Tag: dependent

Posts Tagged ‘dependent’

What do I do if someone else claimed my dependent?

Posted by Manisha Hansraj on October 16, 2018
Last modified: October 10, 2019

someone else claimed my dependent

In the worst case scenario, the IRS rejects your tax return.

Someone else claimed my dependent. What should I do? Luckily, the IRS gives you options in case you’re stuck in this situation.

Unfortunately, the IRS cannot disclose who claimed your dependent. Typically it’s either the other parent, their child claimed themselves as an exemption on their individual tax return, another member of the household such as the grandparent, or any other person that lived with the child for a portion of the year.

What you need to do.

If you’re filing a current year return, you may receive a rejection due to your dependent’s social security number. In this case, you should double-check that you reported their SSN correctly.

If it is reported correctly, you will need to paper file your return; meaning you must print, sign and mail your return to the IRS. You cannot e-file it since the IRS will reject it again.

You may receive a CP87A Notice which notifies each party that if they incorrectly claimed the dependent, they need to file an amended tax form. If you can rightfully claim the dependent, you do not need to respond to this notice. In order to dispute the claim of your dependent, you will need to attach a cover letter (more…)

11 Tax Tips For Your Back-to-School Use!

Posted by Manisha Hansraj on August 21, 2018
Last modified: August 24, 2018

tax free week 2018

Education is expensive, so here’s some helpful tips!

Get your tax break from claiming your kids.

  1. Don’t forget to claim up to $1,000 for the Child Tax Credit.
    (Your child must be under 17, live more than half the year with you, a dependent on your tax return, be directly related to you, a U.S. citizen, national or resident alien)
  2. Claim the child and dependent care credit for child care expenses for your child under 13.
  3. You can claim the Earned Income Credit (EIC) depending on your income.
  4. The Adoption Tax Credit reduces your tax for expenses such as Court, attorney fees, travel and meal expenses. (You can also claim the Special Needs Credits for all relating expenses)
  5. Claim the Education Credit for education expenses if you’re paying for your child’s college education.

(more…)

The Child Tax Credit & Additional Child Tax Credit Changes for 2018!

Posted by Manisha Hansraj on July 23, 2018
Last modified: January 23, 2019

child tax credit 2018

Let your kids treat you by giving you the tax break you deserve.

Typically, for the prior tax years, (including the tax year 2017) you can receive up to $1,000 per qualifying child for the Child Tax Credit (CTC). You may even get the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) which is a refundable credit that you may receive if your CTC exceeds the total amount of income taxes you owe. However, you need an income of at least $3,000. It phases out for taxpayers with the AGI of $75,000 or greater and $110,000 for joint filers.

The good news is that the CTC and the ACTC increases for the next tax year.

Read on to find out the changes for 2018.

(more…)

How do I Qualify for the Child Tax Credit?

Posted by Divya Hansraj on June 16, 2017
Last modified: June 6, 2018

Oh, the joys of having children!

Today, it is difficult for parenthood to have its rewards. Children want us to buy them the most expensive toys and clothing and that spending can sometimes feel fruitless. As with struggling to finish a marathon, we strive, hoping there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily the IRS understands this struggle and gives parents a little something back. The Child Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit serve as the cushioned shoe inserts that help us finish.

Child Tax Credit (CTC) Facts:

  • You must have a qualifying child.
  • You must have earned greater than $3000 of Income.
  • Each child can receive up to $1000.

 

What is a qualifying child?

(more…)

How to Determine Your W-4 Allowances

Posted by admin on October 18, 2016
Last modified: November 2, 2016

Confused about how to fill out your W-4 form?

If you’re completing your W-4 form and have no idea how many allowances to claim, you’re not alone. That being said, it’s important to be aware of the number of allowances you’re claiming to avoid a large tax bill after filing.

