Recent News & Blog / Individual Tax
Buying and selling mutual fund shares: Avoid these tax pitfalls
If you invest in mutual funds, be aware of some potential pitfalls involved in buying and selling shares. Surprise sales You may already have made taxable “sales” of part of your mutual fund investment without knowing it.
Back-to-school tax breaks on the books
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, students are going back to school this fall, either remotely, in-person or under a hybrid schedule. In any event, parents may be eligible for certain tax breaks to help defray the cost of education.
Will you have to pay tax on your Social Security benefits?
If you’re getting close to retirement, you may wonder: Are my Social Security benefits going to be taxed? And if so, how much will you have to pay?
What happens if an individual can’t pay taxes
While you probably don’t have any problems paying your tax bills, you may wonder: What happens in the event you (or someone you know) can’t pay taxes on time? Here’s a look at the options.
Home is where the tax breaks might be
If you own a home, the interest you pay on your home mortgage may provide a tax break. However, many people believe that any interest paid on their home mortgage loans and home equity loans is deductible. Unfortunately, that’s not true.
Preparing for tax season tips
Here are tips and strategies from the tax advisors and tax experts at SEK on how to prepare for tax season and filing your taxes.
Depreciation and cost recovery rules: 2019 and later
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) brought with it some changes and updates to Depreciation rules. SEK’s tax department has created this one page quick reference guide to help answer some of the most common Depreciation questions we receive.
Watch out for tax-related scams
“Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams,” according to the IRS. Criminals can contact victims through regular mail, telephone calls and email messages. Here are just two of the scams the tax agency has seen in recent months.
Uncle Sam may provide relief from college costs on your tax return
We all know the cost of college is expensive. The latest figures from the College Board show that the average annual cost of tuition and fees was $10,230 for in-state students at public four-year universities — and $35,830 for students at private not-for-profit four-year institutions.
Expenses that teachers can and can’t deduct on their tax returns
As teachers head back for a new school year, they often pay for various expenses for which they don’t receive reimbursement. Fortunately, they may be able to deduct them on their tax returns. However, there are limits on this special deduction, and some expenses can’t be written off.