What has to be filed for the non-custodial parent to claim the child as a dependent?
- April 19th, 2023
- David Greene
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This question deals with the same problem the reader had last week, but in a different way. If a taxpayer seeks to claim dependent children after a divorce but is not the custodial parent, he must file Form 8332 with…
Is an ex-spouse only responsible for one half the taxes on a return with delinquent taxes?
- April 14th, 2023
- David Greene
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I have been asked this question before. The general answer is that a spouse owes all of the taxes because he signed the return. For a joint return the signers are jointly and severally liable for the tax. This means…
How can the IRS deny a taxpayer’s exemption for his child?
- April 12th, 2023
- David Greene
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Usually, when the IRS denies your exemption for a child, it means that someone else filed before you did, claiming the same child as an exemption. This usually arises when a stepparent and biological parent both claim the exemption. However, in…
What are Estimated Taxes and do I have to pay them?
- April 6th, 2023
- David Greene
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Estimated taxes are taxes one has to pay in advance of the tax being due. They are required for people who earn income from which no payroll taxes are withheld. A “W-2” employee is one who gets a regular payroll…
Do I need to report the sale of stock on my tax return?
- March 27th, 2023
- David Greene
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The short and simple answer is yes. When you purchase stock or any type of security, you are doing so with the money you have earned after taxes. This type of investment creates a basis in the new asset you have acquired….
Does using a paid tax preparer guarantee a correct return?
- March 23rd, 2023
- David Greene
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Unfortunately, the answer is “no.” Many preparers make mistakes from time to time for various reasons on both personal and corporate returns. In fact, the IRS recently released a study that found that 71% of S corporations who used paid…
Is a spouse responsible for the partner’s pre-marital tax debt?
- March 21st, 2023
- David Greene
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If one is single when the unpaid tax liability accrued, only the one who incurred the tax debt is responsible for paying those taxes. The IRS cannot take the other spouse’s property or levy her income to pay those taxes. …
Mistakes In Tax Return Preparation (Part 2)
- March 2nd, 2023
- David Greene
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Recently I stated that I can think of ten mistakes that are most often made when preparing a tax return. In that blog I listed 5 and in this blog I will tell you the remainder. Here they are: (6)…
I was awarded our home in my divorce two years ago. Then last year the IRS assessed a large back tax debt against my husband and placed a lien on my house. Can they do this?
- March 2nd, 2023
- David Greene
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I think we might be able fight this. If he had to transfer the house to you by Court Order and the tax wasn’t assessed against him until after the divorce, then the lien does not attach to your house. …
How To Choose A Tax Return Preparer
- February 24th, 2023
- David Greene
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I have more than a few clients each year who are audited and when I review their returns I can see where the tax preparer made mistakes because he/she did not understand the application of the rules. The IRS has…