Everyone knows that the holiday season can often be a stressful time. Traveling, gift giving, and the weather make it very stressful and even demanding. Cruise & Associates would like to give you a few tips on how to stay on top of the holiday season without going over budget. Budget – Set a reasonable [...]
Marriage is a big moment for everyone. It’s taking the next step with the person you love and building a new life together. It can also be a time to make some pretty lofty decisions. Prepare for the decisions that come along with marriage life. Figure out how you’ll file your taxes. Making changes to [...]
Mobile phones not only contain our personal details and information about everyone we know; they are used to verify our identities and unlock access to our financial accounts. Now scammers are using a process called a “port-out” to hack into our phones to change our passwords, steal our personal data and even empty our bank [...]
Health care coverage gaps happen. Whether because of job loss or an extended sabbatical between gigs, you may find yourself without health care for a period. Here are some tax consequences you should know about, as well as tips to fix a coverage gap. Coverage gap tax issues You will have to pay a penalty [...]
Every small business eventually hits a rough patch. It’s easy to get discouraged when it happens. But look at the upside: you have infrastructure in place, you have existing customers and most importantly, you have the hard-won experience of knowing what works and what doesn’t. With that in mind, here are some ideas to get [...]
Most Americans get a refund every year, with the average check weighing in at $2,895 last year. Even though it's really money that they earned, many people are tempted to treat it like a windfall and splurge. If you can resist that temptation, here are some of the best ways to put your refund to [...]
While most people should file a tax return by April 17th, you have the option of delaying your filing date until Oct. 15 with a tax extension. When to file an extension Missing or incorrect information. If one of the forms you need to file your return has an error on it, it is often [...]
Every year the IRS releases its "Dirty Dozen" list of the year's most prevalent tax scams. They include ploys to steal personal information, talk people out of money, or engage in questionable tax activity. Here are some of the top scams: Phishing. Fake emails or websites claiming to represent the IRS, for the purpose [...]
Organizing your tax records not only makes filing your tax return easier, it also helps you find the financial documents you need throughout the year. Whether you’ve already filed your tax return or are about to, here are some tips to get organized. Go with the flow (of your tax return) Try organizing your records [...]
Though many taxpayers appreciate the income tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed late last year, others are skeptical that it will simplify their tax planning. With every simplification, there are many more tax issues that still require planning to realize extra tax benefits. Here are seven of them: Planning for [...]
