Tag: tax debt

Posts Tagged ‘tax debt’

How to File Your 2017 Taxes

Posted by Manisha Hansraj on May 31, 2019
Last modified: July 27, 2020

2017 taxes

Did you miss the tax deadline for your 2017 taxes?

Although you’re late, you can still file your late 2017 taxes. However, you won’t be able to e-file your tax return.

Dates to remember

The 2018 tax season ran from January 29, 2018, to October 15, 2018. The official tax deadline was April 17, 2018, due to April 15 falling on a weekend and Emancipation Day following after. The e-file and extension deadline was October 15, 2018; therefore, you are now required to mail your return to the IRS.

Can I still claim a refund?

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1099-C Defined: Handling Past Due Debt

Posted by Michelle O'Brien on November 15, 2016
Last modified: December 21, 2016

So you’ve accrued a bit of debt. It’s not the end of the world.

Debt is stressful, overbearing and can build up quickly. When this happens, you may need to eliminate it altogether. In a situation when you need to cancel your debt completely, you would contact your creditor and they’d issue you form 1099-C, as shown below.

What is form 1099-C?

The 1099-C is also known as the Cancellation of Debt. The most common reasons that you would receive this form are as follows:

  • You’ve not made any payment on a debt for at least three years and there has been no collection activity for the past year.
  • You negotiated a settlement to pay your debt for less than the amount you owed and the lender/creditor forgave the remaining amount.
  • You sold a home in a short sale where the lender/creditor agreed to accept less than the full amount due to them
  • You’ve owned a home that entered into foreclosure with a deficiency (the difference between the value of the home and your debt on it) which was forgiven or remains unpaid.

What does each box on the 1099-C mean?

Tax forms, in general, are intimidating to most of us. The tricky language and minuscule text paired with our immediate panic can send anyone into a frenzy. Let’s break this form down box by box and see if all your questions can’t be answered. (more…)

Do Back Taxes Affect Your Credit Score?

Posted by Michelle O'Brien on April 5, 2016
Last modified: December 21, 2016

Credit and taxes are both pretty high up there on the adult responsibility ladder.

Putting them together kinda makes you want to hide under a rock. Don’t worry. You don’t need to know everything about credit (or taxes) in order to start taking steps in the right direction. You’ll learn what you need to along the way.

Let’s take a look at some of the initial questions you probably have about your tax debt and how it will affect your credit score.

Will a tax debt show up on my credit report?

Well, it could. The IRS will not automatically run off to the land of credit agencies and warn them about you if you have built up some tax debt over the years. However, if you owe over $10,000 in taxes and continue to do nothing about it, then a Notice of Federal Tax Lien is automatically filed against you. This lien has the potential to be pretty damaging to your credit score it will show up as a ‘seriously negative’ item on your credit report. If this has happened to you, don’t panic and keep reading. We’ll let you know how to remove this from your record and prevent this from happening to you in the future.

Can I remove a tax lien from my credit report?

You have a tax lien. This is a stressful situation, but you can only panic so much. Now you need to take baby steps toward fixing it. To do this, you’ll need to initiate repayment of your debt. Since this can stay put on your credit report up to seven years after the bill is paid, it is important to take action sooner rather than later. (more…)

How To Calculate Your 2012 Tax Refund

Posted by Michelle O'Brien on February 19, 2016
Last modified: November 2, 2016

Fashionably late? You can still file your 2012 tax return!

Unfortunately, filing your tax return late isn’t as notable as arriving an hour later than planned to a cocktail party. However, the IRS does give you three years to claim your refund after the official April deadline.  

Use our 2012 tax calculator to figure out how much the IRS owes you (or what you owe them).

What information do I need for the 2012 tax calculator?

To use our calculator tool, you just need some of your basic tax information from 2012. You’ll be able to navigate different tabs as shown below.

2012 tax calc info

Complete each section as best you can. Although it is best to complete every section entirely, you can skip the credits and deductions tab if you’re unsure. This will give you a ballpark figure until you have the time to gather your paperwork.

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