I don’t have to file a tax return this year! Sweet!!
My tax preparer said I don’t need to file a tax return this year, so why should I? Some people don’t need to file because their income is lower than their standard deduction, but here are a few reasons why you should file for the current year.
- Federal Income Tax Withheld: You should file to get money back if your employer withheld federal income tax from your pay, you made estimated tax payments, or had a prior year overpayment applied to this year’s tax.
- Earned Income Tax Credit: You may qualify for EITC if you worked but did not earn a lot of money. EITC is a refundable tax credit, which means you could qualify for a tax refund. To get the credit, you must file a return and claim it.
- Additional Child Tax Credit: This refundable credit may be available if you have at least one qualifying child and you did not get the full amount of the Child Tax Credit.
- American Opportunity Credit: Students in their first four years of postsecondary education may qualify for as much as $2,500 through this credit. Forty percent (40%) of the credit is refundable so even those who owe no tax can get up to $1,000 of the credit as cash back for each eligible student.
- Adoption Credit: You may be able to claim a refundable tax credit for qualified expenses you paid to adopt an eligible child.
- Stimulus payment/ Economic Stimulus Payment (EIP): If you didn’t receive any or some of the 3 stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021, your maybe eligible if you file a tax return and you will get the stimulus money as a nontaxable tax refund.
Upcoming Due Dates:
June 15th
- Second quarter estimated tax payment due.
Sept 15th
- Partnerships and S-Corps that were put on extension are now due.
- Third quarter estimated tax payment is due.
Oct 1st
- Estates/trusts that filed an extension are due.
Oct 15th
- Individual tax returns (Form 1040) are due for taxpayers who filed an extension.
- C-Corporation tax return is due for C-Corporations that filed an extension.
Ancient taxes from around the world
Pecunia non olet is a Latin saying for “Money Doesn’t Stink!”. During the 1st Century AD, Roman Emperor Vespasian placed a tax on urine!! The buyer of the urine paid the tax. The urine from the public urinals was sold as an essential ingredient for several chemical processes. It was used in leather tanning, wool production and by launderers as a source of ammonia to clean and whiten woolen togas.