the north texas journal, v25n1

8/3/2019 The North Texas Journal, V25N1

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Have You Made These Six Tax Mistakes? Ho

To Avoid Them This YearARA) - Tax time is a stressful time,

even for the most prepared ler. And for

he many people who arent perfectly

prepared when the season rolls around,

each commercial, ad or sign that men-

ions tax preparation can be a painful

eminder that the daunting task still lies

ahead.

This year, dont let yourself be affected

by the stress - or at least nd ways to

cut back on it. By avoiding these six

common mistakes, youll be making the

process of ling your taxes a lot easier

on yourself.

Mistake 1: Rushing to le by April 15

f you arent ready by the 15th, youdont need to panic. Six month exten-

sions are now an easy-to-use option.

You no longer have to give a reason

about why your taxes arent ready by

he initial deadline - just ll out and le

Form 4868, and youll give yourself

some extra time to get it all complete.

Mistake 2: Being a perfectionist

Of course, you cant and dont want

o lie on your tax return, but you dont

have to panic about making sure that

each minute gure is perfect. The IRS

isnt going to hunt you down and send

you to jail over a simple mistake - even

they understand that were all human.

If youve lost some information thats

necessary to your tax return, do your

best to ll it out using reasonable esti-

mates. Dont let perfectionism get in the

way of ling.

Mistake 3: Going it alone

We arent all tax experts, and that be-

comes particularly clear when you start

lling out the labyrinthine forms. And

if youve had any major (or even mi-

nor) changes to your life this year, the

whole process can get even more con-fusing. Getting help from a tax profes-

sional is much more affordable than you

might imagine, and can pay off in a lot

of ways, not least of which could be a

lower overall tax bill.

Mistake 4: Not reviewing your work

You had to do it for your homework, but

you should be doing it for your taxes,

too. Going back to your taxes with fresh

eyes can help you catch mistakes or ar-

eas that were simply missed. Check

the details. Are your Social Security

numbers right? Were any credits or

deductions missed?

Mistake 5: Being afraid to ask ques-

tions

The old axiom there are no dumb q

tions applies to your taxes. If yo

not an expert, there will almost cer

ly be something that you dont un

stand or nd confusing. Luckily, t

are plenty of resources out there

can answer your questions. You ca

directly to the IRS website or the

help line, but if you still need more

sistance, ask your question at Equif

blog or check with a tax profession

Mistake 6: Not being careful with d

deposit

The advent of direct deposit has be

benet to those waiting for their tax

funds, but you have to do the footwfor the IRS. They can only deposit

funds into the account you tell them

use, so make sure that the informa

you provide is correct. If theres a

take and your money is deposited

the wrong account, its a nightmar

best, to get it back. At worst, you m

not get it back at all.

Preparing taxes might never be you

vorite activity, but it doesnt need t

a painful experience. Get the help

need, be cautious and dont let the s

get to you - tax season will be done

fore you know it.


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More Demand, Fewer Grads Mean Tech

Careers Continue To Boom(ARA) - The era of the

Internet start-up boom

may be over, but de-

mand for technology

professionals contin-ues to rise. Broader

use of cheaper, more

easily available tech-

nology by a variety of

industries, and a dearth

of technology profes-

sionals mean technol-

ogy will continue to be

a hot career choice.

The technology industry

mains one of the fastest gro

ing career elds. Employmin the computer sciences

math elds increased by

percent, according to the U

Government Accountability

ce (GAO). By contrast, e

ployment increased by only

percent in non-science and t

elds. Moreover, the Bureau

Labor Statistics expects inmation technology careers to

main in high demand in com

years.

As prices for computer techn

ogy continue to fall, busines

of all kinds will continue to

tegrate technology into their

erations. This means that coputer technology graduates w

continue to be in high dem

in a range of career elds.

As a result, tomorrows co

puter technology careers w

increasingly be outside

computer or technology ind

try itself. The Information Tenology Association of Am

ca found that 92 percent of

graduates work outside the

industry. This is a trend tha

expected to continue as techn

ogy continues to expand to

realms of life.

With the rate of change in


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2011 TXU Energy Retail Company LLC. All rights rese rved. REP #10004

Thats why we have a program called TXU Energy Aid.SM

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Learn more at txu.com.

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When life throws you a curvewe can go to bat for you.

TXU Energy is proud to partner with

IT industry where new information is doubling

n 18 to 24 month intervals, the demand for IT

personnel with proven learning abilities is very

desirable, says Michael McAplin, computer in-

formation science instructor at Everest Universi-

y in North Orlando, Fla. Our premise is to teach

people how to learn.

