As taxpayers plan their 2021 taxes, there is good news in the form of an enhanced child-tax credit.

Social Security impostor scams are widespread across the United States. Scammers use sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. They target everyone—in…

There are two Federal tax credits available to help you offset the costs of higher education for yourself or your dependents. These are the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifet…

Q.: I am a fully retired school Principal. My wife is still working. She earns $132,000 a year. Based on my wife's earnings, can she fund a Roth IRA for me?

What can be better than lowering your taxes? With a 529 plan, you have no Federal tax obligation once your money's invested in your account. But the best part is that your earnings grow Federa…

Many IRA owners are aware they can be hit hard with penalty fees if they withdraw IRA money early. You should make every effort to avoid taking money out of your retirement accounts early, esp…

Q.: I'm retired and about to take my first Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). I have a few retirement accounts. I plan to calculate the RMD for each one and then withdraw the total amount fr…

The IRS wants taxpayers to be aware of tax scams. These scams are illegal and can lead to problems for taxpayers including significant penalties, interest and possible criminal prosecution. Be…

New York's public-sector workers are accruing two guaranteed retirement income streams. One comes from the retirement system to which the worker belongs while the other one comes from the Soci…

If you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent (i.e., parent) this year, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your Federal income-tax return. Below…

If you are in business for yourself, or carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor, you generally would consider yourself self-employed and you would file I…

To take the deduction, the IRS requires the home-office to be your principal place of business, and it must be used exclusively and on a regular basis. According to the Small Business Administ…

Formerly called the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, the Saver's Credit gives a special tax break to low-to-moderate-income workers who are saving for retirement. Contributors to a tra…

For the Career Civil Servant (CSS), is it better to invest pre-tax or after-tax? Will the CSS be in a lower or higher income tax bracket during retirement compared to the tax bracket while working?

Charitable contributions made to qualified organizations may help to reduce your taxable income and lower your tax bill. The IRS has put together the following tips to help ensure your contrib…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a lower dollar limit on mortgages qualifying for the home-mortgage-interest deduction. Beginning in 2018 and until 2025, taxpayers may only deduct interest of…

Every civilian worker in this state and city is afforded the opportunity to take 75 percent of their accumulated- deductions account balance as a Final Withdrawal. The tax-free portion of the …

Interest is an amount you pay for the use of borrowed money. To deduct interest you paid on a debt on your tax return, you must be legally liable for the debt and you must be able to itemize y…

A Traditional (pre-tax) IRA owner may withdraw funds at will. The amount withdrawn is subject to ordinary income tax. If the owner is younger than 59.5, an additional tax, equal to 10 percent …

Social Security helps you secure today and tomorrow with financial benefits, information, and tools that support you throughout life's journey. If you don't have enough Social Security credits…