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Tax and Tax Information * Tax Help
Where To Find Tax Help Carl LaFresnaye
Once upon a time, doing your taxes was a job for professionals only, like brain surgery or nuclear science.
Nowadays software is available that allows you to file your taxes yourself, giving all sorts of tax help and tips. In this article, we will weigh the pros and cons of getting tax help from software or from a tax professional.
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No Blowing Smoke: Group Discusses SC Cigarette Tax (AP Via Yahoo! Finance)
Doctors and an anti-smoking group discuss efforts to raise South Carolina's 7-cent-a-pack cigarette tax that is the lowest in the nation.
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Getting Tax Help on Your PC
The first commercially available tax software on the market was TurboTax from Chipsoft (later bought out by Intuit, makers of the best selling accounting software QuickBooks). TurboTax remains one of the big three tax preparation software packages, along with H & R Block's Tax Cut package and 2nd Story Software's Tax Act application. All three of these software packages have their pros and cons. Tax Act is by far the cheapest of the three, with even their Ultimate package allowing you to file state and federal income taxes for just $16.95. Turbo Tax is more expensive, but also easier to use, with the same intuitiveness that makes QuickBooks so perennially popular. Tax Cut's unique selling point is the H & R Block brand. Its price includes a single session with an H & R Block tax professional, for face to face advice.
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No Blowing Smoke: Group Discusses SC Cigarette Tax (AP Via Yahoo! Finance)
Doctors and an anti-smoking group discuss efforts to raise South Carolina's 7-cent-a-pack cigarette tax that is the lowest in the nation.
New York Mayor Bloomberg Presses For Tax On Soda (Reuters Via Yahoo! News)
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged state legislators to levy a tax on soda, saying the money raised would help plug the state's shortfalls in health care and education funding.
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Getting Tax Help From a Tax Professional
If you don't want to do your taxes yourself, there is always the option of going to a tax accountant. Major tax preparation franchises include the aforementioned H & R Block, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax Service, the latter being famous for its practice of hiring people to stand in front of their stores dressed as the Statue of Liberty, waving at passing traffic. There are also a host of independent businesses specializing in tax preparation and tax help. These tax professionals will help you sort through your receipts and prepare your tax return, and can be experts in spotting hidden deductions that you might miss if you do your taxes yourself.
So Which Is Better?
It's really a matter of personal preference. If, like your humble reviewer, you are of the mindset that if you want a job done properly, you have to do it yourself, then buy the software. Going to a tax professional involves gathering up a stack of documents and hoping your accountant can make sense of them. Accountants also charge a hefty fee for their services, so you could find any refund you get from them IRS disappearing into their bank account, not yours.
On the other hand, not everybody has the financial acumen necessary to prepare their own taxes. If the prospect of wading through screen after screen of information sounds intimidating, then by all means hire someone else to do it for you.
What Other Authors say about Taxes
Advice For Using Free Tax Forms
by Carl LaFresnaye
There are many different avenues that can be used to obtain free tax forms from the government. There are usually free tax forms that can be found at the local libraries during tax season. There are...
The Role Of A Tax Collector
by Michael Sneed
The County Tax Collector is as independent government agency and is elected for a four-year term in the Presidential election year. It is essential that a County Tax Collector is independent to ensure...
Tax Credits for Retirement Savings
by Richard A. Chapo
It is a well-known fact that Americans are miserable failures when it comes to saving for retirement. Well, the government is offering tax credits to change this for some of us.Tax Credits for Retirement...
Is The RRSP The Most Effective Plan For Your Retirement?
by Yvonne Finn
For many years Canadians have been relying on the income from their RRSP, which was instituted in 1957, to fund their retirement years.Now, however, the small rates of return, taxes and inflation are threatening...
Small Business Tax Credit - Americans with Disabilities Act
by Richard A. Chapo
Many small businesses complain when confronted with the expense of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Most do not realize that there are a number of tax incentives available to offset...
Do You Know When To File A Tax Return?
by Ken Snowie
Every year, millions of Americans dread the inevitable; they have to gather all of their receipts and records and get ready to file their Federal Income Tax Returns. When was tax season first initiated?...
How to Use an Early Retirement Plan to Secure Your Future
by Scott Taylor
<p>In fact many of these people had no intention of retiring and used these generous packages to move into second careers. They did not retire at all until much later, in their sixties. Nowadays,...
Social Security and Our Current Tax System
by Tony Robinson
Every week that you work, there are taxes deducted from your gross payroll that are distributed to the Social Security Administration, along with other programs administered by the government. Of all the...
