Personal Finance: Taxes
ALA Recommended Books
J. K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2021 by
Prepare your 2020 taxes like a pro J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2021: For Preparing Your 2020 Tax Return delivers a comprehensive and reliable guide to preparing your own 2020 taxes. Trusted by taxpayers for over seventy-five years, the latest entry in this series comes complete with worksheets and sample forms, as well as the advice that will ensure you get the biggest possible refund. Readers of this #1 all-time, best-selling tax guide will benefit from: Hundreds of examples of how newly updated tax laws apply to individual taxpayers Special features inserted throughout the text that highlight important concepts like new tax laws, IRS rulings, court decisions, and tax filing tips Sage advice on maximizing deductions and credits, sheltering income from tax, and minimizing what you owe Crucial information on the SECURE Act and the CARES Act Perfect for any personal taxpayer, J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2021 also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone responsible for preparing personal tax returns for others.
Call Number: 336.24 JKLISBN: 1119742242Publication Date: 2020-12-22
Taxes in America by
Despite their passion and fury, contemporary Americans are remarkably clueless about how their tax system works. But with heated debates over taxation now roiling Congress and the nation, an understanding of our tax system is of vital importance. Taxes in America, by preeminent tax scholarsLeonard E. Burman and Joel Slemrod, offers a clear, concise explanation of how our tax system works, how it affects people and businesses, and how it might be improved. Accessibly written and organized in a clear, question-and-answer format, the book describes the intricacies of the modern taxsystem in an easy-to-grasp manner.Burman and Slemrod begin with the basic definitions of taxes and then delve into more complicated and indeed contentious concerns. They address such questions as how to recognize Fool's Gold tax reform plans. How much more tax could the IRS collect with better enforcement? How do tax burdens varyaround the world? Why do corporations pay so little tax, even though they earn trillions of dollars every year? And what kind of tax system is most conducive to economic growth?
Call Number: 336.2009 BURISBN: 9780199890262Publication Date: 2012
Taxes Made Simple by
Find all of the following, explained in plain-English with no legal jargon: The difference between deductions, exemptions, and credits Itemized deductions vs. the standard deduction Several money-saving deductions and credits and how to make sure you qualify for them How to calculate your refund How to know which tax forms to fill out State income taxes Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Capital Gains and Losses
Call Number: RCLSISBN: 9780981454214Publication Date: 2010
A Fine Mess by
New York Times bestelling author T. R. Reid travels around the world to solve the urgent problem of America's failing tax code, unravelling a complex topic in plain English - and telling a rollicking story along the way. The U.S. tax code is a total write-off. Crammed with loopholes and special interest provisions, it works for no one except tax lawyers, accountants, and huge corporations. Not for the first time, we have reached a breaking point. That happened in 1922, and again in 1954, and again in 1986. In other words, every thirty-two years. Which means that the next complete overhaul is due in 2018. But what should be in this new tax code? Can we make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer, and more efficient? Yes, yes, and yes. Can we cut tax rates and still bring in more revenue? Yes. Other rich countries, from Estonia to New Zealand to the UK--advanced, high-tech, free-market democracies--have all devised tax regimes that are equitable, effective, and easy on the taxpayer. But the United States has languished. So byzantine are the current statutes that, by our government's own estimates, Americans spend six billion hours and $10 billion every year preparing and filing their taxes. In the Netherlands that task takes a mere fifteen minutes! Successful American companies like Apple, Caterpillar, and Google effectively pay no tax at all in some instances because of loopholes that allow them to move profits offshore. Indeed, the dysfunctional tax system has become a major cause of economic inequality. In A Fine Mess, T. R. Reid crisscrosses the globe in search of the exact solutions to these urgent problems. With an uncanny knack for making a complex subject not just accessible but gripping, he investigates what makes good taxation (no, that's not an oxymoron) and brings that knowledge home where it is needed most. Never talking down or reflexively siding with either wing of politics, T. R. Reid presses the case for sensible root-and-branch reforms with a companionable ebullience. This affects everyone. Doing our taxes will never be America's favorite pastime, but it can and should be so much easier and fairer.
Call Number: 336.2 REIISBN: 9781594205514Publication Date: 2017
Sources
American Library Association. Financial Literacy in Public Libraries: A Guide for Building Collections.
My thanks go to ALA for inventing this wheel for me.
Thrall Library's Links for Investors.
CFPB's list of financial educational resources
Librarian
Websites
- Filing Taxes for Free IRS information on filing taxes for free.
- Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers An IRS webpage explaining the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, both of which offer free tax assistance.
- Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) An IRS tool providing responses to tax law questions.
- IRS Forms and Publications Individual and business tax forms and instructions. Updated annually.
- Alternative Payment Plans IRS information about alternative payment options for taxes.
- National Taxpayers Union A nonprofit organization that provides research and resources on taxes and taxpayers in the United States.
- Sales Tax Deductions An IRS calculator to help determine your sales tax deduction.
- Tax Benefits for Education IRS guidelines on education tax benefits.
- Tax Information for Servicemembers Tax tips and information for servicemembers and their families compiled by Military.com.
- Tax Policy Center A collaboration between the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, the Tax Policy Center provides analysis and data on tax policies in the United States.