A ComputerWorld article on the future of the

IT eld states that, The IT worker wont be a

technology guru but rather a versatilist, wh

adds credence to the trend that computer techn

ogy graduates nd careers in a wide variety

elds, ranging from health care, to business

nance.

In addition, as more complex technologies c

tinue to develop, companies seek employees w

stay up to date with new.


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Changes Impacting Your Taxes And This Years Refund From Uncle Sam

(ARA) - In the way of tax legislation, 2011 was a relatively

quiet year. However, that doesnt mean there arent tax law

changes that will affect this years tax returns.

The changes enacted at the end of 2010 will still impact

this years and next years federal tax returns, says Tax-

ACT spokesperson, Jessi Dolmage. With the debate overthe federal budget and taxes unlikely to end any time soon,

who knows if the soon-to-be expired tax breaks will be ex-

tended. So, take advantage of all your benets while you

still can.

Three out of four taxpayers receive a federal refund, and

ast years average refund totaled $2,805. To help you

maximize your refund, here are some tax law changes you

should know about before ling this years return.

* Your federal return must be led by Tuesday, April

2012. April 15 is a Sunday and Washington, D.C., is re

nizing Emancipation Day April 16. Dont use the exten

deadline as an excuse to procrastinate, though. When

rush, youre more likely to make mistakes that could

you money and time. Furthermore, ling, paying or pro

ing information late will result in IRS penalties that hincreased this year.

* Amounts for standard mileage, standard deductions,

sonal exemptions and the Alternative Minimum Tax h

increased. Note there are different standard mileage r

for miles driven before July 1 and after June 30. De

about all increases are in IRS Publication 17 at www

gov.

* Among the tax breaks availableyear but expired for this year are

Making Work Pay Credit and A

native Motor Vehicle Credit (unle

was a new fuel cell vehicle). The M

ing Work Pay Credit was essent

replaced by the payroll tax holiday

2011. Employees and self-emplo

already received the tax benet in 2

paychecks through a reduction in

FICA-OASDI Social Security ta

Unlike the Making Work Pay Cremployees who beneted from

payroll tax holiday dont need to cl

it on this years tax return.

* Unless lawmakers extend them,

will be the last year to claim the

lowing breaks: Tuition and Fees

duction, Nonbusiness Energy Cr

the refundable Adoption Credit, E

cator Expense Deduction, option

those with itemized deductions to

duct state and local sales taxes

in lieu of state and local income ta

paid and mortgage insurance premi

deduction.

* The amount of the Health Cove

Tax Credit decreased to 72.5 per

for qualied health insurance cove

received between March and Dec


12/24Page 12

ber 2011.

* If you converted a traditional IRA over to a designated

Roth IRA in 2010, or rolled over a qualied retirement plan

o a Roth IRA, but did not report the taxable amount on

your 2010 tax return (due April 2011), you must report half

of the amount on this years return and the other half on

your 2012 return. Details are available in IRS Publication

575.

With so much of your hard-earned money at stake and

our complex tax law, its no wonder a growing number

of Americans use tax preparation solutions. Trusted so-

utions like TaxACT navigate all the tax law changes for

you to help maximize your refund, le a return thats 100

percent accurate and provide help when you need it, says

Dolmage.

When choosing a tax preparation solution, especially

products, Dolmage warns you to carefully weigh your

tions. TaxACT Free Federal Edition covers all 1040

turns, but other free programs are only for 1040EZ retu

sometimes referred to as simple returns. The nearly

out of 10 taxpayers who have more complex returns d

qualify for those.

For information about these and other tax law change

fecting this years tax return, visit www.irs.gov and w

taxact.com/taxinfo. Learn more about TaxACT Free F

eral Edition for both simple and complex returns at w

taxact.com.


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Make New Years Resolutions Close To HomARA) - As each year comes to a close,

people begin to make resolutions - typically,

vowing to start something new in the year

ahead, such as lose weight, get a new job,

start volunteering and so on. Start 2012 on

he right foot with this list of easy home

updates and tips to help conquer your New

Years resolutions.

Develop better eating habits

* Research shows that people tend to eat less

when surrounded by the color blue. Repaint

your kitchen or dining room in a blue hue tohelp naturally suppress your appetite.

Spend more time with family and friends

* Look for household products and to

that keep cleaning time to a minimum. T

AccuClean (TM) whole-home air ltrat

system from American Standard Heating

Air Conditioning attaches to your furnace

air handler to reduce dust accumulation

the home by more than 50 percent, wh

means youll spend less time cleaning a

have more time for your family and frien

Keeping New Years resolutions can c

tainly be a challenge, so its important

set yourself up for success. Set specic arealistic goals; and dont be scared to bre

bigger goals into a series of smaller steps

avoid feeling overwhelmed.


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