Philosophy about not filing when you have refunds due: Never leave money on the table. Not filing because you have a refund coming and will collect it later is . . . how can I say this diplomatically? I can’t. It’s stupid! After three years, you lose your refund. I actually had a client who lost more than $100,000 because he didn’t file his tax return for more than ten years and had five-figure refunds each year. It can happen to you, too!
Philosophy about caregivers who don’t want to report their income: If a childcare facility is cheating on their taxes and lying to the IRS, do you really want them being your children’s caregivers? If they refuse to provide a Social Security number to you, what will they teach your children about right and wrong?
Philosophy about someone who wants to work outside a system: If someone is ripping off their suppliers or marketers (like going around AirBnB’s rules, or house cleaners who want you to hire them without their agency), can you trust them not to cheat you, too?
Philosophy about extending credit to someone who doesn’t pay proper taxes: If someone has avoided paying the IRS for years, do you really think they will be afraid of your bill collections efforts?
Philosophy about finding treasure: Search the Unclaimed Money site at least once a year (https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money). You never know what treasures you will find. I found money for my cousin that had been left unclaimed by her deceased mother.
How to Use This Book
This book is designed to give you some tips you probably won’t find anywhere else.
It isn’t intended to regurgitate the tax laws and deductions that you already know and are, quite frankly, bored with.
I try not to use any acronyms in a chapter without explaining it in that chapter. Once explained in the chapter, I will probably use it relentlessly.
Except one.
AGI—you will see this one acronym throughout the book, used mercilessly. It is the heart of the entire income tax computation. It stands for Adjusted Gross Income. This is a specific amount that you will find at the bottom of page one of your long-form 1040. (The same number is found at the top of page two of the long-form 1040.)
Regardless, if you encounter a term or acronym that is unexplained, please turn to the Glossary at the back of the book. You will find all the explanations there.
Part of TaxMama’s philosophy is, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.”
So when I give you a tip or guidance that is too good to be believed, you will find a reference. In the print book, you will be given an IRS publication number, a code section, a Tax Court case, or some other useful reference. In the electronic version of the book, you will find links directly to that part of the publication or links directly to the specific source of the information.
You would be wise never to take advice on faith. Please look things up, research them. Learn how to read and understand what is happening in your tax life. After all, when you sign a tax return or other tax form, you are attesting that you have read it, understand it, and are responsible for the contents.
Naturally, researching, reading, and learning take a lot of time. That’s what tax professionals do—often, because we think it’s fun. But perhaps you are like Isaac Asimov. Remember him, the famous scientist and mathematician best known for having written more than five hundred books? He is known for his “Three Laws of Robotics,” and many of his books have become films—including I, Robot, Bicentennial Man, and his chilling short story “Nightfall.”
One April, he devoted an entire editorial column in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction to tax season. The Good Doctor, as Asimov was known, explained why he uses a tax professional: “I am sure I could understand income taxes if I put my mind to them. But if I took the time to do that, the world would be deprived of many of my books.”
If a genius like Isaac Asimov needed us, perhaps you do, too.
Please make notes in this book. Dog-ear the pages, or use Post-it® notes all over. When you’re done, make a list of all the things you want to discuss further with your tax pro. Get a good tax professional who understands the tax laws related to things you want to accomplish. And most importantly, get a tax pro who will listen to you—as long as you are willing to pay for the time.
Now let’s get started on your journey to explore the Internal Revenue Code and its related body of law, in all its glory!
Record-Keeping Tips and Tools That Help Maximize Deductions
ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT paying less in taxes? I mean, really serious? Believe it or not, you are in control of how much you pay to Uncle Sam, your state, your property tax assessor, city taxes, sales taxes, and all taxes. Look at it this way: you have three choices when it comes to taxes.
You can be a Tax Pushover, coasting along and paying out everything that’s demanded of you without another thought. You can be a Tax Vigilante, fighting passionately to eliminate or reduce taxes wherever you can. Or you can be Tax Aware, doing the fundamental, logical things needed to keep your taxes legally low without becoming obsessed. This book will provide you with the information you need to fulfill any of those options. You’ll get some routine ideas, but you will find special gems not found anywhere else. They are legal, but most people have never thought about using these strategies and tips.
Tip #1:
The foundation for all tax reporting is good record keeping. The concept is the same whether you’re in business or simply dealing with your personal tax situation. In this book, we will focus on your personal records. It’s not as hard to do as you think—especially with all the nifty apps available to you. We will talk more about apps in a few minutes.
We won’t go into detail on the various apps—that would require a whole other book. The tips that follow provide you with the names and URLs of the top apps that can help make your lives easier. Some are free. Some charge a fee.
Tip #2:
One of the big secrets to getting the best tax benefits is having complete records of all your financial transactions. That way, even if you didn’t know about a tax break in your favor, you can take advantage of it at tax time because you have the records to prove you spend the money, drove the miles, or took the appropriate action.
Tip #3:
Everyone should know at least a little bit about the household records. I often find that when it comes to married couples, only one person seems to handle all the household finances. It’s important for both to be involved and to know where all the files and records are located. After all, heaven forbid, if you should become divorced or widowed, it’s important to know how to take over and manage the household finances, pay bills, get organized for taxes, and so on. These events generally happen suddenly—with no warning at all. I have seen too many people in these situations become paralyzed and unable to manage. As a result, they stop filing tax returns and get into financial and credit trouble for five years or more. Please avoid that, OK? To learn a little bit about bookkeeping, painlessly—and perhaps for free—see the following:
The Bean Counter: http://www.dwmbeancounter.com
The Bookkeeping Master: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhYJbCAcCKE