2011

Countries With The Most Millionaires

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While America may have the most number of millionaires in absolute terms, it does not have the most per capita. Reflecting the shift in global wealth distribution, most of the countries where the per-capita number of millionaires exceeds that of the US are in Asia and the Middle East. The largest increases in the number […]

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2012 Tax Refunds Smaller Than 2011 Payments

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The IRS recently published some statistics on 2011 tax returns (filed in 2012, excluding extensions) which revealed some interesting factoids, such as: – If you got a refund this year, chances are that it was lower than the one you received in 2011. The average tax refund amount paid by the IRS through the end […]

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Average 401k and IRA Balances and Returns Up in 2012

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[2012 returns and balances update] Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest employer sponsored 401(k) administrator, recently published its 2012 statistics covering 20,200 401(k) plans with 12 million participants, showing that the average 401(k) balance was $75,900. This was the highest end-of-quarter average since the company it began tracking the data in 2000. It is up 18 percent  from $64,300 a […]

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2011 Expiring Tax Breaks. Which Ones Will Be Extended into 2012?

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With 2011 drawing to a close, a number of popular and widely leveraged tax breaks are set to expire. A number of these may be extended into 2012, but with Congress in seemingly continual gridlock you can never know for sure. The best thing to do is plan as if the tax breaks will expire; […]

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Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments and Installment Due Dates – 2011 and 2012 schedules

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Estimated taxes normally have to paid if you do not withhold taxes via your employer or if the amount of income tax being withheld from your salary, pension, or other income is insufficient. Estimated taxes are generally paid by small business’, self-employed workers with variable sources of income/expenses or those that have been notified by […]

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Obama’s 2012 Job Creation Stimulus and Tax Cuts – Can the New Economic Plan Really Boost The Economy and Lower Unemployment?

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[Update – American Jobs Act a.k.a 2012 Economic Stimulus] In what is essentially the 2012 stimulus package, President Obama has released details on the American Jobs Act which involves spending over $400 billion dollars to boost economic growth. The key provisions are: – Extension of employee payroll tax cuts into 2012, which were due to […]

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2012 Payroll Tax Credit and Unemployment Insurance Benefits Extension

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[Updated- 2012 Payroll Tax Credit Holiday, Unemployment Benefits and Medicare Doctor Payments Extended to Dec 31st] With House Republican support Congress has passed legislation extending the federal payroll tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding spending cuts to pay for it. This was a concession aimed at averting another repeat of their […]

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2012 Tax Brackets and Federal IRS Rates, Standard Deduction and Personal Exemptions

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2012 and 2011 tax rates stayed the same as 2010 levels thanks to an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. This has been confirmed by the IRS with the release of 2012 tax tables. There was also good news in that the 2012 standard deduction and tax brackets will increase due to higher inflation, which […]

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The Most Overlooked Tax Deductions You Can Claim This Year

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The folks at Turbo Tax have provided a list of the most overlooked deductions that may save you a few bucks when filing your tax return this year: 1. State sales taxes This write-off makes sense primarily for those who live in states that do not impose an income tax. You must choose between deducting […]

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2016-2017 American Opportunity Education Tax Credit (AOTC) Extension – Eligibility, Income and Phase-out Limits

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Congress and the Obama administration reached an agreement a few years ago that extended the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) through 2018. The AOTC allows parents and students to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 for qualified college expenses, based on certain income limits. The AOTC replaced the smaller Hope credit (which would have been […]

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