Everything you need to know about tax benefits, credits and deductions

As a taxpayer, you may come across tax deductions and tax credits as a part of tax benefit. These terms might be alien to you, but one needs to understand these well to get benefits and deductions. The tax deductions lessen the taxable income and the final value is computed on the marginal tax rate of the individual. The marginal tax rate increases with the rise in the income of the taxpayer. Tax credits, on the other hand, reduce the taxes directly. Therefore, these credits do not rely on the rates of the taxes. However, the value of the credit depends on the taxpayer’s tax liability.

Nonrefundable tax credits
If you are wondering if the tax benefits can bring down the tax to zero, then there are nonrefundable tax credits to help you out. Most tax credits are nonrefundable. So, the income filers who fall under the low-income bracket do not fully benefit from the nonrefundable tax credits.
There are other tax credits that can be partially or fully refundable. If the tax liability value surpasses of an individual, then the surplus amount is paid back to the income tax filer.

Tax benefits of education
Taxpayers can avail benefits of education through tax credits for higher education.

Who is eligible for an education credit claim?
There are various criteria that let you avail the claim under education credit, but one must meet the following requirements to benefit from the same. Take a look!

  • The qualified education expenditures for a higher education is paid by you, your dependent or a third party
  • An eligible student must be registered at a qualified educational institute
  • The enrolled student must be either you, your spouse or a dependent whom you have mentioned while filing your tax returns

Here are some of the tax deductions under education.

  • Qualified education expenditures
  • Qualifying work-related education
  • Education to improve or maintain skills
  • Tuition and fees deduction
  • Student loan interest deduction
  • Qualified student loan
  • Education required by law or by employer
  • Lifetime learning credit

Tax benefits of homeownership
One of the advantages of homeownership is that the credited rental income does not qualify under the taxable income bracket. But, the property holders would exclude the property tax payments and mortgage interest with other expenses from the income that is taxable. Also, the homeowners may deduct the capital gains from the sale of the home but up to a defined limit only. However, all of these tax benefits are a boon to those who are under the high-income tax brackets and not others. Therefore, the tax benefits and deductions under homeownership include:

  • Property tax deduction
  • Imputed rent
  • Profits from home sales

Featured Products

Featured Blogs

  • Get brainy with these supplements
  • Browse anonymously by choosing the best VPN based on these factors
  • 8 ways to cope with lung cancer diagnosis

Recent Blogs

  • Tips to help you measure the right quantity of laundry detergent

    When doing laundry, the most common mistake that most people tend to make is just to take a random scoop of laundry detergent and get the washing machine started. People often make the detergent measurement too casually, which is not right. Putting too much or too little detergent will either harm the laundry or not clean it adequately. So, what is the ideal amount of detergent for a laundry load? Here is how you can measure it right but before that, let us take a quick look at what happens to your laundry if you do not use the right amount of laundry detergent.

    Why do you need to put the right amount of laundry detergent?
    Sometimes, you may be too generous with the use of your detergent. Well, you may have used some laundry detergent coupons and got some great deals. Nevertheless, when you got your detergent in the budget, you should use judiciously. Using more than the required quantity of laundry detergent can spoil the fabric of your favorite clothes. Similarly, too much of detergent can leave its residue on the clothes, and this can cause skin irritation when you use that fabric. This is particularly the case with clothes for babies and children. On the other hand, low quantity of detergent can cause the clothes to remain dirty leading to an unpleasant odor.

    How to measure the right amount of laundry detergent?
    Most categories of laundry detergent, whether powder or liquid, come with a measuring cup. The measuring cup has different measurements for a different quantity of laundry loads as well as various types of clothes. Follow the guide and use the measuring cup to measure the right amount of the detergent. If there is no measuring cup, check the washer for detergent space or cabin. The detergent unit is also marked to help you load the right amount.

    One more thing to keep in mind here is to use the right kind of laundry detergent based on your washing machine. There are separate detergents for top load washers and front load washers. This makes quite a difference in the measurement of the right quantity of detergent.

