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How to Prevent Tax Identity Theft

Last year tax identity theft affected 1.1 million taxpayers. Use these tips to prevent someone from stealing your identity and filing a fraudulent return

Every year millions of taxpayers look forward to tax season as a nice fat tax refund is waiting to enter their bank accounts.

But for an increasingly large group of tax filers, tax season can be a scary time. Every year, more and more people become the victims of tax identity theft – their names and Social Security numbers were stolen and fraudulent returns are filed under their names.

Not only do criminals now possess these unfortunate filers’ personal information – with which they can do any number of dastardly things – but these people also have their tax returns rejected by the IRS because every Social Security number can only be used once. They then have to print out their return out, fill out a lot of extra paperwork, and mail it all to the IRS, which slows the process down considerably. Many have to wait months, even upwards of a year, before they get their refunds.

In 2008, there were 51,700 cases of identity theft-related tax fraud. In 2011, that number was over 1.1 million.

So even if you’ve never had your identity stolen, you still need to be vigilant about taking preventive measures. Don’t think it can’t happen to you. Following these steps will save you a lot of hassle and heartache: Continue reading “How to Prevent Tax Identity Theft”

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How to File Taxes Early

Learn how to file taxes early so that your return can get to the front of the line and you can receive your refund as quickly as possible.

Wallet hard-hit by the holidays? Join the crowd. The only thing more depressing than picking mutilated wrapping paper off the floor is taking a look at your credit card statement. Yikes!

Thankfully, Uncle Sam is here to save the day. Soon after you ring in the New Year it will be time to take account of the old by filing a 2012 tax return. And for many people, this means a sizable tax refund. If every year you pay for your holiday spending with the tax refund you expect to receive in January, you’re hardly alone. But that means it’s imperative you get your refund as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, this year IRS e-file doesn’t start until January 22nd, a week later than in recent years. But you can get a jump on the start of the season by learning how to file taxes early. In fact on RapidTax you can prepare your return as early as January 3rd.

“What’s the point of preparing my return before I can file it?” you may ask. Well, filing early has several advantages. Continue reading “How to File Taxes Early”

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IRS 2012 Tax Changes

Look over these important changes to the tax code before you file your 2012 taxes

Every year the IRS tweaks the tax code at least a little bit: introducing new credits and deductions, discontinuing temporary provisions of the tax code, and adjusting various numbers for inflation.

Some years, depending on what happens in Congress, there are really big changes that end up affecting everyone pretty dramatically. But for the 2012 tax year the changes were relatively small. Still, you should be aware of them before you go gallivanting off into the tax preparation sunset.

Here, without further ado, are the tax changes for the 2012 year:

  • Income limits for excluding education savings bond interest increased – Your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be less than $87,850 if you’re a single filer or less than $139,250 if you’re married filing jointly or a qualifying widow(er) in order to exclude education savings bond interest. Continue reading “IRS 2012 Tax Changes”