Tax Tips
Tips and professional advice for getting taxes prepared
Gina L. Gwozdz

Since I haven't had time to write much of my own here, Kay Bell from "Don't Mess With Taxes!" has graciously allowed me to host this month's Tax Carnival No. 13, to make sure my readers have plenty to read.

This carnival is filled with tips and advice for completing your return yourself, hiring a tax professional and more....

"Ask Uncle Bill" believes if you have a simple return, you should do your own taxes.

You'll save yourself some money.

Along these same lines, "FIRE Finance" provides you with a link to obtain 35 percent off TurboTax online.

But before you use that link you might want to take a look at this great article from "Getting Finances Done," which shows us price comparisons of the major tax software packages.

If after reading those charts your head starts spinning and you've decided to hire a tax professional, Allison from "Queercents" offers some valuable advice on how to choose the right tax professional for your needs as well as how to organize your tax information.

If you find you're missing a few things, Jim, from "Blueprint for Financial Prosperity" tell us, where to get missing W-2s and 1099s.

Now that you're ready to prepare your return, Kevin, from "Pizza Delivery Stories," provides us with a simple explanation of how employees can claim their unreimbursed business miles on their tax return.

William Perez from "About: Tax Planning" altered me to a very good article by John Zimmerman in "Taxes Magazine" about the home office deduction, which explains why it may not be a good idea for employees to claim it.

Some good news comes in from "FreeMoneyFinance," who explains why cash rebates are not taxable.

"Simple Guru" and "FiveCentNickel" both remind us not to forget to claim the Telephone Tax Refund.

"Raising4boys" tells us all about the Child Tax Credit. SuperSaver of "My Wealth Builder," has written an article about an AMT benefit.

Can that be real?

The skilled investorinforms us for most people, contributions to traditional taxadvantaged plans will probably provide a higher net present value over their lifetimes than if they contributed to a ROTH.

And once you've finally completed your dreaded annual math test, Kay Bell from "Don't Mess With Taxes!" tells us when you'll receive your refund.

This time of year everyone feels like they are paying too much taxes.

Scott from "Scott on Money," provides us with a link to a MSN website where you can see just how bad your state's tax burden is.

Along this line, Ironman from "Political Calculations," provides you with a calculator to determine you net paycheck.

And Jeffrey from "Personal Financial Advice," helps us dissect our paycheck. And "Money Walks" points out various different taxes we pay.

Matt has written a great article informing us of 5 valuable tips for keeping your small business records up to date.

I hope you've enjoyed this month's carnival and if you wish to enter next months, please stop by the Blog Carnival Page and submit your article.

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Gina L. Gwozdz is a Bullard resident and certified public accountant. You may reach her via her web site at http://glgcpa.blogspot.com/