As time goes by … that was great song, by the way. Did you know it was written in 1931 for a Broadway play, “Everybody’s Welcome,” and its first verse included a reference to Albert Einstein and time as a fourth dimension? When it was used in the movie “Casablanca,” the film that made the song famous, they removed that first verse. I guess they thought of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, they wouldn’t be talking about the time-space continuum at Casablanca. In fact, almost all subsequent recordings of the song removed that first verse.

Anyway, as I was saying, as time goes by, you see patterns develop in your life. For example, I notice that my house gets remarkably clean this time of year. Maybe it’s spring and the need for a new start. Closets organized, yard work done, CD collection alphabetized and individually dusted. Right around now, I make Martha Stewart look like a lazy Beverly Hills housewife. Oh, that reminds me, I should probably alphabetize the spice rack too for the four times a year I cook.

There just seems to be so much to do around this time of year. And, I find myself, unlike any other time, doing it all. Maybe Spring brings out the best in me. I’m normally a very successful procrastinator. One of the things I just finished yesterday was making the list of my New Year’s resolutions — for 2013.

I’ve spent several hours researching this phenomenon. It turns out I’m not alone. In fact, I bet some of you reading this article right now are experiencing this very same thing. It’s why you’re reading this. It turns out we are avoiding a date. Not a “date, date,” a specific date. April 15th. Tax Day.

Every year I swear I’m going to keep current and organized all year long so it’s easy to do “next year.” And, every “next year,” I sit before a hundred stacks of receipts from shows all over the country. Well, actually, I don’t sit there long, I’ve got very important yard work to do. Those weeds won’t pick themselves, you know.

But the day is here. The bell must be answered. Uncle Sam needs his paperwork. Or, as I like to call it — my creative writing assignment. “Of course, the toilet paper’s deductible. I thought of a joke sitting there, didn’t I?”

So, my friends, the time has come. I must leave you now. No more time to research mildly interesting facts about movies. No more trying to take the cat for a walk. No more ironing my practice jersey. I have to file this damn thing. Because, if I don’t I’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon and for the rest of my life. (By the way, that’s another quote from Casablanca — look it up. I did.)

THAT’S IT! I must now sit down, in front of that pile of papers and forms and receipts and just do it. Just pick up that pen and file … an extension.

Jennie McNulty was named one of Curve magazine’s Top 10 lesbian comedians. She can be heard weekly as co-host of LA Talk Radio‘s “Cathy Is In: The Cathy DeBuono Show.”

The post Tax time is a great time to do everything else first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released a new YouTube video designed to provide useful tax tips to married same-sex couples. While it may look like it’s something the 80s left behind and doesn’t want back, could this new tool actually be useful?

According to the news release we received from the White House Office of Communications, the video is the latest addition to an online library featuring short IRS instructional videos covering more than 100 topics ranging from tips for victims of identity theft to taking advantage of the new simplified home office deduction. These videos have been viewed more than seven million times.

Read more at TheSeattleLesbian.com

The Seattle Lesbian online magazine reaches more than 188,000 readers per week globally.

The post IRS releases video for same-sex couples first appeared on Lesbian.com.

While it’s said that taxes are one of only two things in life of which we can be certain, an associated inevitability are the mistakes made by taxpayers each year when filing their returns. Many errors result from ignorance, some from carelessness, while others are just plain stupid. To ensure your return is trouble-free and your refund prompt, review your filing package against this list of the most common tax-filing blunders.

1. Missing/incorrect social security numbers

The IRS used to include your social security number on the pre-printed label provided with your tax package; however, this practice was discontinued due to privacy concerns. So be sure to enter your nine-digit identifier accurately to avoid processing delays and possible disallowance of tax credits.

2. Wrong filing status

If you’re single, check the criteria for filing as Head of Household. If you pay more than 50 percent of the household costs for a dependant child or parent, you may qualify for Head of Household filing status, a money saver when the time comes to compute your tax.

3. Math/computation errors

Each year thousands of taxpayers receive correction notices from the IRS due to bad math or inconsistent computations between the 1040 and supporting forms. In the best scenario, these errors delay any potential refund. In the worst, they can result in an unwelcome surprise in the form of additional tax due. Put some new batteries in the calculator and check your math carefully when reviewing your tax return.

4. Wrong tax table

With so many figures jammed so closely together, it can be easy to lose your place when determining your total tax amount. In this case, disorientation can be costly. Keep your focus when matching your income range to your filing status and use the correct column when referencing the tax table.

5. Inaccurate direct deposit information

The good news is that your refund can find its way into your bank account faster than ever thanks to the IRS’s direct deposit option (Form 8888). The bad news is that entering the wrong account or routing numbers could cause your refund to be lost entirely. This is a situation where an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure — verify your bank information carefully.

6. Failing to sign the return

An unsigned return is an invalid return. Avoid potential delays or late filing penalties by ensuring your John Hancock is affixed prior to finalizing your tax package.

7. Using the IRS as a savings account

You’ve completed your return and are due a hefty refund – is this cause for celebration or sorrow? It’s great to know you don’t owe any tax, but having too much withheld throughout the year is not a sound approach to savings. The IRS doesn’t pay interest on over-payments, so lower your withholdings and invest your extra take-home pay.

