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How to File Taxes for a Deceased Person

Once the inevitable hits, it’s best to know how to deal with it. Let us help you with the tax side.

Death and taxes are two topics that no one wants to have a conversation about. However, they are two hurdles in life that every person is eventually faced with. Unfortunately, they can arrive together – when a taxpayer dies, there needs to be a final tax return filed on their behalf. We’ll tell you who needs to do this, what needs to be reported and how to get it done.   

Who is responsible for filing a final tax return?

A final tax return will always need to be filed after a taxpayer’s death, but who needs to do this will depend on the filing status of the deceased taxpayer on the day they passed away.

Were they married?

If the taxpayer was married when they passed away, then the IRS considers the couple to be married for the entire year for tax purposes. The surviving spouse is responsible for filing the tax return. In this case, the surviving spouse would file as married filing jointly, or qualifying widow(er) with dependent child.

If the surviving spouse plans to file a joint tax return, they are only able to do so for the current tax year in which their spouse has passed. In following tax years, they must file as qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, head of household, or single.

In order for the surviving spouse to file as a qualifying widow(er) with dependent child, specific requirements must be met. The surviving spouse must have: Continue reading “How to File Taxes for a Deceased Person”

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Delay in State Tax Refunds for 2016

Identity theft is real, and it is REALLY affecting when we get our state refunds.

Remember being in elementary school, when your teacher would tell the class that if one more student misbehaved, then the entire class would be forced to sit inside for recess that day? There was always that one kid who would ruin it for everyone.

That is similar to what’s going on with identity theft affecting state refunds this year. State revenue departments decided that there were too many cases of fraudulent activity and that they needed to do something. This means that refunds are being delayed a bit in order to double check certain taxpayer information.

Let’s take a look at the states that took a little extra precaution this 2016 tax season.

Illinois and South Carolina

These guys put provisions into play from the very beginning of the season. If you filed your state return in January or February, then you wouldn’t have seen your refund until at least mid-March. On top of that, if you filed your return after March 1st, 2016, then your refund was sent approximately three weeks from the date it was accepted.  

Hawaii

Taxpayers could be waiting for their state tax refund anywhere from four to sixteen weeks after being accepted. Good thing that Maui ranks as the #1 vacation spot in the U.S.! You won’t need to travel too far to relax and forget about the lack of refund money you’re waiting on.

Idaho

Identity theft in the Great Potato State has increased by nearly 64% since 2014! Extra safety measures means taxpayers will be waiting about seven weeks for their state refund from the time it is accepted. The ID Department of Revenue recommends responding ASAP to any letters you receive from the Tax Commission to speed up the processing time. Continue reading “Delay in State Tax Refunds for 2016”

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Quick Guide: RapidTax CPA Review

Afraid to stray from your accountant but also tired of paying the fancy price tag?

I have some pretty fond memories of road-tripping to my parents’ accountant on a beautiful Spring afternoon. I’d wait on the black leather couch with nothing but a bag of pretzels and a Game Boy to keep me busy while they crunched numbers. By the time we were out of there, my parents were balls of frustration and I had lost my sunny Saturday.

RapidTax is here to save the day (and hopefully a few sunny afternoons of your own)! While many have now taken the modern road, preparing their own tax returns online, some of us have stayed in the accountant safety net. Change is hard, and we hear what you’re saying. That’s why we’re now offering you accountant services online with the RapidTax CPA Review service!

Why switch things up? Let’s take a look at the most common concerns when it comes to making the switch.

Is this really just as good as going to an accountant in person?

After doing some research, we’ve found that this is the dilemma holding people back the most from hopping aboard the online tax movement. Yes, it is just as good, if not better. In fact, one of the best parts is not having to go in person at all. Here are some other highlights to choosing an online CPA review with RapidTax: Continue reading “Quick Guide: RapidTax CPA Review”