Episode 90 - DIY Taxes vs Professional Tax Preparation

You'll love it when Owen beats out a warning about his favorite hot topic: H&R Liberty McTax, aka, cookie cutter tax services. Plus, he's joined by financial experts Justin Elliott and Ryan Mason of Ameriprise Financial. Also in this episode: File early or wait?  Superbowl and taxes H&R Block, Liberty Tax, et al. $862,000 tax refund Tax return transcripts Tax mistakes you don’t know you’re making Four steps for a successful retirement Life insurance: Necessary evil or sophisticated investment strategy? Recorded 2014.02.01

Owen breaks it down and keeps it real when it comes to taxes. How do people look for and select a tax preparer? He'll give you the good, the bad, and the ugly-ugly. BONUS: Owen tells you how to your money if you're included in $16 million of undeliverable tax refunds from 2012! That, and more: Taxes at the laundromat. What?  Beware the fraudsters  Avoid the ten most litigated tax issues  A plan to replace Earned Income Tax Credit? Surprise! Yikes. 5 Terrible Tax Surprises  Step-by-step with your tax return  Recorded 2014.01.18

Owen Arnoff is back for more tax fun. He'll share a number of tips that you'll want to put into practice right away. Do it, and it'll save you money. He'll also talk about these tax topics: Want to know what Tax CPR stands for? We’ll explain. Must you file a tax return? You know what? It depends. Don't fall for these all too common tax traps. That's right. We're talking about Obamacare. Again. Recorded 2014.01.11. www.April15th.com

Owen talks taxes, tax tips and tips for being defrauded. Then he converses with Justin Elliott and Ryan Mason to get their market insights. Also: How to start a mileage log  Is the IRS shifting to self-service?  Tax law reform  Using an IRA to fund a business - good or bad?  Property taxes  Recorded 2014.01.04 in Sacramento, CA

Have you ever wondered about the average cost of tax preparation? We have numbers for you. Listen in and see whether the money you've spent on tax preparation is in the ballpark. We'll also talk about: The Death Master File: the dead don’t talk but they have been know to file taxes Form 1040, W2s and 1099s Using an IRA for short-term borrowing or to fund your business -- Is it a wise move? The Alternative Minimum Tax? Michael Jordan. Yes, the basketball star. Recorded 12.28.2013

Originally recorded for broadcast on March 1, 2014, on 1380 KTKZ in Sacramento.This episode marks the final original installment of TaxSense: Keeping What’s Yours.Owen Arnoff is joined by financial advisors Justin Elliott and Ryan Mason for the concluding program in the original TaxSense radio run.The February 22 broadcast had been the final live edition of TaxSense; this last show was recorded in advance.By this point, listeners were also being directed to the TaxSense historical archive through taxsenseradio.com, iTunes, and Stitcher.This episode has been restored from the original TaxSense radio archive as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the program’s 2012–2014 broadcast history.

Originally broadcast on February 22, 2014, on 1380 KTKZ in Sacramento. This was the final live edition of TaxSense: Keeping What’s Yours.In this episode, Owen Arnoff looks at several practical tax-season issues, unusual tax stories, and the continuing debate over regulation of paid tax return preparers.Topics include:• Whether work clothing can qualify for a tax deduction• Seven common tax-return goofups to avoid• IRS employees making news of their own• The unusual idea of a “flatulence tax”• An interview with the Executive Director of the California Tax Education Council about regulation of tax return preparersThis episode has been restored from the original TaxSense radio archive as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the program’s 2012–2014 broadcast history.

Originally broadcast on February 15, 2014, on 1380 KTKZ in Sacramento.In this episode of TaxSense: Keeping What’s Yours, Owen Arnoff provides an update on Loving v. IRS, the important court case challenging the IRS program regulating paid tax return preparers.The program also looks at “Things Your Accountant Forgot to Tell You,” highlighting tax and financial issues that taxpayers may overlook even when they work with a professional preparer.The discussion combines current tax developments, IRS issues, practical planning ideas, and real-world examples designed to help individuals and business owners better understand their tax situations.This episode has been restored from the surviving original two-hour broadcast recording and is presented as part of the TaxSense historical archive.

Originally recorded on February 1, 2014, on 1380 KTKZ in Sacramento.In this episode of TaxSense: Keeping What’s Yours, Owen Arnoff compares do-it-yourself tax preparation with working with a tax professional and looks at several issues taxpayers face during filing season.Owen is joined by Justin Elliott and Ryan Mason for additional financial-planning and retirement insight.Topics include:• Whether to file your tax return early or wait• The Super Bowl and taxes• H&R Block, Liberty Tax, and the retail tax-preparation model• An extraordinary $862,000 tax refund• How to obtain tax return transcripts• Tax mistakes taxpayers may not realize they are making• Four steps toward a successful retirement• Whether life insurance is simply an expense or can play a broader role in financial planningThis episode has been restored from the original TaxSense radio archive as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the program’s 2012–2014 broadcast history.

Owen serves up a dish of delicious tax news, tips and more, including:  Energy efficiency, tax savings and home improvements  Calculating social security  Spying on tax payers with Google Maps  Commuting costs and taxes  Nominee for IRS Commissioner, John Koskinen   Toilet paper and tax exemptions?   Mortgage interest deductions  Rules for deducting business meals Note: The IRS is not accepting tax returns until January 31, 2014. Be sure to get with your tax professional well before then. Recorded 12.21.2013