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5 Tips to Lower Your Tax for 2015

With 2014 over and 2015 well on its way you may be finding yourself gathering all of your 2014 tax information and getting ready to file your income taxes. Some folks will be expecting refunds while others will woefully dread writing out a check to the IRS. If you find yourself in the group of folks that will be writing a check to Uncle Sam, here are some tips to reduce your tax burden for 2015.

Credit for Energy Saving Home Improvements for 2011

This tax credit has undergone a change from previous years.  In 2010, for example, you could achieve a credit for as much as 30% of the cost of your energy-saving home improvements, with a ceiling of $1,500. Beginning January 1, 2011, the credit rate is now just 10%, and the ceiling has been lowered to $500.  Something important to keep in mind about this credit:  any credit claimed in prior years (2009 and/or 2010) will be used to reduce your ceiling.  In other words, if you claimed the full credit (or any amount up to $500) on a previous year’s tax return, you have no energy-saving home improvement credit available to you. In addition to the changes above, there are specific item caps in place as well.  For example, if you are putting in a new furnace or water heater, the credit for those units is capped at $150.  If […]