When should I expect my W2 tax form?
Your W-2 tax form will be mailed to you by the end of January. If you have not received your W-2 form from your employer by February 1, you should contact your employer. Note that W2s are sometimes returned to employers due to an incorrect or incomplete mailing address. After contacting your employer, allow a reasonable amount of time for the employer to reissue you a replacement W2. If you still haven’t received your W-2 from your employer by February 15, you should give the IRS a call for help: 800-829-1040. When you call, make sure you have all your personal and work...
read moreWhat is the Earliest Date I Can File My Taxes for 2011?
Eager to get those tax forms filled out? Ready to get your tax refund now? With new online tools, you may be able to get started early on your tax returns and get your tax refund sooner than you think. Traditionally, in order to file taxes, you must have all your tax forms from your employer in hand — that is any W2s or 1099s from all jobs you worked in the past year. Generally, you can start filing your taxes as early as January 1. It’s unlikely that you will have received these forms by January 1, as they are not required to be mailed out to employees until the end of...
read moreFile Without 1099s
Just like your W2′s, you can file your taxes without your 1099 forms. A 1099 form is used to track your stocks sold, interest or dividend income, or your income if you worked as an independent contractor. It is always better to wait for the forms if at all possible, to ensure accuracy on your return, but with a little bit of information, you don’t need to have the actual forms to do your taxes. 1099s come in a lot of different forms. Below is just a few of the different 1099 forms: **1099-B Proceeds from broker and barter exchange transactions. **1099-C Amount of canceled...
read moreReasons You Could Be Audited…and How to Avoid Them
The concept of being audited by the IRS scares most people, including me. Even though I follow the rules and pay my taxes on time, there is always that worry that the IRS will come a knocking. The word has gotten itself a frightful connotation, but the audit is really just justifying your deductions to an investigator from the IRS. That still doesn’t mean I want that headache and I assume neither do you. Here are some things to avoid that just scream “AUDIT ME.” You Are Already Being Watched If you receive the bulk of your income in cash (e.g. servers, dancers, etc) the...
read moreTax Calendar…Important Dates You Want to Know
So we all know that we have to have our taxes in the mail to the IRS by April 15th. Did you know there are a great deal of other dates worth noting on your calendar that can help you from making some costly tax mistakes. Get a pen and your day-planners now! 12/31/08: Deduction Deadline This is your absolute last day to make all those payments that can be deducted from your 2008 return. 1/15/09: Fourth Quarter Estimates Due (an extension can be requested, however, using the 1040ES form) 2/2/09: 1098s, 1099s, and W2′s all should have arrived 2/15/09: New W4′s for continued...
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