By Jana Castanon Be Aware Now Identity Theft. You know what it is. You have heard ads, news reports, and warnings on ways to protect yourself. You probably have a firewall on your computer, are more cautious when you are using your credit or debit cards, and more mindful when you are giving out personal information. But, [...]

By Sara Gilbert The average tax refund last year was just under $3,000, and that amount is expected to be about the same for tax returns being filed now. For many of us money and expenses can be a constant concern.  But, if you are expecting a nice refund this year try to use that money to [...]

By Jason Alderman The US tax code grows more complicated every year and currently spans thousands of pages – even government experts can’t agree exactly how long it is. So it’s not surprising that millions of Americans hire professional tax preparers to complete their returns. Relinquishing the onerous task of calculating your taxes to a [...]

By Malcolm Johannessen Tax time can be a nice time of year for many struggling homeowners. Playing catch up or getting ahead can be far more comforting in the long term than that flat screen TV. Whether you’re expecting $700 or $7000, spending your tax returns wisely can be a real difference maker for the [...]

By Mark Foster Few things in life are certain, but two things are – death and taxes. Last year’s average federal tax refund was approximately $3,000. It’s all too easy to spend a refund on various fun things or odds and ends so it is wise to have a plan for prioritizing where the refund [...]

By Barb Miller It’s tax preparation time of year! And for those Americans who expect a refund, the tax season is heating up. But before you hurry out to get your taxes done do your homework to make sure your tax “professional” is not out to scam you. Both the IRS and Better Business Bureau [...]

By Kim Cole Dear Kim, I filed my taxes and was expecting a $2000 return. I received a letter from the IRS stating that my return is being applied to an old student loan that I didn’t pay. Can they do that? That loan had nothing to do with my taxes! I think I owe [...]

By Jason Alderman Thank goodness tax season is over. If the memory of hours spent hunting for and organizing paperwork is still fresh in your mind, maybe it’s time to do some financial spring cleaning so preparing next year’s taxes won’t be such an ordeal. Many people hold onto mounds of receipts and account statements [...]

By Gail Cunningham With tax season behind us many consumers look forward to getting what’s owed to them. Americans more than ever are choosing to efile and with more consumers filing their income taxes before April, the extra cash can’t come soon enough. You can also get your income tax refund faster with direct deposit. IRS [...]

By Jason Alderman Now that tax day has passed chances are you’re either waiting patiently for your 2011 tax refund to arrive, it’s already been spent, or you just wrote the U.S. Treasury a check and are in budget-cutting mode. It’s difficult to calculate exactly how much you will owe in taxes unless your income [...]