower your tax burden involves opening a Health Savings Account, or HSA. An HSA offers you several unique benefits about which you should know before you prepare your tax return this year.

The new tax year ushers in the release of new tax preparation software and apps that all promise to make filing your taxes fast and easy. As tempting as it may be to try out one of these programs, you also must wonder if doing so would be in your own best interest. You can choose between using a tax preparation program or app or hiring a tax pro to do your taxes by learning more about each option.

Scholarships are valuable resources to help pay for college. Depending on the type that you receive, however, you may have to pay taxes on these academic awards. You can prepare your tax returns and comply with the IRS by learning the difference between tax-free and taxable scholarships.

The Affordable Care Act's individual mandate requires that you purchase and keep a minimum level of health insurance for you and your family throughout the tax year. If you refuse or fail to buy this coverage, you could be fined when you file your tax returns. You can prepare your returns and protect your finances by knowing how you can avoid Obamacare penalties this tax season.

The new presidential administration has many small business owners wondering what to expect when filing taxes this year. You can prepare for filing your business's returns and also paying what you might owe the IRS by learning about some of the more important changes that lie ahead for the 2017 tax season.