http://www.taxfilinghelp.org http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Tax_Documents.html When filing your tax return, you will need the following income documents. If you are using a tax preparation software, you will need the following income tax documents to complete your tax return online. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Tax_Documents.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Taxes_on_Social_Security_Income.html Social security benefit is among the most confusing item when filing tax returns. Many people receive social security benefits and have difficulties deciding whether to include social security as taxable income or as non taxable income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Taxes_on_Social_Security_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Non_Taxable_Income.html Non taxable income is the income that is exempt from federal tax. There are also state and local non taxable income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Non_Taxable_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Gross_Income.html Gross income is shown on the tax form 1040. Gross income is sometimes referred to as total income. On the 1040 tax form, gross income is calculated first then adjusted gross income is calculated to derive the taxable income. Below is the definition of gross income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Gross_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Taxable_Income.html When filing tax returns, taxpayers have to pay particular attention to taxable income because taxable income is the income that the IRS will use to calculate how much taxes are owed. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Taxable_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Earned_Income.html Earned income often comes up when preparing tax returns. Earned income is used in calculating many tax credits, tax deductions and exemptions. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/What_is_Earned_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Definition.html In preparing and filing taxes, different definitions of income can be confusing for taxpayers. Below are explanations and definitions of different types of income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Definition.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Who_Qualifies_for_Child_and_Dependent_Care_Credit.html Some taxpayers qualify for child and dependent care tax credits as well as other tax credits. To qualify for the child and dependent care tax credit, the taxpayer must meet the following tests. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Who_Qualifies_for_Child_and_Dependent_Care_Credit.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/EIC_without_a_Child.html Certain taxpayers can claim the EIC without a child. Some taxpayers think that to claim the earned income tax credit, they need to have a qualifying child. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/EIC_without_a_Child.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/EIC_with_a_Child.html If the taxpayer has a child and wanting to claim the earned income credit or EIC with a child, then the taxpayer has to meet the following additional tests for EIC with a child. The same goes for taxpayers without a child wanting to claim the earned income credit. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/EIC_with_a_Child.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Test_for_Earned_Income_Credit.html To claim the EIC or earned income credit the taxpayer and his or her spouse if married filing jointly must not make more than a certain income limit set by the IRS for earned income credit qualification. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Income_Test_for_Earned_Income_Credit.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Who_Qualifies_for_Earned_Income_Credit.html Earned income credit is a tax credit that many high income taxpayers have not heard of. Below are requirements for claiming earned income tax credit or EIC. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Who_Qualifies_for_Earned_Income_Credit.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Credits.html Tax credits are not the same as tax deductions. Tax credits are much more valuable for taxpayers because tax credits put money directly into taxpayers' pocket whereas tax deductions only reduce taxable income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Credits.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Relatives_Who_Do_Not_Have_to_Live_with_Taxpayer.html Some taxpayers think that children or relatives can only be considered dependents if they actually lived with them. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Relatives_Who_Do_Not_Have_to_Live_with_Taxpayer.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Qualifying_Relative_Dependents.html If a person who you are supporting is not qualified as a qualifying child dependent, you may still be able to claim tax exemption for him or her as a dependent if he or she meets the qualifying relative dependent tests. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Qualifying_Relative_Dependents.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Qualifying_Child_Dependents.html Most qualifying dependents are qualifying children of taxpayers. To claim a dependent as a qualifying child dependent, the taxpayer must not be a dependent himself or herself. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Qualifying_Child_Dependents.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Definition_of_Dependent.html The tax laws' definition of a dependent is very important when figuring out what tax filing status a taxpayer can file as and when claiming tax exemptions for a dependent. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Definition_of_Dependent.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Single_Tax_Filing_Status.html If a taxpayer is single or unmarried, he or she does not necessarily have to file his or her tax return as a single taxpayer. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Single_Tax_Filing_Status.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_for_Widows.html Not all widows and widowers are entitled to file using the head of household tax filing status or the qualifying widow or widower tax filing status. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_for_Widows.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_for_Widow.html A tax return for a widow taxpayer can be filed as a single status, married filing jointly, qualifying widow or widower with dependent child, married filing separately or even head of household depending on circumstances. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_for_Widow.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status_for_Widows.html There are different tax filing status for widows and widowers. First of all widows or widowers can continue to file their tax returns using married filing jointly tax filing status if their spouses died during the current tax year. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status_for_Widows.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status_of_Widows.html If a taxpayer's spouse died, then the taxpayer is considered a widow or widower. A widow or widower tax filing status will result in higher tax deductions and tax credit than filing as a single taxpayer or filing as a married filing separately taxpayer. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status_of_Widows.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Married_Filling_Head_of_Household.html Many married taxpayers are now aware that they can be married and filing head of household. Can you file head of household if married? is a common question among married taxpayers. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Married_Filling_Head_of_Household.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Filing_Taxes_When_Married.html When a taxpayer is married, there are two tax filing status he or she could choose. The first tax filing status for a married person is married filing jointly and the second if married filing separately. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Filing_Taxes_When_Married.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_Filing_Status.html Below is a flowchart that helps taxpayers determine what tax return filing status he or she should use when filing his or her tax return. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_Filing_Status.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status.html Knowing your tax filing status is very important. The IRS will reject your tax return filing if you file with an incorrect tax filing status. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Status.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Free_Tax_Programs.html Below are free tax filing programs online. Anyone can use most of these free tax programs and print out the 1040 tax forms as well as other attached Schedules and forms. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Free_Tax_Programs.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Free_Tax_Filing_Online.html If you have low income, then there are many free tax filing online which you can access through the IRS' Free File program on their website (below). http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Free_Tax_Filing_Online.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/IRS_Nontaxable_Income.html There are many types of income as classified by the IRS and tax laws. There are earned income such as wages, unearned income, taxable income and nontaxable income as well as other subcategories of income. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/IRS_Nontaxable_Income.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Refund_Transfer.html If a taxpayer wants to file his or her tax return without paying for the tax preparation fee, then he or she can apply for a tax refund transfer or RT which is a bank product. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Refund_Transfer.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/RAL_Advance_Loan.html RAL Advance Loan or the Tax Refund Anticipation Advance Loan is a new bank product that allows the taxpayer to get access to some money faster than the classic regular RAL could. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/RAL_Advance_Loan.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Refund_Anticipation_Loan.html Tax Refund Anticipation Loans or RAL are bank products just like any other short term loans that banks offer. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Refund_Anticipation_Loan.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Refund_Anticipation_Loan.html When a taxpayer needs the tax refund money fast, he or she can apply for a tax Refund Anticipation Loan. Tax Refund Anticipation Loan is also referred to as RAL or rapid refund. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Refund_Anticipation_Loan.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_Forms.html There are many tax forms to use for each tax filing purposes. For most people, the main federal income tax form is the 1040 or 1040A or 1040-EZ for very easy tax filing situations. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Return_Forms.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Where_is_my_Tax_Refund.html Many taxpayers have too much money withheld during the tax year and when it is time to file their tax returns, the IRS owes them money. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Where_is_my_Tax_Refund.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/IRS_Free_Tax_Help.html Unlike popular belief, the IRS actually wants to educate taxpayers so that they can file their tax returns properly, claiming only the tax deductions, tax credits and tax exemptions that they can claim. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/IRS_Free_Tax_Help.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Help.html Almost everyone needs to file tax returns. However, tax laws are among the most complicated laws that most people don't understand how to do correctly. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/Tax_Filing_Help.html http://www.taxfilinghelp.org/index.html Tax Filing Help is a resource website dedicated to providing information and explanations to help taxpayers file their tax returns. http://www.taxfilinghelp.org