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Constantine Johnny | Moment | Getty Images Tax season has begun, and it typically comes with a big uptick in tax-related scams. There were nearly 7.8 million reports of suspicious activities in 2022, according to a recent report from the Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Information Sharing Mission & Analysis Center, a partnership between the

AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images Most Americans can file their taxes for free — but many don’t seize the opportunity. Roughly 70% of taxpayers qualify to use IRS Free File, but only 2% used it during the 2022 filing season, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate’s annual report to Congress. A public-private partnership between

Allison Michael Orenstein | Getty Images As the tax season kicks off, seniors may be facing new questions this year. A record 5.9% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment last year likely pushed up their income. Meanwhile, other income, such as required minimum distributions, other retirement account withdrawals or part- or full-time work may make filing more

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images The first Social Security check was issued 83 years ago. The check, for $22.54, went to retired legal secretary Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont. Today, in 2023, the average retirement benefit is $1,827 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. The maximum Social Security benefit for

Djordje Krstic | Istock | Getty Images Fewer borrowers will be able to claim the student loan interest deduction for 2022, with federal loan payments on hold for the duration of the year. But some people may still qualify. Before the Covid pandemic, nearly 13 million taxpayers took advantage of the break, which allows borrowers

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images It’s tax season, and Americans are confronted by a lot of tax jargon when preparing their returns. Two types of tax breaks stand out among all the lingo: credits and deductions. Each lowers your tax liability, which is the total annual tax owed on your income. (That figure can

A worsening macroeconomic climate and the collapse of industry giants like FTX and Terra have weighed on bitcoin’s price this year. STR | Nurphoto via Getty Images After a tough year for crypto, you may be looking for ways to turn steep losses into possible tax breaks. The digital currency industry lost nearly $1.4 trillion

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If you’re banking on a tax refund, it may be “somewhat lower” than last year’s payment, according to the IRS. Typically, you can expect a federal refund if you’ve overpaid yearly taxes or withheld more than what you owe. One of the big reasons for smaller payments this

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images Getting a $7,500 tax break for the purchase of a new electric vehicle will likely get harder in a few months — meaning prospective buyers who want the financial incentive may wish to speed up their timeline.   The Inflation Reduction Act, a historic climate law President Biden signed

Drakula & Co. | Moment | Getty Images Tax season officially kicked off for individual filers on Jan. 23. This year’s tax deadline is April 18 for most filers.  Although the IRS expects to start the filing season stronger, taxpayer service improvements may take time as the agency hires and trains more workers.   In the

pcess609 If you’re expecting a refund this season, it’s critical to file a complete and accurate tax return to avoid “extensive processing” and delays, according to the IRS.    One of the keys to error-free filing is including all your required tax forms, known as information returns, which employers and financial institutions send yearly, with copies

Residents drop off Covid-19 PCR tests at a testing site run by the Centers for Disease Control, Federal Emergency Management Agency and eTrueNorth in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2022. Eric Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images When Christopher Perry got sick in July 2021, he thought he just had a bad cold. But after

Insta_photos | Istock | Getty Images If you’re getting close to retirement age, there are some upcoming changes enacted as part of a government funding bill that may be of interest to you. Dozens of retirement-related provisions known as Secure 2.0 were included in an omnibus appropriations package that cleared Congress last week. While the

Mike Yada Courtesy: Mike Yada Mike Yada remembers the day in August 2020 when it became clear that his unusual symptoms — which emerged after a mild case of Covid-19 earlier in the year — were worsening. “I went for an easy hike, but by the end I was so winded that I couldn’t walk

Itsskin | E+ | Getty Images Thinking about retiring to another state? You’re not alone. A United Van Lines study found the percentage of people retiring to a new state had increased to 18.3% in 2021, up from 13.4% in 2015. Making the move is not a straightforward decision, however, as there are myriad financial

Teresa Harding Source: Teresa Harding It took three months for Teresa Harding to open her termination letter. “I couldn’t look at it,” Harding, 47, said. For seven years, she’d worked at a pain management center in Lexington, Kentucky. “I enjoyed my co-workers and our patients. “It was a fun, exciting job,” she added. But after