Don't miss out on your stimulus payment

Don't miss out on your stimulus payment

Don't miss out on your stimulus payment


IRS TAX TIP 2008-Special Edition

Are you wondering what to do to ensure that you receive your economic stimulus payment which the IRS will begin to send out this May? In most cases you will not have to do anything extra. If you are eligible for a payment, all you have to do is file a 2007 tax return and the IRS will do the rest.

However, recipients of Social Security, certain Veterans' and Railroad Retirement benefits and low-income workers who don’t normally need to file may have to take steps to insure receipt of the stimulus payment.

If you are in this group and normally would not be required to file a tax return, you need to file a 2007 tax return this year to receive an economic stimulus payment. The return must show at least $3000 in qualifying income.

Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. While these people may not be normally required to file a tax return because they do not meet the filing requirement, the IRS emphasizes they must file a 2007 return in order to receive a payment.

The IRS has released a sample version of a Form 1040A that highlights the simple, specific sections of the return that can be filled out by people in these categories to qualify for a stimulus payment.

For more information see IRS Fact Sheet FS 2008-16 Stimulus Payments: Instructions for Low-Income Workers and Recipients of Social Security and Certain Veterans’ Benefits available on www.irs.gov.

Be aware that identity thieves are already pushing scams involving the stimulus payments. At least one telephone scam is making the rounds using the proposed rebates as bait. IRS news release IR-2008-11,”IRS Warns of New E-Mail and Telephone Scams Using the IRS Name; Advance Payment Scams Starting,” has more details.

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is www .irs.gov.

Links:

Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center

Tax Credit Reporting Service for Students

ACS :: 1098T

TCRS For Students


Tax Credit Reporting Service for Students

Welcome to the Tax Credit Reporting Service (TCRS) Student/Taxpayer web site. This site provides useful information on the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which provides education tax incentives for eligible taxpayers. These benefits, called the Hope Scholarship Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit, allow taxpayers to reduce their federal income tax based upon qualified tuition and fees paid, assuming the taxpayer meets all TRA’97 requirements.

This site also contains information on the Tuition and Fees Deduction for Higher Education Expenses. This tax deduction permits taxpayers to take an "above the line" deduction for qualified higher education expenses paid by the taxpayer during a taxable year. Additional information can be found by selecting the The Deduction for Higher Education Expenses link under TRA’97 Information menu option.

For more information regarding student loan interest paid and 1098-E year-end tax statement click the following link www.acs-education.com.

If TCRS provides tax credit reporting services for your school,
proceed to Access My Record and follow the instructions to obtain secure access
to your student-specific data.

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Best And Worst Cities For Renters

In Pictures: Least Expensive Cities For Renters - Forbes.com


Real Estate
Best And Worst Cities For Renters
Matt Woolsey, 01.07.08,
6:00 PM ET

Writing a monthly rent check often feels like lighting money on
fire. You'll never again see that cash, you build no equity and there
are no tax benefits.

But renting makes sense to those unwilling
or unable to buy a home in an uncertain housing market. The number of
such Americans seems to be growing; last month mortgage applications
fell to their lowest level in a year.

That's good news for landlords--especially those in New York City and San Francisco. In these cities, tenants pay the highest rents in the country by a significant margin.

Read the full article at:
http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/07/rentals-US-expensive-forbeslife-cx_mw_0107realestate.html

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