You should complete and mail Form 4506 (PDF), Request for Copy of Tax Return, along with a check or money order for $ 39.00 per tax year made payable to the “United States Treasury”. Allow 60 calendar days to receive your copies. Most needs for tax return information can be met with a computer print of your return information. This is known as a transcript. A Return transcript will show all original information from the return as filed. If you need to have all changes and charges and credits you can request a tax Account transcript. Transcripts are provided free of charge. These transcripts may be acceptable substitutes for an actual copy of the return by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and lending agencies for student loans and mortgages. You can obtain a transcript by calling (800)–829–1040 or by completing and mailing Form 4506-T (PDF), Request for Transcript of Tax Return, to the address listed in the instructions to request all types of transcript verification of non-filing, and wage/income information. Transcripts will be mailed directly to you, and should be received within two weeks after the IRS gets your request. Transcripts can be mailed to a third party if you specify this on Form 4506-T, however, you must sign and date the form giving your consent for the disclosure. The financial aid office accept the transcript b/ c it does provide all the information you filed on your return and accepted by IRS> Visit your local IRS office to obtain the transcript, take ID with you, the transcript will be provided while you wait.

@IRSTax

Millions of workers would soon see an extra $13 in their weekly paychecks and thousands of small businesses operating in the red could get tax refunds under the economic recovery bill nearing completion in Congress.

Businesses won’t fare as well as they did in earlier versions of the legislation. But most of the tax cuts for families and individuals were preserved, though some were reduced.

There are tax breaks for low-income families with children; college students; first-time homebuyers; people who buy new automobiles; and those collecting unemployment benefits.

The Obama administration says 95 percent of taxpayers will get relief.

“There are provisions that could pay you now and some that could pay you later,” said Amy McAnarney, executive director of the Tax Institute at H&R Block. “They’re going to give you money to spend, and then they’re going to give you incentives to spend it.”

In all, the $789 billion plan includes about $280 billion in tax cuts.

@IRSTax

1. AGI – Adjusted gross income, AGI, is all the income you receive over the course of the year such as wages, interest, dividends and capital gains minus things such as contributions to a qualified IRA, some business expenses, moving costs and alimony payments. The adjusted gross income is the first step in calculating your final federal income tax bill.

2. Credits — Tax credits are much like credits you get from a store. After you calculate your tax bill, you can use the credit to reduce the amount of the check you must write to Uncle Sam. Tax credits are more valuable than deductions because they directly cut the amount of tax you owe, rather than reducing the amount of taxed income. A $200 credit, for example, will turn a $1,000 tax bill into only $800. A few could even give you a refund you weren’t expecting.

3. Deductions – Deductions are expenses that the Internal Revenue Service allows you to subtract from your AGI to arrive at your taxable income. In most cases, the lower your income, the lower your tax bill. If, for example, a single filer has income of $38,000 and $8,000 in deductions, then he would pay taxes only on $30,000. The IRS offers all filers a standard deduction amount (more on this later). Some other deductions, such as student loan interest, moving expenses, deductible IRA contributions and alimony payments, are also listed directly on the 1040A or long Form 1040. The term is most commonly associated with the itemized deductions (more on this later, too) that are claimed by taxpayers who file Schedule A.

4. Standard deduction — This is a fixed dollar amount that a taxpayer can subtract from his or her income. The standard deduction is available to all filers and is determined by the taxpayer’s filing status. The amounts change each year because of inflation adjustments; you can find the current standard deduction levels listed on each of the three individual tax forms. This deduction method is used by most taxpayers and eliminates the need for them to itemize actual deductions such as medical expenses, charitable contributions or state and local taxes.

5. Itemized deductions — These are expenses that can be deducted from your AGI to help you reach a smaller income amount upon which you must calculate your tax bill. Itemized deductions include medical expenses, other taxes (state, local and property tax), mortgage interest, charitable contributions, casualty and theft losses, unreimbursed employee expenses and miscellaneous deductions such as gambling losses. Some itemized deductions must meet IRS limits before they can be claimed. When you itemize, you must file Form 1040 and detail your deductions on Schedule A.

6. Exemption — This is an amount that the IRS lets you subtract from your income to reflect all the people who count on your income. Exemptions can be claimed for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. The IRS allows a set amount for each exemption and, as with deductions, this total is subtracted from your adjusted gross income to come up with your final, lower earnings amount upon which you must figure your tax bill. Your personal exemption amount is in addition to any deductions, either standard or itemized, that you claim.

7. Progressive taxation – This is the system in which higher tax rates are applied as income levels increase. The U.S. tax system uses progressive taxation with tax brackets starting at 10 percent and rising to 35 percent for the wealthiest taxpayers.

8. Taxable income — Your overall, or gross, income reduced by all allowable adjustments, deductions and exemptions. It is the final amount of income you use to figure just how much tax you owe.

9. Voluntary compliance — This describes the philosophy upon which our tax system is based: that U.S. taxpayers voluntarily comply with the tax laws and report their income and other tax items honestly.

10. Withholding – Also known as pay-as-you-earn taxation, this method enables taxes to be taken out of your wages or other income as you earn it and before you receive your paycheck. These withheld taxes are deposited in an IRS account and you are credited for the amount when you file your return. In some cases, taxes also may be withheld from other income such as dividends and interest.

@IRSTax

No. If you can claim your daughter as a dependent on your income tax return, she cannot claim herself on her income tax return.

You cannot claim a personal exemption. In this case, your daughter should check the box on her return indicating that someone else can claim her as a dependent.

Exception for certain children under age 19 or full-time students

If certain conditions apply, you can elect to include on your return the income of a child who was under age 19 at the end of 2011 or was a full-time student under age 24 at the end of 2011. To do so, use Form 8814. If you make this election, your child does not have to file a return.

A child born on January 1, 1988, is considered to be age 24 at the end of 2011. Do not use Form 8814 for such a child.

Resident aliens

These rules also apply if you were a resident alien.

Nonresident aliens and dual-status aliens

These rules also apply if you were a nonresident alien or a dual-status alien and both of the following apply:

1. You were married to a U.S. citizen or resident alien at the end of 2011.

2. You elected to be taxed as a resident alien.