The Complete Idiot's Guide to... | Buy

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Doing Your Taxes with TurboTax Deluxe 99 emphasizes that income tax preparation is a ridiculously complicated process that can be made easy with the use of TurboTax. Using the book as a reference to preparing your tax return with TurboTax, you learn the confusing areas of tax instruction in a very easy-to-understand format--English. No tax talk, at least not too much anyway!

Introduction: April Is the Cruelest Month

April showers, tax returns, and other gloomy stuff.

1

(4)

Part 1: Ugh! Getting Started

5

(52)

Turbo Tax Nickel Tour

7

(12)

Install it, start it, and learn the essential moves.

The Paper Chase: Gathering Your Records

19

(12)

Dig through your files and shoeboxes for records and receipts.

Grabbing Financial Data You've Already Entered

31

(12)

Avoid the drudge work by importing data from last year's return and from your personal finance program.

Okay, Let's Get Started

43

(14)

Name, address, social security number, and other preliminary entries.

Part 2: Inputting Your Income

57

(88)

W-2s for Salaried Employees

59

(12)

How much did you earn from your day job?

1099s for Interest, Investments, and Capital Gains

71

(14)

Investment income, capital gains, and retirement income.

1099-MISCs and Schedule C (for the Self-Employed)

85

(16)

For those who have joined the growing ranks of the self-employed.

Depreciating Your Old Stuff

101

(8)

Calculate your losses for equipment that just isn't what it used to be.

Living Off the Land (Farming Can Be Taxing)

109

(10)

The IRS meets Farmer Brown.

Rentals and Royalties for Landlords, Authors, and Inventors

119

(12)

Calculate taxes on the money you made off the stuff you own.

What Else Constitutes Income?

131

(14)

Tips, trades, partnerships, alimony, and other sources of quick cash.

Part 3: Deductions, Credits, and Other Ways to Reduce Taxes

145

(80)

Income Reduction Through Deductions

147

(16)

How to beat the standard deduction by maximizing itemized deductions.

Additional Deductions You May Have Overlooked

163

(10)

Read between the lines for additional (legal) deductions.

Getting a Tax Break with Retirement Investments

173

(12)

Invest in your future and save taxes now!

More Income and Loss Via Stock and Property Transactions

185

(12)

What to do when you make or lose money on a sale.

More Taxes (As If You Weren't Paying Enough)

197

(14)

The nanny tax, the kiddie tax, and the sinister alternative minimum tax.

Making the Most of the IRS Tax Credits

211

(14)

Chop taxes off the bottom line with tax credits.

Part 4: Reviewing and Filing Your Tax Return

225

(32)

Auditing and Reviewing Your Return with Turbo Tax

227

(12)

Let Turbo Tax check your tax return and suggest additional savings.

Submitting Your Tax Return

239

(10)

Print and send your return via modem or mail.

Paying Your State Income Taxes

249

(8)

Your state of residency demands its cut, too.

Part 5: After the Fact: Amendments, Audits, and Future Plans

257

(36)

Oops, I Made Some Honest Mistakes

259

(14)

How to handle errors and audits and avoid a lengthy jail term.

Tax planning for 1999

273

(10)

Pay less taxes next year with these hot tax-saving strategies and tips.

Top 20 Tax Facts, Questions, and Answers

283

(10)

Find answers to the most common tax questions.

Appendix: State Tax Agencies: Addresses and Phone Numbers

293

(6)

For those who didn't order the state version of Turbo Tax.

Glossary of IRS Technobabble

299

(14)

IRS terms and legalese in plain English.

Index

313

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.