Finance Tax Time

In modern America, it is rare to find a person or family living in the same place for thirty years. Most of us move five or ten times, which means taxes become an issue.

Moving To A New Location - Tax Information

I hate moving. Absolutely loathe it. I am sure you do as well. Nonetheless, you, me and everyone seem to move all the time. Whether we are buying and selling real estate or just getting a new start in a new location, there are lots of little things we have to get in order. While utilities and cable are first on the list of things to handle, most people fail to pay close attention to tax issues and miss out on some juicy deductions.

If you are moving, you are inevitably going to dish out some cash for movers, a truck, boxes, gas, hospital visits, aspirin, more aspirin and so on. Fortunately, these expenses may be deductible on your next tax return. There are three tests you have to meet.

Initially, you have to be starting work at a new job location. Many misunderstand this requirement to mean that you have to already have a job when you move and that is the reason for the move. This is incorrect. You must simply find a new job once you have moved.

The second requirement deals with timing issues. Assuming you are going to start a new job, you must actually start within a prescribed time. This time period is a year from the date of the move. This should be relatively easy to comply with as the lack of a new job within a year probably will mean you have returned to your old job and location.

The third test is known as the distance test. The IRS calls this the closely related in place test. Essentially, you have to be able to show the distance from your new residence to your new job is smaller than the distance from your previous residence to the new job. Your new job location must also be at least 50 miles from your old one. This should be pretty simple for most people to show. If you can’t meet this test, you can get around it by claiming the commute is easier and cheaper than your old one.

If you meet these tests, you can claim some nice deductions. They include travel expenses and all moving expenses reasonably related to the move including 30 days of storage. Sorry, but you don’t get to deduct hotel stays and food. Regardless, you can claim the deductions on form 3903. Just attach it to your 1040 when you file.

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on taxes. Visit us to read more about tax deductions.

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If you have an email account, you know about all the scam emails you get. Scammers are getting braver and using the IRS name in their new tactics.

IRS Warning Taxpayers About New Email Scams

The IRS has begun warning taxpayers that it is seeing a surge in tax scam emails. Many of the emails even have the hubris to use the IRS name! Brave souls, indeed. Regardless, the scams seem to fall in the area of identity theft through phishing tactics.

First and foremost, you should understand that the IRS does NOT send emails to taxpayers. Never, never, never! If you get an email from the IRS, it is a fake. Unconditionally! Do not respond to it under any circumstances. Do not click links in the body of the email. Take one action and one action only - delete it!

Since the turn of the year, the IRS has identified 99 new email scams targeted at taxpayers. All of the scams are aimed at bilking you out of your private information. Most try to do this by claiming your must provide information or your will not receive your tax refund. In some cases, the fake emails threaten you with an audit. Again, this is all false information.

Many people fall victim to the IRS scam emails because they click through to the site linked in the email. There, they find a site that appears for all intensive purposes to be the one published by the IRS. Make no mistake - this means nothing. Anyone can copy and republish a site. Yes, even the site of the IRS. It is pretty scary when you think about it. Best Buy, in fact, had major problems with this for some time.

So, where are these scammers? It should come as no surprise that few in the boundaries of the United States would have the nerve to try this. Instead, the IRS has tracked most of the scamming emails to other countries, but not necessarily the usual suspects. The countries include England, Italy, Japan, Germany, Australia and Singapore. Usual suspects include China, Aruba, Mexico, Indonesia and Argentina. Surprisingly, only a few have originated from the scam mecca of Nigeria.

The best way to beat scammers is to know the facts. The IRS does not communicate in any way with taxpayers by email. If you get an email purportedly from the IRS, it is a fake. If you have a nagging doubt, call the agency to find out if anything is up. Otherwise, delete that email!

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on taxes.

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