Description
The nation's most trusted tax guide, updated for your 2018 returns
J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2019 is the nation's most trusted tax guide, updated to help you prepare your 2018 return. Step-by-step expert guidance walks you through the forms, calculations, and deadlines to help you file your taxes without the headaches. New changes including tax laws, IRS rulings, court decisions, and more are explained in plain English, backed by examples of how they apply to individual taxpayers like yourself. Explore your options in terms of deductions, income shelters, and planning strategies to maximize your savings and keep more of your money—without wading through volumes of dense tax code. This comprehensive yet accessible guide is your handbook for making your tax filing for 2018 easier than you thought possible.
Tax time does not have to be a source of stress and anxiety. With the experts at J.K. Lasser by your side, you can file correctly and on time while paying less than you thought; this book shows you everything you need to know, and gives you the answers you need right at your fingertips.
- Learn how the latest changes from the IRS affect your return
- Get trusted advice for maximizing deductions and sheltering income
- Navigate the many IRS forms with step-by-step guidance
- Start planning now to streamline next year's filing
Keeping up with ever-changing tax laws is a full-time job, decoding incomprehensible IRS forms can be an exercise in frustration, and searching for the answers you need can often leave you with more questions. Americans have been turning to J.K. Lasser for over 75 years to find trusted guidance on critical tax issues. J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2019 is this year's essential guide to taking the stress out of tax time.
Table of Contents
What’s New for 2018 xxvii
Tax News for 2018 xxvii
Key Tax Numbers for 2018 xxxi
Tax-Saving Opportunities for 2018 xxxiv
PART 1 FILING BASICS 1
Filing Status 9
PART 2 REPORTING YOUR INCOME 35
Wages, Salary, and Other Compensation 37
Fringe Benefits 55
Dividend and Interest Income 79
Reporting Property Sales 107
Tax-Free Exchanges of Property 156
Retirement and Annuity Income 170
IRAs 210
Income From Real Estate Rentals and Royalties 261
Loss Restrictions: Passive Activities and At-Risk Limits 280
Other Income 310
PART 3 CLAIMING DEDUCTIONS 333
Deductions Allowed in Figuring Adjusted Gross Income 335
Claiming the Standard Deduction or Itemized Deductions 341
Charitable Contribution Deductions 348
Itemized Deduction for Interest Expenses 373
Deductions for Taxes 391
Medical and Dental Expense Deductions 399
Casualty and Theft Losses and Involuntary Conversions 418
Other Itemized Deductions 440
Travel and Meal Expense Deductions 443
PART 4 PERSONAL TAX COMPUTATIONS 463
Dependents 465
Figuring Your Regular Income Tax Liability 478
Tax Withholdings 521
Estimated Tax Payments 528
PART 5 TAX PLANNING 541
Tax Savings for Residence Sales 543
Tax Rules for Investors in Securities 560
Tax Savings for Investors in Real Estate 577
Voluntary Conveyances to Creditors 584
Tax Rules for Investors in Mutual Funds 591
Educational Tax Benefits 600
Special Tax Rules for Senior Citizens and the Disabled 619
Members of the Armed Forces 633
How To Treat Foreign Earned Income 641
Planning Alimony and Marital Settlements 652
Other Taxes 659
Gift and Estate Tax Planning Basics 667
PART 6 BUSINESS TAX PLANNING 675
Income or Loss from Your Business or Profession 677
Retirement and Medical Plans for Self-Employed 707
Claiming Depreciation Deductions 718
Deducting Car and Truck Expenses 735
Sales of Business Property 750
Figuring Self-Employment Tax 757
PART 7 FILING YOUR RETURN AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU FILE 765
Filing Your Return 767
Filing Refund Claims, and Amended Returns 776
If the IRS Examines Your Return 780
PART 8 2018 TAX FORMS 793
GLOSSARY 825
INDEX 831
