Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Up to $5,120 of the 2026 adoption tax credit may be refundable
The federal adoption credit has traditionally been most useful to families with enough income-tax liability to absorb it. For 2026, the IRS says a portion can reach an eligible taxpayer as a refund: up to $5,120 of a maximum $17,670 credit. The word “may” matters because qualified expenses, timing, income and prior reimbursements still control…
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The $10,000 car-loan interest deduction excludes leases and vehicles first used by someone else
A new federal deduction can make interest on some personal vehicle loans deductible, but two common ways of getting a car fail immediately: leasing it and buying it after someone else already used it. The annual maximum is $10,000 of eligible interest, not $10,000 off the tax bill. Vehicle history, loan date, assembly location and…
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An IRS CP53E notice can delay your refund until you update bank details online
A CP53E letter means the IRS has reached a refund problem that cannot be solved by giving bank numbers to a telephone representative. The notice gives the taxpayer 30 days to respond through an Individual Online Account or explain why electronic payment is not possible. Until that step is handled, money a household expected can…
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The $12,500 overtime deduction covers only the pay above your regular rate
“No tax on overtime” sounds broader than the federal deduction actually is. The tax break does not generally erase tax on every dollar earned during an overtime hour. It applies to qualified overtime compensation above the worker’s regular rate, subject to annual limits, income phaseouts and other rules. Time-and-a-half shows the split The IRS’s current…
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Pending heart-related disability claims face Social Security’s new medical rules October 30
A disability application can spend months moving through medical review, so a rule change scheduled for later in the year can reach claims already in line. Social Security has finalized revised cardiovascular criteria effective October 30, 2026. The agency says the new listings will apply not only to applications filed after that date, but also…
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Jake’s Fireworks is refunding 132,440 Skull Strobe rockets that can explode too soon
Fireworks are designed to explode, but only after reaching their intended height and distance from the people watching. A newly recalled aerial rocket can burst too early, turning a backyard purchase into an explosion and burn hazard. The federal remedy is a full refund, and it applies to roughly 132,440 Skull Strobe rockets sold through…
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Got a July or August 700Credit notice? You can claim $50 by September 22
A data-breach letter is easy to treat as routine junk mail, but one arriving from 700Credit this summer carries a concrete deadline and a possible cash choice. The court-authorized settlement process is open only to people sent a notice in July or August 2026. A valid notice can support a $50 claim without documented losses,…
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Kia tells 462,869 Telluride owners to park outside until a second free fire fix
A safety repair is supposed to close the book on a recall. For nearly half a million Kia Telluride households, however, a power-seat fire problem has returned with a new remedy and an unusually urgent instruction: keep the SUV away from garages and other structures until the work is done. The repair is free, but…
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Victims of a romance ring drained retirement accounts and sold homes; its launderer got 70 months
A Maryland woman was sentenced to 70 months and ordered to pay $1,655,640.76 for laundering romance scam proceeds through a shell company.
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Labcorp patients have until September 3 to take $50 from a $35 million breach settlement
The Labcorp track of the AMCA data breach litigation offers a $50 alternative cash payment or up to $5,000 in documented losses. Claims close September 3, 2026.
