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Gambling Winnings & Losses

Are my gambling winnings from the slot machines subject to backup withholding ?

Asked Friday, October 27, 2000 by an anonymous user
If you do not provide your taxpayer identification number to the payer, the payer will not withhold tax. Winnings from slot machines, bingo or keno are not subject to the 28% income tax withholding rules. If you do not provide your taxpayer identification number to the payer, the payer will withhold tax at the 31% backup withholding rate.
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Losses

Is the reimbursement for the loss on the sale of my house due to my moving to a new job location taxable?

Asked Friday, October 27, 2000 by an anonymous user
Yes. The IRS considers the reimbursement amount taxable wages and it should be included on your W-2. It will be reportable on IRS Form 1040 line 7 as wages.
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Gifts

Gift Tax Rates - Years 2013

Asked Wednesday, October 25, 2000 by an anonymous user
In 2012 & 2011, For an estate or gift(s) with:
Taxable income of $1 but not over $10,000 the tax is $0 plus 18 % over $0
T.I. of $100,000 but not over $150,000 the tax is $23,820 plus 30 % over $100,000
T.I. of $150,000 but not over $250,000 the tax is $38,800 plus 32 % over $150,000
T.I. of $250,000 but not over $500,000 the tax is $70,800 plus 34 % over $250,000
T.I. of $500,000 but not over $750,000 the tax is $155,800 plus 37 % over $500,000
T.I. of $750,000 but not over $1,000,000 the tax is $248,300 plus 39 % over $750,000
T.I. of $1,000,000or over the tax is $345,800 plus 40 % over $1,000,000
Any gift tax that you would owe is eliminated or reduced by a tax credit. The credit against taxable gifts for 2012 is $1,730,800 effectively exempting $5 million of taxable gifts.
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Gifts

Gifts - taxability

Asked Wednesday, October 25, 2000 by an anonymous user
The gift tax is a tax that the IRS will levy if the gifts you give to people are above a certain base dollar value. Your spouse can also make a gift of $14,000 to the same person free of tax. Amounts in excess of the $14,000/ 28,000 base amounts will cause a gift tax return to be filed.
. As a general rule, a gift is only taxable if its value, when added to the value of your estate, exceeds $5,000,000 for current year and in 2012.
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Gifts

Gifts - Excess of tax free amount

Asked Wednesday, October 25, 2000 by an anonymous user
The first $14,000 ($13,000 in 2012) are tax free. The taxes start at 18% and increase to 35%.
The person who makes the gift known as the donor is responsible for paying taxes on the gift on excess of the current years allowance.
If the donor does not pay the tax, the recipient must. If the recipient cannot or does not pay the tax, the IRS can seize the property and sell it to pay the tax.
Gifts are taxed at the same rate as estates.
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Home Office Expenses

Can I claim the part of my living room that has my computer as an home office deduction?

Asked Tuesday, October 24, 2000 by an anonymous user
In general, if you use a part of your home for both personal and business purposes, then no expenses for business use of that part are deductible. There are certain exceptions for the storage of inventory or samples used in a business or for qualified day care providers. You should speak to your local CPA about the "office in home" deductions.
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Dependents & Exemptions

How do I get a Social Security number for my non-resident alien dependent ?

Asked Tuesday, October 24, 2000 by an anonymous user
You need to fill out Form SS-5-FS, which can be obtained either from your local CPA or from the Social Security Administration. The SSA website is http://www.socialsecurity.gov, . In addition to using the SSA website, you can call SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.
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Charitable Deductions

Donated artwork - Appraiser fees

Asked Tuesday, October 24, 2000 by an anonymous user
The appraisal fees you paid to determine the fair market value of your donated artwork is not deductible as part of the contribution. The fees would be considered a miscellaneous itemized deduction reported on IRS Schedule A, subject to the 2% AGI limitation.
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Charitable Deductions

Is there a web site to verify a qualified organization for a charitable contribution?

Asked Tuesday, October 24, 2000 by an anonymous user
The IRS created a list of qualified tax exempt organizations for purposes of a charitable contribution deduction. The list is included in IRS Publication 78. It can also be accessed at http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/bus_info/eo/eosearch.html
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