Strategy can take sting out of taxes

Here are two words that can get a person so riled up you would think you’d insulted their mama: tax time.

Yes folks, no use grousing about it. Before you realize it, the time to file your tax return will be upon us. As we approach the end of the year, I thought it a good time to review a few tax-related things.

First, the Internal Revenue Service may be looking for you. But in this particular instance, that’s a good thing. The IRS says 115,478 taxpayers are due refund checks worth a total of about $110 million. The checks were returned as undeliverable.

Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all refunds, or about one in a thousand, go undelivered, according to the IRS, which so far this year has processed nearly 105 million refunds, totaling about $240 billion. The average undelivered refund was for $953.

If you’re not sure you received your refund, better double-check. That money would go a long way in helping with your holiday bills or in kick-starting that emergency fund you’ve been promising to set up for years.

Refund checks are mailed to a taxpayer’s last known address, so now is a good time to make sure that the IRS has the right contact information for you.

There are a few ways to update your contact information. You can go online to www.irs.gov and use the “Where’s My Refund?” feature. You can also correct your address by filing IRS Form 8822. The change of address form can be downloaded from www.irs.gov or you can request it by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). You can also call the IRS’ customer service line at 800-829-1040.

Of course, the quickest way to get your refund is to sign up for direct deposit, which is available whether you file a paper return or electronically.

Here’s an idea: If you are getting a refund, consider using it as an opportunity to save. Last year, taxpayers for the first time were allowed to split their refunds among as many as three accounts at three different financial institutions. Previously you could only designate one bank account for your direct- deposit refund.

You may not have heard about this option because it’s so new. But now that you know, use it. Direct some of that refund to an individual retirement account, perhaps.

The option requires IRS Form 8888, “Direct Deposit of Refund to More Than One Account.” If you want the IRS to deposit your refund into just one account, use the direct deposit line on your tax form.

For charitable donations, you need to make sure you get the right documentation if you plan to claim them on your 2007 tax return.

Starting with the 2007 tax year, you need paperwork — a receipt, canceled check or bank record — to back up your cash contributions. You need a record of your contributions regardless of the amount. Previously, only contributions of $250 or more required receipts.

“While documentation may not be needed when submitting a return, it is essential in the event of an audit,” said Mark Steber, vice president of tax resources for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

Take note that a bank or credit union statement needs to show the name of the charity and the date and amount donated. If you give via a credit card, the charge statement needs to show the name of the charity, the transaction posting date and the amount donated.

The 2007 tax year offers a new deduction, for mortgage insurance premiums. Don’t confuse this with homeowner’s insurance to protect against fire or theft. Instead, this is insurance that protects a lender against financial loss if a homeowner defaults on mortgage payments and the house has to be sold at foreclosure.

The mortgage-insurance deduction is available for private mortgage insurance and mortgage insurance issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Housing Administration and the Rural Housing Service.

The deduction is only if you took out a new mortgage or refinanced in 2007.

The deduction is available if your adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less. You are entitled to a reduced deduction if your adjusted gross income is more than $100,000. It is phased out completely if your adjusted gross income is more than $109,000 ($54,500 if married filing separately). There is an effort in Congress to extend this deduction until 2014.

If you are a small-business owner and you have a question about your tax situation, Thomas Ochsenschlager, vice president of taxation for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, will host the Small Business Administration’s December Web chat on “Year-End Tax Savings for Your Small Business.”

The chat is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. PST Dec. 20. You can participate in the chat by going to www.sba.gov and clicking on the link for the “Online Business Chat” at the bottom of the SBA’s home page. Post your question early if you can’t participate.

I know tax time can be frustrating but you can make the process a little easier by starting early.

&Copy; Washington Post Writers Group