Income Tax Software - The Best Ones On The Market
by Mike Singh
There are several income tax software programs available on the market to help you complete your yearly taxes. These programs offer tax tips, checklists, and error checking messages to ensure that required...
YEAR END TAX PLANNING AND PREPARATION FOR INDIVIDUALS - Tax Tips for 2004 including new tax relief due to the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004
by Dianne Goodman, CPA
Now is the best time to start thinking about your year end tax planning. These tax strategies can be put into effect by the end of the year and some as late as when the tax return is due. Planning now...
Income Tax Booklet- Useful Roadmap For Tax Savings
by deepak kulkarni
<p>Now consider your credit card. Most credit cards carry an interest rate of anywhere from twelve to twenty-one percent. If you owe taxes that you can't pay, you probably have a higher interest...
Who are the CPA Moms? Your Tax Professional Forever!!!!
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“CPA Moms - Tax Moms - EA Moms" are trade names given to Accounting and Tax Professionals who chose to work in an “relaxed” environment. Some "Moms" work from home, other work from personal offices. Not all are Moms, there are some Dads. We call them Mr. Tax Moms. CPA Dads or Enrolled Agents Dads.
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Each Mom is independent. Once a client starts working with a Mom, the client will keep the same “Mom” year after year regardless of where the client moves or relocates. Being in a “relaxed” environment has many advantages. Lower overhead, faster response time, more availability, etc.
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To be a member a CPA Mom, Tax Moms, or an Erolled Moms the Tax Professional must ALWAYS be in good standing with their state licensing agency, experienced, and must demonstrate a high level of ethics, professionalism and proficiency.
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Tax Net Inc, the parent company for all CPA Moms, Tax Moms and Enrolled Moms, developed the marketing and on-line systems to help qualified Tax Professionals who "choose" work from their “relaxed” environment and offer better service at a lower price to the consumer.
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Since the “Moms” do taxes and accounting of all complexities, there is always a Mom available for every level of work. Since each Mom has a private 800 number, you are just a phone call away, regardless of where you live.
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For reliability and dependability of Tax Net, Inc, the parent company of the “Moms” organization click on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) icon. To Join CPA Moms
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Index of Articles about Taxes
What Other Authors say about Taxes
Advice For Using Free Tax Forms
by Carl LaFresnaye
There are many different avenues that can be used to obtain free tax forms from the government. There are usually free tax forms that can be found at the local libraries during tax season. There are...
The Role Of A Tax Collector
by Michael Sneed
The County Tax Collector is as independent government agency and is elected for a four-year term in the Presidential election year. It is essential that a County Tax Collector is independent to ensure...
Tax Credits for Retirement Savings
by Richard A. Chapo
It is a well-known fact that Americans are miserable failures when it comes to saving for retirement. Well, the government is offering tax credits to change this for some of us.Tax Credits for Retirement...
Is The RRSP The Most Effective Plan For Your Retirement?
by Yvonne Finn
For many years Canadians have been relying on the income from their RRSP, which was instituted in 1957, to fund their retirement years.Now, however, the small rates of return, taxes and inflation are threatening...
Small Business Tax Credit - Americans with Disabilities Act
by Richard A. Chapo
Many small businesses complain when confronted with the expense of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Most do not realize that there are a number of tax incentives available to offset...
Do You Know When To File A Tax Return?
by Ken Snowie
Every year, millions of Americans dread the inevitable; they have to gather all of their receipts and records and get ready to file their Federal Income Tax Returns. When was tax season first initiated?...
How to Use an Early Retirement Plan to Secure Your Future
by Scott Taylor
<p>In fact many of these people had no intention of retiring and used these generous packages to move into second careers. They did not retire at all until much later, in their sixties. Nowadays,...
Social Security and Our Current Tax System
by Tony Robinson
Every week that you work, there are taxes deducted from your gross payroll that are distributed to the Social Security Administration, along with other programs administered by the government. Of all the...
Income Tax Software - The Best Ones On The Market
by Mike Singh
There are several income tax software programs available on the market to help you complete your yearly taxes. These programs offer tax tips, checklists, and error checking messages to ensure that required...
YEAR END TAX PLANNING AND PREPARATION FOR INDIVIDUALS - Tax Tips for 2004 including new tax relief due to the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004
by Dianne Goodman, CPA
Now is the best time to start thinking about your year end tax planning. These tax strategies can be put into effect by the end of the year and some as late as when the tax return is due. Planning now...
Income Tax Booklet- Useful Roadmap For Tax Savings
by deepak kulkarni
<p>Now consider your credit card. Most credit cards carry an interest rate of anywhere from twelve to twenty-one percent. If you owe taxes that you can't pay, you probably have a higher interest...
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