9 Ways to Avoid Being a Victim of a Tax Scam

Tax scams have been on the IRS's radar for quite some time now. First we heard that refunds would be delayed due to the fraud mechanisms put in place by the IRS. Now the IRS has identified a new scam going around promising big refunds to low-income, senior and local churches' taxpayers.

The scam promises a big refund (and of course a big fee for the scam artist)a or nonexistent stimulus payment based on the American Opportunity Tax Credit, even if the victim was not enrolled in or paying for college.

What can you do to ensure that you are not a victim? Here are nine steps to ensure you don get caught in one of the scams.



The Tech Accountant

Mobile App Woes and Social Media

I love to use social media and mobile apps as much as the next guy, but recently I have been having some issues with many of the app updates on some of my mobile devices. One recent update that has me rather concerned is the Google+ (or Google Plus is you say it that way) for iOS devices. Google's apps typically work very well on iOS devices, but for me (and many people leaving review on iTunes) the new Google+ is causing a headache.

Check out my Google+ woes here: The Tech Accountant

Couples Who Filed Joint Returns Must Now File Separate Powers of Attorney

Couples Who Filed Joint Returns Must Now File Separate Powers of Attorney

Cut Your Taxes and Predict the Future

Happy New Year!

As we welcome in 2012 and wave good-bye to 2011 (so goes many of the tax provisions that a lot of taxpayers have enjoyed for quite some time). Let’s take a moment to recap the end of the year.

Congress was able to extend the payroll tax cut but, a little over 50 tax provisions expired when the clock struck 12. For a list of the more important provisions that expired and to take a look into the future:

A Look into the Future

With the start of 2012, there are a few new tax provisions taxpayers will want to pay close attention to. The major new provisions include inflation adjustments, capital gains and loss reporting, credits for hiring veterans, and bonus depreciation.

So what’s in store for 2012? Since this is an election year, there is sure to be a great deal of talk about tax reform and deficit control as many taxpayers already have been hearing. The end of the Bush tax rates (2013) is also sure to be a hot topic for 2012 campaigns.

The bottom line is to have a plan and that way a taxpayer can ensure they don’t make any mistakes most taxpayers make every year.

Give to the Right Charity

We are in the season of giving and many taxpayers would like to provide assistance to those less fortunate than they are. While charitable giving is always good, there are however some things taxpayers should know before giving their money, time, and other items to a charity. Here's a short video with the details. Enjoy.



The Tech Accountant

Travel Receipts Got You Sour as a Lemon??? Make Lemonade

I hope everyone had a great holiday this past week. If you were one of the many people traveling this past week, I am sure you have quite a few receipts from your trip that you may want to organize to see how much you spent over the holiday.

Or maybe you are a constant business traveler that is tired of trying to keep up with all of your receipts when you travel for business.

If this describes you, I am sure that the time it takes to organize and tally up what you spent, and where has you as sour as a lemon.

Here's a quick video on a new web-based product with a corresponding smart phone app that can make lemonade out of those receipts. Let me know what you think.



The Tech Accountant

Facebook Employees Go Nuts As Zuckerberg Tells Them The IPO Is Coming - Nicholas Carlson

Is there a Facebook IPO in the future....stay tuned.

Facebook Employees Go Nuts As Zuckerberg Tells Them The IPO Is Coming - Nicholas Carlson

The Tech Accountant