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How to Claim the Child Tax Credit

Parents deserve a bit of a (tax) break now and then.

As a busy parent, filing taxes can be found on the To-Do list between Monday’s soccer practice and Thursday’s parent-teacher conference. Do yourself a favor this year and see if you are eligible for the Child Tax Credit. Tax credits are great because, unlike deductions, they reduce your tax bill dollar-for-dollar. That means, a larger tax refund for you and your family!

What is the Child Tax Credit?

The Child Tax Credit offers a credit of up to $1,000 per child to qualifying taxpayers. It is only available to those who can claim a child as a dependent and meet several other requirements.

There is no limit to the number of children you can claim using the Child Tax Credit, however, claiming lots of kids may subject you to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

Who can claim the Child Tax Credit?

In order to claim the Child Tax Credit, the child in question must: Continue reading “How to Claim the Child Tax Credit”

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7 Filing Tips to Get Your Tax Refund ASAP

Waiting for your tax refund can really test your patience.

Unfortunately, we can’t speed up the actual processing time of your tax return once the IRS gets hold of it. However, there are actions we can take to ensure a smoother journey through the IRS database. Let’s take a look at seven steps you can take when filing your tax return this year.

E-File your tax return.

Oh, how far technology has come. You can e-file your tax return worry-free until the April deadline. After that date, you can still e-file until the October deadline. However, if you can’t get it filed before mid-April and you’re not sure if you’re getting a refund, you’ll want to file an extension. Either way, the IRS processing time is quickest with e-filing. Compared to mailing in your return, you could be speeding up your refund by almost a month!

Choose direct deposit to receive your refund.

Many businesses offer a direct deposit option to their employees, so it only makes sense that the IRS would offer the same. After all, it’s your money. This is preferred by many taxpayers, based on convenience. On top of that, waiting on direct deposit will eat up less of your time than waiting on a check in the mail.

Make sure you’re the only one claiming your dependent(s).

This can be easier said than done in some cases. However, if you know someone who could also claim your dependent on their tax return, do your best to verify that they won’t be. Why? A person can only be claimed once per year. If a dependent is claimed by more than one person, then the second tax return to claim them will be rejected by the IRS. If the second person to claim the same dependent appeals to the IRS, the IRS may pull the first return for review, to make sure that taxpayer was allowed to claim the dependent. In either case, this will ultimately delay your tax refund. Continue reading “7 Filing Tips to Get Your Tax Refund ASAP”

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How Many Kids Can You Claim on Taxes?

Kids are great! But they can be taxing…in more ways than one.

Growing up, my parents would always give me an increase on my allowance around April. They would say it was to teach me how to budget my money. Not to sell out my parents or anything but now I know that they were able to give me a little extra once a year because they were getting more back from the IRS after filing and claiming me as a dependent.

Let’s just say, those little bonuses stopped once I began filing my own taxes.

Is there a limit to how many dependents I can claim on my tax return?

No, there is no maximum amount of dependents you’re allowed to claim on your tax return. You can claim all dependents who are qualified child dependents according to IRS rules. Consider it a token of appreciation for supporting the ever-increasing costs of diapers, astronomical college tuition fees and for simply putting food on the table each night.

What qualifies a child as my dependent?

You may see this question to have a simple answer if you are married parents filing a joint return. However, for single parents, married parents who file separately or other relatives, the answer is not as clear.

A qualifying child dependent has slightly different requirements than a qualifying relative dependent does. In order to be considered a qualifying child dependent, they must meet all of the following requirements:

Continue reading “How Many Kids Can You Claim on Taxes?”