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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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Opening a Tax Prep Office: 5 Steps to Success

By Tex Freitag

It's no secret that filing taxes is a chore for everyone, from individuals to corporations. These are the folks that tell themselves they don't need help with the accounting but end up having trouble with the figures and paperwork. When tax season ...

Continue reading Opening a Tax Prep Office: 5 Steps to Success

November 14, 2022

100 Words On: A Surefire Way to Beat the Lottery

By Len Penzo

I realize I've made this point before but, come on, talk about a sucker's bet: The odds are before you ever strike it rich playing the lottery you'll most likely be struck by lightning. Twice. Now consider this: Over a ten year period, somebody who ...

Continue reading 100 Words On: A Surefire Way to Beat the Lottery

April 21, 2022

How to Avoid Being Audited by the IRS

By Len Penzo

A hospital groundskeeper came across two medical doctors in white coats searching through one of the clinic's flower beds. "Excuse me, gentlemen," said the gardener. "Have you lost something?" "Not at all," replied one of the doctors. "In a few ...

Continue reading How to Avoid Being Audited by the IRS

March 21, 2022

The Overtaxed Investor: How to Slash Your Tax Bill & Be a Tax Alpha Dog

By Phil DeMuth

Who understands the entire tax code? No one. Finding your tax rate is like shooting a ball into a pin ball machine. You watch it getting slingshot around the board, lighting lights, buzzing buzzers, ringing bells and spinning spinners, falling into ...

Continue reading The Overtaxed Investor: How to Slash Your Tax Bill & Be a Tax Alpha Dog

March 15, 2022

Lottery Fraud: Don’t Get Caught Paying ‘The Stupid Tax’

By Len Penzo

There's an old joke that goes something like this: In order to raise additional revenue, the government is introducing a National Lottery with a daily grand prize of $50 million. Winners will get $1 annually for 50 million years. Heh. I smile ...

Continue reading Lottery Fraud: Don’t Get Caught Paying ‘The Stupid Tax’

March 7, 2022

Falling for This Tax Scam Will Have You Singing an Unhappy (i)Tune

By Corazon Gritar

Tax season is upon us -- and scammers know it. While we'd all like to think we could outwit someone who tries to defraud us, the truth is that these criminals prey on some of our biggest fears and often see substantial results. In fact, the US ...

Continue reading Falling for This Tax Scam Will Have You Singing an Unhappy (i)Tune

February 1, 2022

Financial Records: Which Ones to Keep and for How Long?

By Sabado Domingo

Despite the fact that almost every business and service offers paperless options, you can still wind up with a load of paperwork. It's not uncommon for the average household to receive between 30 and 50 pages worth of paperwork in physical or ...

Continue reading Financial Records: Which Ones to Keep and for How Long?

July 22, 2021

The Biggest Reason Why It May Be Smarter to Rent Than ‘Own’ a Home

By Charles Hugh Smith

We're constantly told ours is an ownership society in which owning a home is the foundation of household wealth. However, if we understand property taxes as a "lease from the local government for the right to gamble on another housing bubble ...

Continue reading The Biggest Reason Why It May Be Smarter to Rent Than ‘Own’ a Home

July 6, 2021

6 Reasons to Use a Tax Attorney Service

By Enero Febrero

Filing your taxes or dealing with unexpected tax outcomes can be a complicated process. Thankfully, there are systems in place that can assist you when you run into tax difficulties; one such system is a tax attorney service. Tax attorneys assist ...

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May 27, 2021

Missed Tax Deadline? Here’s How to Reduce or Eliminate Penalties

By Matt Robinson

If you missed this year's tax filing deadline, you may face penalties and a number of other consequences that will only get worse if you do not take your income tax filing seriously. The consequences of not filing taxes vary by situation, but ...

Continue reading Missed Tax Deadline? Here’s How to Reduce or Eliminate Penalties

May 19, 2021

What Should You Do If the IRS Finds a Mistake Made by Your Tax Preparer?

By Mikey Rox

If your accountant or tax preparer makes a mistake on your taxes, guess whose problem it is? Yep; all yours. If the IRS comes a-calling, demanding you fix the inconsistencies -- hopefully without a full, nightmarish audit -- then here's what you ...

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May 4, 2021

Filling Out the 1040 Form: Key Points to Know

By Sabado Domingo

As every American who earns a salary should pay taxes, you might be already familiar with Form 1040 or one of its variants. The IRS tax form 1040 -- along with 1040A and 1040EZ options -- is the document most US citizens use to file their tax ...

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April 15, 2021

3 Important Tax Deduction Rules You Should Always Remember

By Sabado Domingo

The best way to maximize your deductions and increase your tax return is to hire a tax consultant to help you go through everything. However, if you decide to do it on your own, you can still get a number of deductions as long as you remember the ...

Continue reading 3 Important Tax Deduction Rules You Should Always Remember

January 20, 2021

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Calculate This Bill’s Tip

By Len Penzo

By the time kids leave the 5th grade they should know how to calculate simple percentages, which is one of the most critical mathematical tools we have at our disposal after we become adults. Thanks to the longtime custom of tipping, restaurants ...

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August 17, 2020

How Personal Loans Can Boost Your Credit Score

By Sabado Domingo

If you want to improve your credit score, you might mistakenly believe that the best thing to do is to completely avoid getting into debt. However, not having any debt can actually have the opposite effect when it comes to your credit rating. If ...

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July 14, 2020

How to Save Money on Taxes: 7 Tips Everyone Should Know

By Sabado Domingo

Few things are as painful as seeing money from your hard-earned paychecks go into taxes. But yet, it's a pain that we have to endure every year during tax season. As Mark Twain once said, "nothing in life is certain but death and taxes." Although ...

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May 20, 2020

The Benefits of Tax-Advantaged Accounts

By Sabado Domingo

When it comes to getting your finances in order and planning for your future, the topic of taking advantage of the tax system in your country is rarely brought up. Which is odd, as this can substantially improve your financial situation, and help you ...

Continue reading The Benefits of Tax-Advantaged Accounts

March 12, 2020

Review: H&R Block Tax Pro Review

By Len Penzo

With the tax deadline right around the corner, many people are diligently gathering their financial papers and documents so they can begin the arduous process of filing their tax returns, which is why many people ultimately prefer the convenience ...

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February 25, 2020

The 50 Biggest Money Mistakes Household CEOs Make

By Len Penzo

I'm not ashamed to admit I make mistakes. After all, everybody screws up occasionally; for us humans, mistakes come with the territory. For example, I remember the time I decided it would be great fun to play Wii golf for eight consecutive hours. ...

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January 20, 2020

19 Things Your Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You

By Len Penzo

Although having a million bucks isn't as impressive as it once was, most people still consider it as a sign of financial success. And judging by the number of actual millionaires enjoying life in the world today, there are apparently quite a lot of ...

Continue reading 19 Things Your Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You

January 6, 2020

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