  • A brief history of LG cell phones

    Lucky Gold Star is the full form of the very popular LG brand. LG started as a group of enterprises from South Korea, in the year 1947 with the founding of the first Korean chemical company called the Lucky Chemical Industry.

    Fast forward a few years to the year 1958 and the Lucky Chemical Industry expanded into the production of home appliances. It also changed its name to Goldstar Electronics Corporation in an attempt to keep up with the times.

    In the present day, the Lucky Goldstar Company has become one of the top contenders of industrial might in Korea along with other big names like Hyundai, Samsung, and Daewoo. The Goldstar Electronics Corporation is divided into four business divisions, called:

    Mobile Communication that oversees the production of mobile phone and tablet computers.

    Digital Appliances like ACs and refrigerators

    Digital display appliances like LCD monitors, CRT, and other projectors.

    Digital Media in the form of DVD recorder, DVD player, home theatre systems and car audio.

    LG did not get into the production of cell phones until the year 2000. Despite having unique features, the LG handsets did not do too well in the market and were unable to garner enough interest or even a good reply. Until around that time, LG was primarily known for its electronic goods and not its cellular handsets.

    It was in the year 2002 that the LG mobile company finally announced the debut of its very first WCDMA technology that helped the company dip its toes into the mobile phone industry. Production of various models featuring GSM, WCDMA cell phones, and CDMA technology was started, and these models were strategically launched into the market.

    These helped the manufacturer gain enormous success when the models were released under the famous Black Label Series that featured the concept of the exposure of the form factor. It had four models that were launched and given exciting names like the Chocolate edition in the year 2006, Shine edition in the year 2007, Secret edition in the year 2008 and the New Chocolate edition in the year 2009.

    The Optimus series is the most recent Android phones developed by LG.

  • Varieties of laptop and desktop locks

    Laptop or notebook is a private property where valuable information is stored and fear of the laptop being stolen is a nightmare for many people. There are many laptop security locks available on the market. One of the best locks for 15 inch and 16-inch laptops is the combination lock which is designed with a low-profile and a self-coiling cable that helps in keeping the laptops safe.

    The features of Combosaver lock make it an excellent one for laptops or notebooks. It consists of a self-coiling cable which measures approximately 3 inches. The slim profile lock with the T-Bar helps in locking the notebooks or laptops. The ease with which the lock can be used by using a combination of keys makes it the best for 17-inch laptops.

    The other features of Combosaver laptop security locks are the easy view window and comfort grip dials which make it safe to use. This lock comes with 10,000 personalized combination codes which makes it the safe one to use for 17-inch laptops. The lock is best to use in schools, colleges or when traveling. The lock is safe to use when it is registered online which helps in retrieving the combination of the lock.

    An anchor point is another way to secure the computer or laptop to any work surface. This provides comfort for employees as they can comfortably lock the desktops or laptops.  The Kensington Desk Mount Cable Anchor can be used to lock the desktop or laptop with the help of industrial-strength mounting tape or security screws.

    Wordlock from Kensington is used to protect the laptop from the private information. The WordLock is enabled with Portable Combination Laptop Lock which makes it easy and convenient to lock the laptops and desktops. The push-button design in this lock enables it to use the lock. WordLock enables the user to lock the laptop or desktop with a four-letter word. The laptop or desktop can also be locked with self-coiling cable which can be stretched up to 6 feet and shrunk to as short as 3 inches for convenient storage.

    The features of the WordLock are the T-Bar locking technology which helps to securely lock the laptop. The 15 inch or 16-inch laptop can be locked using a 4 letter word which can be reset with an approximate 10,000 combinations which makes it easy to change the password lock. The push button design is used to attach the lock easily to laptop or computer.

    The locking devices for computers or laptops are very much needed as the risk of theft is much more in organizations and educational institutions where the laptops or desktops are used on a much larger scale.  The user can choose the best locking device based on his/her requirements and the budget.