Free Tax Return Preparation for Side-Hustlers and Seniors: How VITA and TCE File Your Return for $0
IRS-certified VITA and TCE volunteers file federal returns for $0 — VITA at roughly $69,000 income or less, TCE at age 60+ with no income cap.
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Tax Preparation
Organize financial records and prepare tax filings accurately and on time
Your K-1 Item L Capital Account: Negative Balances and Why It Never Matches Your Basis
Item L reports tax-basis capital, not your outside basis — the IRS excludes partnership debt, so a negative ending balance is usually arithmetic, not alarm.
Your Refund Never Arrived? How to Trace a Lost, Stolen, or Misdirected IRS Refund With Form 3911
IRS Form 3911 traces a missing refund after 5 days for direct deposit or 4–9 weeks for paper checks; BFS then cancels the original or investigates the forgery.
The IRS Says You Didn't File: What Notice CP59 Means and How to Respond
Notice CP59 means the IRS has no record of your prior-year return. File the missing return, show you already filed, or explain on Form 15103 why none is due — and file your own return before the IRS prepares a substitute one without your deductions.
Starting a Tax Preparation Business: The PTIN, the EFIN Suitability Check, the E-File Mandate, and the Due-Diligence Rules You Need Before Taking Your First Paying Client
A PTIN, an EFIN after a 45-day IRS suitability check, and Form 8867 diligence on every credit return — the federal startup checklist for paid preparers.
How an IRS Identity Protection PIN Locks Thieves Out of Your Tax Return
An IRS Identity Protection PIN is a free six-digit code that blocks anyone from e-filing a federal return with your Social Security number. Here is who can get one, the three ways to request it, how it works for spouses and dependents, and the errors that cause rejections every filing season.
Is Your State Tax Refund Taxable? The Tax Benefit Rule, Explained
A state income tax refund is federally taxable only to the extent last year's deduction actually reduced your tax. Standard-deduction filers report nothing; itemizers run the Schedule 1 worksheet, where the SALT cap ($40,000 for 2025, $40,400 for 2026), the margin by which itemizing beat the standard deduction, and the income-tax-versus-sales-tax election each cut the taxable amount below the Form 1099-G figure.
Don't Hire a Ghost: How to Spot an Unethical Tax Preparer Before They Cost You
A ghost preparer completes your return for pay but refuses to sign it or enter a PTIN, leaving you legally liable for every inflated deduction on it. Here are the seven red flags, how to verify credentials against the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers, and which forms to file if you have already been burned.
The $300 Educator Expense Deduction: Who Qualifies, What Counts, and How to Claim Every Dollar
Eligible K-12 educators deduct up to $300 of unreimbursed classroom expenses on the 2025 return and $350 for 2026, plus a new itemized layer for spending above the cap — after clearing the 900-hour test and subtracting reimbursements and tax-free funding.
The New IRS Schedule 1-A: Your Guide to the Four New Deductions for Tips, Overtime, Car Loans, and Seniors
Schedule 1-A is the new IRS form for tax years 2025-2028 holding four below-the-line deductions — up to $25,000 for tips, $12,500/$25,000 for the FLSA overtime premium, $10,000 for new-car loan interest, and $6,000 per person age 65+. Each phases out on its own MAGI threshold, and this guide covers who qualifies, how the math works, and what records defend the claim.
The IRS's First AI Rules for Tax Preparers: What Circular 230 Alert 2026-19 Means for Your Business
On June 24, 2026, the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility issued Alert 2026-19, its first guidance on AI under Circular 230. It requires human review of AI output, technological competence, secure handling of client data, written firm AI policies, and fees that reflect AI-driven time savings — here's what small business owners should ask their preparer.
The Enrolled Agent Exam's 2026 Overhaul: PSI Replaces Prometric, and the Total Cost Rises to $317 Per Part
The IRS cut its Enrolled Agent exam fee from $99 to $66 per part in 2026, but new vendor PSI charges $251 versus Prometric's $168 — raising the total to $317 per part. The switch also brings a March–June testing blackout, a 200–800 scoring scale, and first-time remote proctoring for U.S. candidates.