Frequently Asked Tax Questions And Answers
Welcome to the Internal Revenue Service's general questions and answers section. Each year we update the answers to reflect the latest changes in tax regulations. These questions and answers came from taxpayers like you. We hope you find them helpful and informative.
Please let us know if you encounter any problems or have suggestions. To send a comment, go to our comments and feedback by email page. Please use the word FAQ in your comment.
If you don't find the answer to your general tax question below, also check Tax Topics and Tax Trails. If you still don't find the answer to your question, please call our toll-free tax assistance line at 1-800-829-1040 for individual tax questions or 1-800-829-4933 for business tax questions.
You may select frequently asked questions by: Select keyword "New Tax Law Changes" in list below for a grouping of frequently asked questions impacted by recent legislative changes.
Frequently Asked Questions by Category
- IRS Procedures
- Filing Requirements/Status/Dependents/Exemptions
- Itemized Deductions/Standard Deductions
- Interest/Dividends/Other Types of Income
- Pensions/Annuities/Retirement Plans (i.e., 401(k), etc.)
- Social Security Income
- Child Care Credit/Other Credits
- Earned Income Tax Credit
- Estimated Tax
- Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home
- Sale or Trade of Business, Depreciation, Rentals
- Small Business/Self-Employed/Other Business
- Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
- Electronic Filing (e-file)
- Magnetic Media Filers
- Other (Alternative Minimum Tax, Estates, Trusts, Tax Shelters, State Tax Inquiries)
- Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
Frequently Asked Questions by Subcategory
1.1. General Procedural Questions
1.2. Address Changes
1.3. Amended Returns & Form 1040X
1.4. Code, Revenue Procedures, Regulations, Letter Rulings
1.5. Collection Procedural Questions
1.6. Copies & Transcripts
1.7. Extensions
1.8. Forms & Publications
1.9. Injured Spouse
1.10. Name Changes & Social Security Number Matching Issues
1.11. Notices & Letters
1.12. Refund Inquiries
1.13. Reporting Fraud
1.14. Signing the Return
1.15. W–2 - Additional, Incorrect, Lost, Non-receipt, Omitted
1.16. W–4 - Allowances, Excess FICA, Students, Withholding
2. Filing Requirements/Status/Dependents/Exemptions
2.1. Filing Requirements
2.2. Filing Status
3. Itemized Deductions/Standard Deductions
3.1. Autos, Computers, Electronic Devices (Listed Property)
3.2. Education & Work-Related Expenses
3.3. Gifts & Charitable Contributions
3.5. 5. Medical, Nursing Home, Special Care Expenses
3.6. 6. Real Estate (Taxes, Mortgage Interest, Points, Other Property Expenses)
3.7. 7. Other Deduction Questions
4. Interest/Dividends/Other Types of Income
4.3. 1099–MISC, Independent Contractors, and Self-employed
4.4. 1099 Information Returns (All Other)
4.5. Alimony, Child Support, Court Awards, Damages
4.6. Employee Reimbursements, Form W–2, Wage Inquiries
4.7. Gifts & Inheritances
4.8. Grants, Scholarships, Student Loans, Work Study
4.9. Life Insurance & Disability Insurance Proceeds
4.10. Ministers' Compensation & Housing Allowance
4.11. Savings Bonds
4.12. Tips
5. Pensions/Annuities/Retirement Plans (i.e., 401(k), etc.)
5.2. Rollovers
5.3. Types of Plans
5.4. Plan Operations
5.5. Plan Design
6.1. Back Payments
6.2. Regular & Disability Benefits
6.3. Survivors' Benefits
7. Child Care Credit/Other Credits
7.1. Child and Dependent Care Credit & Flexible Benefit Plans
7.2. Child Tax Credit
7.3. Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled
7.4. Hope & Life Time Learning Educational Credits
7.5. Other Credits
8.2. Taxable & Nontaxable Income
8.3. Other EITC Issues
9.1. Businesses
9.2. Farmers & Fishermen
9.3. Individuals
9.4. Large Gains, Lump-sum Distributions, etc.
9.5. Penalty Questions
10. Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home
10.1. Property (Basis, Sale of Home, etc.)
10.2. Stocks (Options, Splits, Traders)
10.3. Mutual Funds (Costs, Distributions, etc.)
10.4. Losses (Homes, Stocks, Other Property)
11. Sale or Trade of Business, Depreciation, Rentals
11.1. Depreciation & Recapture
11.2. Rental Expenses versus Passive Activity Losses (PALs)
11.3. Personal Use of Business Property (Condo, Timeshare, etc.)
11.4. Sales, Trades, Exchanges
12. Small Business/Self-Employed/Other Business
12.2. Form 1099–MISC & Independent Contractors
12.3. Form W–2, FICA, Medicare, Tips, Employee Benefits
12.4. Form W–4 & Wage Withholding
12.5. Form SS–4 & Employer Identification Number (EIN)
12.6. Forms 941, 940, Employment Taxes
12.7. Income & Expenses
12.8. Schedule C & Schedule SE
12.9. Starting or Ending a Business
13. Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
13.1. Canadian & U.S. Tax Issues
13.2. Exchange Rate
13.3. Foreign Income & Foreign Income Exclusion
13.4. Nonresident Alien - General
13.5. Nonresident Alien - Tax Withholding
13.6. Nonresident Alien - Students
13.7. U.S. Citizens Overseas
13.8. Other
14. Electronic Filing (e-file)
14.1. Age/Name/SSN Rejects, Errors, Correction Procedures
14.2. Amended Returns
14.3. Due Dates & Extension Dates for e-file
14.4. Forms W–2 & Other Attachments
16. Other (Alternative Minimum Tax, Estates, Trusts, Tax Shelters, State Tax Inquiries)
17. Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
17.1. Distributions, Early Withdrawals, 10% Additional Tax
17.2. Rollovers
17.3. Roth IRA
17.4. Traditional IRA
Frequently Asked Questions by Keyword
Numeric A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W
Select the appropriate keyword to get questions and answers across all categories.
