Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., on September 3 announced their intention to introduce legislation following Congress’s return to session on September 9 requiring the federal government to notify taxpayers whenever the IRS has accessed their tax returns or other information.

By Blake Ellis | CNNMoney.com   More than three months after rushing to file their taxes early, some filers still haven’t received refunds from the IRS. Taxpayers claiming education credits on Form 8863 encountered their first delay when the IRS said it wouldn’t be able to start processing the forms until mid-February because it needed […]

By Kay Bell | Bankrate.com   The goal of every taxpayer is to make sure the Internal Revenue Service gets as little as possible. For that to happen, you need to take every tax deduction, credit or other income adjustment you can. Here are 10 tax breaks — some for itemizers only, others that any […]

By Rachel Louise Ensign | The Wall Street Journal   What’s a more valuable tax deduction, a deadbeat boyfriend or a vicious guard dog? It depends on how big a deadbeat the boyfriend is. No, this isn’t a bad joke. It’s among the things taxpayers ask each year as they try to squeeze out whatever […]

By Sharon Epperson | CNBC   If you’re an early bird, you’ll be able to start filing your federal income in less than a week – and you’ll want to make sure you can claim all of the tax breaks you deserve.

By The Associated Press   Key numbers to know when filing your 2012 tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service: PERSONAL EXEMPTION: —Each personal or dependent exemption is worth $3,800.

By Serena Ng | The Wall Street Journal American workers are opening their first paychecks of the year and finding an unpleasant surprise: The government’s take has gone up. A temporary cut in Social Security withholdings gave Americans hundreds of extra dollars to spend over the past two years. But Congress allowed that break to […]

By Laura Saunders | The Wall Street Journal The annual scramble to make smart tax moves before Dec. 31 is proving especially vexing this year. Congress still hasn’t settled 2013 tax rates on income, investments, large gifts and estates. Deductions and other breaks are also in doubt, now that politicians from both parties are calling […]

If you are a freelancer, consultant or other self-employed person, the government offers a $50,000 tax break that could help secure your retirement.

It’s a provocative fact about the tax code: Nearly half of U.S. households end up owing no federal income tax. But it’s not surprising given the addiction to tax breaks by both Democrats and Republicans, and the fact that the U.S. tax code is set up to be progressive.