8. Failing to file if you owe money

Perhaps one of the more costly errors you can make as a taxpayer is not filing your return because you don’t have the money to pay. The IRS assesses penalties separately for both failure to file and non-payment, so tender your tax return on time to avoid unnecessary penalties. Contact the IRS right away to let them know you can’t pay the amount due and explore payment options. As the IRS assesses interest on the unpaid tax, remit whatever amount you can afford when you file your return.

9. Missing the deadline

With the glut of tax preparation-related commercials and reminders in the form of grousing by friends and family regarding the dreaded April 15th deadline, it’s hard to believe that anyone could miss the filing date, but each year many taxpayers do. If you can’t meet the April 15th deadline, request an automatic six-month extension by filing Form 4868 to avoid costly failure to file penalties and interest charges.

All referenced IRS forms and other taxpayer tips are available at the official IRS website.

The post 9 mistakes to avoid when filing your taxes first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Now that the US Supreme Court has overturned DOMA (The Defense of Marriage Law), gay and lesbian married couples have lots of new federal rights and benefits. One of those benefits is that now married same-sex couples will file their federal income tax as married couple. Another benefit is that married couples can go back and file joint married for the past three years.

If you’re like me, you probably have lots of questions about how to file, how to know if you’re filing correctly and what it means to file as a same-sex couple on the federal and state level. I had the fortune to speak with Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA, from TurboTax about the new tax laws for gay and lesbian couples in 2013 and how to get the most out of filing your 2013 taxes.

Read more at LesbianLife at About.com

The post Tax guide for same-sex couples first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY JANE EISNER

Utah’s State Tax Commission announced on January 16 that same-sex couples who were legally married in Utah or another state are permitted to file jointly on their income tax returns, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.  Before Judge Robert J. Shelby lifted the ban on same-sex marriage, the Utah Tax Commission had prohibited same-sex couples who had legally married elsewhere from filing state tax returns jointly. Since the ban was lifted, the Commission has agreed to allow married same-sex couples to file taxes together.

Although Utah is allowing married same-sex couples to file together, the governor’s office announced that Utah will not recognize the marital status of same-sex couples who were married in the state after the ban was lifted and before the Supreme Court announced the stay on January 6.

Read more at dot429.com

The post Utah: Married same-sex couples can file taxes jointly first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Anyone who is married and who files taxes could have seen this coming from a mile away. The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the Supreme Court last year, taking with it unfair tax discrimination against married same sex couples. Now, same sex couples who are legally married in one of the 19 states, Washington D.C. or another foreign jurisdiction can file federal taxes as married. This is true for same sex couples who are married but live in a jurisdiction that does not recognize that marriage.

But what about state taxes? That’s where it gets more tricky. Since each state has their own tax guidelines, there isn’t one blanket rule for same sex married couples. In those states that don’t allow same sex couples to marry, otherwise married couples have to file their state taxes separately.

Read more at Care2.com

Care2 is the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference.

The post Lawsuits challenge Kansas state tax discrimination first appeared on Lesbian.com.

While several governmental institutions have announced that they will recognize LGBT couples on tax returns, Louisiana’s Department of Revenue is refusing to do so because of the state’s constitutional ban.

“Louisiana’s secretary of revenue is bound to support and uphold the Constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, and any recognition of a same-sex filing status in Louisiana as promulgated in [the new Internal Revenue Service rule] would be a clear violation of Louisiana’s Constitution,” Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield said in a press release on September 16.

On August 30, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department declared that all married gay couples would be recognized for federal tax purposes.

Read more at dot429.com

The post Louisiana refuses to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The legal same-sex marriages of gay couples — whether or not they reside in a state that observes their union — will now be recognized for tax purposes in the wake of the Supreme Court decision against the Defense of Marriage Act.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced the change on Thursday in a joint statement with the Internal Revenue Service.

“Today’s ruling provides certainty and clear, coherent tax filing guidance for all legally married same-sex couples nationwide,” Lew said. “It provides access to benefits, responsibilities and protections under federal tax law that all Americans deserve. This ruling also assures legally married same-sex couples that they can move freely throughout the country knowing that their federal filing status will not change.”

Read more at Washington Blade

Washington Blade is America’s leading gay news source.

The post Federal tax equality for same-sex couples announced first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY 429MAGAZINE

Love and marriage are in the air for thousands of same-sex couples in California, but as they consider whether to head to the altar, they need to be aware that their decision could have major financial impacts. The Supreme Court’s Prop 8 decision should mean immense simplification of tax filing for same-sex couples, Wiesenberg says — but also raises a multitude of questions that have yet to be addressed by the Internal Revenue Service.

n community property states like California, the IRS already recognized combined income, which created a favorable tax treatment – however, Federal recognition of marriage could subject couples to “marriage penalty” taxes, which can add thousands of dollars to tax bills each year. Accountant Elisha Wiesenberg of Wiesenberg & Company, an L.A.-based tax preparer that specializes in tax issues regarding same-sex couples. said the best advice for same-sex couples is, “Whether you’re thinking about getting married or maintaining your relationship status as it is, consult with a qualified tax adviser who understands the myriad financial issues same-sex couples face.”

Read more at dot429.com

The post How will same-sex marriage rulings impact your taxes? first appeared on Lesbian.com.