- 10% Additional Tax (Penalty)
- 1040-ES
- 1040X Amended/Corrected Tax Return
- 1099 Information Returns
- 1099-MISC
- 1099-R
- 401(k) Pension Plan
- 403(b) Pension Plan
- Address Changes
- Alimony
- Allocated Tips
- Amended/Corrected Tax Return (Form 1040X)
- Apartment Building
- Average Costs
- Bill/Debt/Liability
- Business Use/Expense
- Canada/Canadian Issues
- Capital Gains
- Capital Loss
- Change of Address
- Change of Name
- Child Care Credit
- Child Custody Tax Issues
- Child Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Closing Costs
- Computer
- Considered Taxable Income (SSA)
- Contributions (Charitable)
- Contributions (IRAs & Pension Plans)
- Copy of Return
- Corporation
- Corrected/Amended Tax Return (Form 1040X)
- Cost Basis
- Custodial Parent
- Deductible Contributions (Charitable)
- Deductible Contributions (IRA)
- Dependent Care Benefits
- Dependent Care Credit
- Dependents/Exemptions
- Depreciation Deduction
- Disability Income
- Distributions
- Dividend Reinvestment
- Dividends
- Divorced or Separated Spouses/Parents
- Due Date/Deadline
- E-file (Electronic Filing)
- Early Withdrawals/Distributions
- Earned Income Tax Credit
- Education IRA
- Education Tax Credits
- Educational Expenses
- Employee - Independent Contractor
- Employee Benefits
- Employee Business Expenses
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Employment Taxes
- Error Code/Message
- Estate
- Estimated Tax Payments
- Exemption/Support Issues
- Extensions
- FICA Taxes
- Farming
- Federal Tax ID Number
- Fellowships
- Filing Status
- Financial Aid
- First-Time Home Buyer
- Flexible Spending Account
- Foreign Country
- Forms/Publications
- Foster Child
- Fraud
- Gifts
- Grants
- Green Card
- Head of Household
- Holding Period
- Home Based Business
- Home Mortgage Interest
- Home Office
- Hope Credit
- Housing Allowance
- ID Number
- IRA Account
- IRS Will Figure Your Tax
- Independent Contractor
- Inheritance
- Injured Spouse
- Installment Agreement/Payment Plan
- Installment Proceeds
- Insurance Proceeds
- Interest Expense
- Interest Income
- Investment Interest
- Itemized Deductions
- Joint Custody
- Joint Return
- Letter Ruling
- Letter/Notice
- Lifetime Learning Credit
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Listed Property
- Living Together Tax Issues
- Loan Origination Fee
- Loans
- Lump-Sum Distribution
- Magnetic Media
- Maiden/Married Name
- Main Home Sale
- Married Filing Jointly
- Married Filing Separately
- Maximum Contribution
- Medical Expenses
- Medicare Tax
- Mileage Rate
- Minimum Distribution
- Monthly Payment Plan/Installment Agreement
- Mortgage Interest Deduction
- Mutual Fund
- Name Changes/Corrections
- New Business
- New Tax Law Changes
- Noncustodial Parent
- Nondeductible Contributions (IRA)
- Nonemployee Compensation
- Nonresident Alien
- Owe Tax Bill/Debt/Liability
- Partnership
- Past/Previous Years' Tax Returns
- Payment Plan/Installment Agreement
- Payment Voucher (1040-ES)
- Penalty for Underpayment
- Pension Plan
- Permanent Resident
- Postsecondary Educational Institution
- Primary Residence
- Profit Sharing Plan
- Property Taxes
- Publications/Forms
- Qualified Plan
- Qualifying Child (EITC)
- Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments
- Refinancing Fees
- Refund
- Reimbursements
- Rejected Return
- Rental Property
- Resident Alien
- Retirement Plan
- Revenue Procedure/Ruling/Regulations
- Rollover
- Roth IRA
- S Corporation
- SEP-IRA
- Salaries
- Sale of Home
- Sale or Trade of Business Property
- Savings Bonds
- Schedule C or C-EZ
- Schedule D
- Schedule SE
- Scholarships
- Self-employed
- Self-employment Tax
- Separate Returns
- Separated or Divorced Spouses/Parents
- Short Sale
- Simple IRA
- Single Filing Status
- Social Security Benefits
- Social Security Benefits/Income
- Social Security Number
- Social Security Survivor (Death) Benefits
- Social Security Tax
- Software for On-line Filing
- Sole Proprietor
- Standard Meal Allowance
- Standard Mileage Rate
- State Taxes
- Stock Options
- Stock Sale
- Stock Split
- Student
- Student Loan Interest Deduction
- Substantial Presence Test
- Support/Exemption Issues
- Tax Bill/Debt/Liability
- Tax Forms
- Tax Identification Number
- Tax Preparer
- Tax Refund
- Tax Shelter
- Tax Treaty
- Tips/Allocated Tips
- Traditional IRA
- Travel Expenses
- Trust
- U.S. Citizen Abroad
- VISA Status
- Vacation Home
- W-2
- W-4
- Withholding Allowances (Form W-4)
- Withholding Taxes
- Work Opportunity Tax Credit
- Worthless Securities