Retirement and pensions
How IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, Social Security and retirement distributions are reported on a US federal return, with each guide sourced to IRS forms and publications.
25 guides →
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Tax guides by topic
Browse File US Taxes guides by topic. Every guide is plain-language general education and cites the IRS form, instructions or publication behind it.
Self-employment and small business
Plain-language guides on freelance and small-business income: Schedule C, self-employment tax, estimated payments, and the records the IRS expects you to keep.
15 guides →Tax credits and deductions
What the main federal tax credits and deductions are, how the IRS defines them, and which forms report them. General education only; a preparer reviews each person's own situation.
54 guides →Investments, interest and capital gains
How stock sales, dividends, interest, crypto and other investment income show up on a federal return, and which IRS forms and schedules are involved.
29 guides →Homes, property and real estate
Tax basics for owning, selling and renting property: mortgage interest, home sales, rental income, basis and the forms that report them.
37 guides →IRS notices, penalties and amended returns
What to do when the IRS writes to you, how penalties and payment plans work, and how extensions and amended returns are handled, based on IRS guidance.
23 guides →Expats, military and international taxes
Filing a US return from abroad or with foreign connections: the foreign earned income exclusion, foreign account reporting, residency tests and military rules.
24 guides →Families, education and health coverage
Dependents, filing status, education costs, health savings accounts and health coverage forms, explained from IRS publications.
35 guides →Tax forms and income reporting
What the W-2, 1099 and other information forms mean, where each number goes on a return, and which schedules pick up other types of income.
37 guides →