The W-4 form determines how much tax is withheld from your paycheck each pay period. That means, if there is too much tax withheld throughout the year, you’ll end up receiving a tax refund when filing your taxes. The opposite is also true. If too little tax is withheld from your paycheck, you’ll end up having to pay taxes later on.

What determines the number of allowances to claim?

The number of allowances you claim on your W-4 is dependent on your life circumstances. It depends on the number of jobs you have, if you’re married or single and how many children and personal exemptions you have along with your stance in the federal tax table.

(more…)

How to Complete a W-4 if You’re Married

Posted by Michelle O'Brien on January 13, 2016
Last modified: November 2, 2016

Tie the knot in your life and also on your taxes.

The honeymoon is over and it’s back to reality. With such a huge change in your life, it’s important to pay attention to how it will affect your taxes. Once the wedding bells in your head subside, update your W-4 form with your employer.

Completing a W-4 form can be intimidating especially knowing that your paycheck depends on it. Don’t let your tax return take the fun out of your recent marriage. Let us help you fill out your W-4 so that you can still break even this tax season!

 

You just got married.

Congrats to all of you newlyweds out there! Once you’ve found a place in your cabinets for all of those trinkets on your Bed Bath & Beyond registry, make sure you speak with your employer. You may or may not know already but filing a joint tax return screams ‘tax benefits’!

You should update your W-4 form to reflect your married filing status ASAP. You’ll want to do this as soon as possible so that it reflects on your tax return when you file for the year.

As a married couple with two sources of income, your tax rate is bound to change. Be sure to sit down with your spouse and discuss the household income you’ll both be bringing in. If one of you makes significantly less income, your joint tax rate could be brought down. What if one spouse is earning significantly more? You could be entering into a higher tax bracket.

 

You’re married… and just had a baby!

Babies probably play the biggest role in tax benefits. Funny…considering they can hardly utter ‘W’ or ‘4’. When you have a baby, you can claim an additional allowance. As a married couple planning to file a joint return, it is recommended that the spouse earning the higher income claim the additional allowance(s). The other spouse will not need to update their W-4 form. You may also qualify for the Child Tax Credit or Child Care Tax Credit depending on your income.  

Claiming a higher amount of allowances on your W-4 form will allow for less to be withheld from your paychecks. If you leave your withholdings as-is, your tax refund may be larger than necessary. Plus, you’ll probably need a little extra for Pampers and ear plugs (kidding!) throughout the year.

(more…)

How to File your First Tax Return

Posted by Michelle O'Brien on November 13, 2015
Last modified: November 2, 2016

Filing your first tax return is a bit like doing your laundry.

You don’t want to do it. You’d prefer someone just did it for you. But if you don’t do it, you know there will be consequences. 

Unlike laundry, you’ll need to do a bit more sorting, as in sorting through of all those tax forms. And unlike laundry, you really should know the basics before you start. Don’t worry though: you’ll get through it and probably even get a refund afterwards.

 

Find out if you are being claimed as a dependent!

The first thing you should do is talk to your parents. Since they’ve been claiming you as a dependent since before you could even utter the words, ‘tax return’, make sure they know you are planning on filing for yourself to avoid being rejected by the IRS. Each and every person is allowed to claim a personal exemption for themselves or their dependent. However, only one exemption can be claimed per person.

Here’s a classic scenario:

Abby was just hired as a barista at that awesome new cafe downtown. She makes a decent income and her co-worker mentions that she could probably cash in on a nice refund come tax time. Being that Abby is only 17 and earning less than the threshold allotted by the IRS, her parents can still claim her as a dependent on their return. If Abby files a tax return and claims the personal exemption for herself, not noting that she is being claimed as a dependent, and then her parents claim the personal exemption for Abby on their return, the IRS will reject the last tax return submitted.

 

Do you know the age requirements to be claimed as a dependent?

Although your age doesn’t specifically determine if you need to file a tax return, it is a key player in whether or not you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s taxes. When it comes to age, you can only be claimed as a qualifying child dependent if one of the following is true: (more…)