Tax Matters - The Top Tax Defenders Blog

Just what you need in the middle of the holiday rush — tax planning activities. 

Taxes may be the last thing on your mind this time of year, but think of it as a Christmas present to yourself that will make tax season a little easier. 

*This post has been updated to reflect tax changes

If you have employees, you have endless administrative work to do, or so it seems. Payroll taxes are part of the package. But do you know what you need to know about withholdings, deposits, and the attendance paperwork?

If you are headed back to school as an adult, it’s nice to know you’ll get more out of it than an education. You could also save money on your taxes. 

So, you need to amend a tax return. Well, we all make mistakes. And sometimes documents show up after you try to be proactive about filing your tax return. 

As medical costs climb, it’s nice to think you could deduct them from your taxes. And you can, but there are limits. 

A tax crime is something more severe than neglecting (or forgetting) to file your tax returns. You aren't committing a tax crime if you can't pay your taxes in full. Those are issues that can cause your tax debt to collect penalties, fees, and interest. Still, they don't rise to the level of criminal activity.

The IRS says if there is a federal tax lien on your home, you are required to satisfy it before you can sell or refinance.  The presence of other types of liens can make a home sale challenging, too. While it is possible to sell your home when you have a lien against the property, you are much better off paying your tax debt or other lien debt. 

ADP, a payroll services provider, reported that in 2017 one in fourteen American workers had wages garnished. 

The scariest thing people consider when they owe back taxes is that the IRS will take their house. While it isn’t untrue, it’s still relatively rare for the federal government to seize property, particularly real estate.