Category: Taxes Made Simple
-
Refund Offsets: Why the Treasury Can Keep Your Money
A smaller-than-expected tax refund often means the Treasury Offset Program took a cut for an old debt. How offsets work, your rights, and who to call.
-
SALT Deduction Changes: The New Cap and Who Benefits
The SALT cap jumped from $10,000 to $40,400 for 2026, with an income phase-down above $505,000. Who actually saves money, and the math to check.
-
Charitable Deductions: What Counts and What Doesn’t
New for 2026: a charitable deduction you can claim without itemizing. What counts, what doesn’t, and the receipts the IRS requires to keep it.
-
Tax Counseling for the Elderly: Free Help After 60
The IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly program offers free tax help for people 60 and older. Here is how TCE works and how to find a site near you.
-
Low Income Taxpayer Clinics: Legal Help for Tax Fights
Low Income Taxpayer Clinics represent people in audits, appeals and collection fights with the IRS for free or a small fee. Here is who qualifies in 2026.
-
The Earned Income Tax Credit: Do You Qualify?
The EITC is a refundable credit worth thousands for working families, and the IRS says about one in five eligible workers never claims it. Here is who qualifies.
-
The New Car Loan Interest Deduction, Explained
The 2025 tax law lets many buyers deduct interest on a new car loan through 2028, no itemizing required. Here are the vehicle, loan, and income tests that decide it.
-
A Mid-Year Withholding Checkup Takes Ten Minutes
July is the ideal month to run the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. Ten minutes with a pay stub can prevent both a surprise tax bill and an oversized refund.
-
The Saver’s Credit Pays You to Put Money Away
The Saver’s Credit gives lower- and moderate-income workers a tax credit worth up to half of what they put into a retirement account. Here is how it works in 2026.
-
The Average Tax Refund This Year, by the Numbers
The average federal tax refund reached $3,275 through mid-April, up 11.3% from last year. Here’s what drove the jump and what a big refund really means.