Here’s the average tax refund through Feb. 3, according to the IRS

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images Tax season is underway, and the IRS has issued nearly 8 million refunds worth about $15.7 billion as of Feb. 3, the agency reported. The average refund amount was $1,96...

Don’t risk an audit. Here are four reasons the IRS may flag your return

dmphoto | E+ | Getty Images Tax season is underway and there’s been increased scrutiny of the IRS as the agency starts deploying part of the nearly $80 billion approved by Congress in August.  W...

Tax credits vs. tax deductions: How they differ

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images It’s tax season, and households are confronted by a lot of tax jargon when preparing their returns. Two types of tax breaks stand out among all the lingo: credits ...

5 things to know as filing season opens

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images This is an excerpt from the Personal Finance team’s weekly Twitter Space, “This week, your wallet.” Check out the latest episode here, and tune in ever...

Here’s why your tax refund may be smaller this year

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If you’re banking on a tax refund, it may be “somewhat lower” than last year’s payment, according to the IRS. Typically, you can expect a federa...

Tax season kicks off as IRS begins to deploy $80 billion in funding

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images Tax season kicked off for individual filers Monday with a bigger IRS customer service team and enhanced technology as the agency begins to deploy its nearly $80 billi...

Here’s how to report Roth IRA conversions on your taxes

If you made a Roth individual retirement account conversion in 2022, you may have a more complicated tax return this season, experts say.  The strategy, which transfers pretax or non-deductible IRA fu...

Here’s how to get a faster tax refund during the 2023 filing season

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images Despite falling inflation, many Americans are still struggling financially and will need their annual tax refund to help cover the basics.  Some 30% of Americans overal...

Tax season opens for individual filers on Jan. 23

It’s official: The tax season kicks off for individual filers on Jan. 23, the IRS announced Thursday. For most taxpayers, you must file your federal return and pay your balance by April 18 this ...

House Republicans have voted to cut IRS funding

New U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks with reporters in Washington, Jan. 7, 2023. Jon Cherry | Reuters House Republicans on Monday night voted to slash funding for the IRS, fo...

You can still reduce your 2022 tax bill with some last-minute moves

‘Take lemons and make lemonade’ with tax-loss harvesting With the S&P 500 Index down nearly 20% for 2022 as of midday Dec. 19, it may be a good time for tax-loss harvesting, which allo...

Here’s why your tax refund may be smaller in 2023, the IRS says

If you’re expecting a tax refund in 2023, it may be smaller than this year’s payment, according to the IRS.  Typically, you get a federal refund when you’ve overpaid yearly taxes or ...

Federal Taxes Will Hit a Lot More People This Year

Few things are more pleasant that when an accountant runs through what you’ve earned and paid and confirms that you will not owe any extra taxes in April. On the other hand, few things are worse...

The extended tax deadline is Oct. 17. Here’s what filers need to know

Cecilie Arcurs | Getty Images There’s about one month until the Oct. 17 tax deadline extension, and experts say filers need to prepare, especially for more complicated returns. An estimated all-...

IRS interest jumps on Oct. 1. How much you’ll get for a missing refund

How to calculate your interest The interest is an annual rate compounded daily, meaning you divide the 6% rate by 365, explained Tommy Lucas, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisan...

Inflation Reduction Act extends $7,500 tax credit for electric cars

David Madison | Photodisc | Getty Images A federal tax break that’s available to car buyers for going electric may work differently starting next year. Under the Inflation Reduction Act — which ...

IRS working to boost audit rates for higher earners

Jeffrey Coolidge | Photodisc | Getty Images The IRS is working to boost its audit rates for the wealthiest Americans, according to a statement recently released with the agency’s annual Data Boo...

Still missing your tax refund? You’ll soon receive 5% interest

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If you’re still waiting for a tax refund, there’s a silver lining: it may be accruing interest, and the rate jumps to 5% from 4% on July 1, according to the...

IRS insists destruction of taxpayer data won’t affect payers

alfexe | iStock | Getty Images Filers won’t be affected by the IRS decision to destroy data for millions of taxpayers, the agency said in a statement Thursday. The IRS tossed an estimated 30 mil...

Tax pros ‘horrified’ by IRS decision to destroy data on 30 million filers

courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images An audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed the IRS has tossed data for millions of payers, sparking anger from the tax community. The mate...

Over 60 million tax returns could be completed automatically, study says

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS may have the ability to automate nearly half of tax returns, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The agency co...

Here’s what to do if you missed the April 18 tax filing deadline

Sergey Mironov | Moment | Getty Images If you missed the April 18 tax deadline, you may cut back on penalties by filing your return promptly, according to the IRS.  While it’s too late to reques...

Hit with an unexpected tax bill? It’s time to adjust your withholdings

Georgijevic | E+ | Getty Images If you had a surprise tax bill this filing season, it may be time to adjust your withholdings, financial experts say.  Whether you’re a W-2 employee or self-emplo...

When Does a Senior Citizen on Social Security Stop Filing Taxes?

Key Takeaways • If the only income you receive is your Social Security benefits, then you typically don’t have to file a federal income tax return. Our TurboTax Live experts look out for you. Ex...

How companies like Amazon, Nike and FedEx avoid paying federal taxes

The current United States tax code allows some of the biggest company names in the country to not pay any federal corporate income tax. In fact, at least 55 of the largest corporations in America paid...

Top Tax Write-offs for the Self-Employed

With self-employment comes freedom, responsibility, and a lot of expense. While most self-employed people celebrate the first two, they cringe at the latter, especially at tax time. They might not be ...

Are State Tax Refunds Taxable?

For those who itemize their deductions, it’s one of the stranger parts of the tax code. First, you get to take a deduction of your state and local taxes, then all of a sudden the next year you get a F...

TurboTax: 5 Hidden Ways to Boost Your Tax Refund

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio While Americans may disagree on how the government spends their taxes, at tax time, many of us are looking for ways to pay no more than we owe — or ev...

How to avoid a tax filing rejection if last year’s return is pending

Drakula & Co. | Moment | Getty Images The IRS is backlogged and still sifting through tens of millions of pending returns, including many of last year’s filings. If your 2020 return is part ...

What Is an IRS Tax Transcript and How Do I Request One?

Do you need information from a tax return you filed three years ago because you’re making a major purchase and the lender wants to see your tax history? Maybe you need to provide your adjusted g...

The IRS sent more than 45 million refunds. This is the average payment

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images The IRS has issued more than 45 million tax refunds worth almost $152 billion in total, as of March 11, the agency reported Friday. Nearly half of Americans expect refu...

Bipartisan lawmakers push for IRS answers on problems facing taxpayers

Signage outside the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images A group of bipartisan lawmakers is pressing the IRS for answers on lingering is...