IRS

Natural Disasters: What to do in the Aftermath

Abby H.

For information about how to prepare for evacuating in an emergency, check out my post here. It is specifically aimed at Southern California natural disasters (wildfires being chief among them), but the information is pretty solid for anyone having to leave home in an emergency situation.

After the disaster, there is so much to do. It is extremely overwhelming.

 Use your Insurance coverage: Renters, homeowners, condo unit owners depending on your living situation. There are coverages for personal property and loss of use (pays for food and housing when your home is uninhabitable, up to a dollar amount specified in your insurance policy). These may be subject to your deductible.

Paying the Bills: Contact your creditors and let them know you have been affected by a natural disaster. Many times they can defer your payments.

Power: Contact your Gas and electric utility provider for information on payment assistance programs.

There are a lot of government entities that can assist you:

The IRS can also help with disaster assistance/ emergency relief. This website has more information. 

Feeding your family: SNAP benefits (food stamps) may be available to you after natural disasters.

Homeowners, business owners, and even renters may qualify for a Small Business Administration loan after a disaster. These loans have low interest rates. More info can be found at SBA.gov.

Per the FEMA website for those in immediate need after an emergency: Check with your local emergency management officials, and voluntary agencies or call your local 2-1-1. The FEMA Helpline (800-621-3362) may be able to provide additional referrals. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.

If there is a natural disaster and you want to help from afar, contact your local blood bank to donate. Blood is in short supply after most natural disasters and it’s a great way to help if you can’t afford to donate time or money. 

Donations of used household goods are frequently not helpful. Getting trucks full of used goods into disaster zones can be hard. Local nonprofits and agencies local to the disaster zones have access to low-cost goods directly from distributors.

 

Tax Time is Here- Save up To 20% on Turbo Tax!

Abby H.

You may find it hard to believe, but tax season is in full swing! I’ve got a couple ways for you to save money on filing your taxes, and some tips to make it a little easier.

I already prepared and filed our taxes using Turbo Tax online. It’s quick and they walk you through everything. Because of our tax situation, we are unable to do our taxes for free, so for my family, TurboTax is the best/easiest solution. If you want to try Turbo Tax out, here is a link where you can receive up to 20% off any paid online federal product!https://turbo.tax/tyscae8e

If you make $72,000 or less, check out the IRS Free File.

If you aren’t sure what you need to file your taxes, here are just a few pieces of paperwork you may need (depending on your tax situation):

  • W-2’s- one from each of your jobs
  • 1099’s: if you are an independent contractor
  • DMV paperwork (if you don’t have this, then the VIN and license plate # from your car, and go here– CA only, I’m sure other states may have something similar).
  • Receipts for any tax-deductible donations
  • Receipts for any medical expenses (co-pays, prescriptions)
  • Paperwork from your Mortgage Company regarding your interest paid
  • Paperwork regarding your property taxes paid
  • Dependents’ Social Security Numbers
  • IRA Year-End Statements
  • Interest Statements from banks

I start a folder (like this one) each year and I put all of the paperwork in it as it comes into the house. Then, after we do our taxes, I print a copy out, pull out all of our supporting documents, put them into a manilla envelope, write the year on the front, seal it, and stash it with our other past years’ taxes. We keep 10 years’ worth of tax records, just in case.

Talk Back: Have you done your taxes yet?

Tax Time is Here- Save up To 20% on Turbo Tax!

Abby H.

You may find it hard to believe, but tax season is in full swing! I’ve got a couple ways for you to save money on filing your taxes, and some tips to make it a little easier.

I already prepared and filed our taxes using Turbo Tax online. It’s quick and they walk you through everything. Because of our tax situation, we are unable to do our taxes for free, so for my family, TurboTax is the best/easiest solution. If you want to try Turbo Tax out, here is a link where you can receive up to 20% off any paid online federal product!

If you make $72,000 or less, check out the IRS Free File.

If you aren’t sure what you need to file your taxes, here are just a few pieces of paperwork you may need (depending on your tax situation):

  • W-2’s- one from each of your jobs
  • 1099’s: if you are an independent contractor
  • DMV paperwork (if you don’t have this, then the VIN and license plate # from your car, and go here– CA only, I’m sure other states may have something similar).
  • Receipts for any tax-deductible donations
  • Receipts for any medical expenses (co-pays, prescriptions)
  • Paperwork from your Mortgage Company regarding your interest paid
  • Paperwork regarding your property taxes paid
  • Dependents Social Security Numbers
  • IRA Year-End Statements
  • Interest Statements from banks

I start a folder (like this one) each year and I put all of the paperwork in it as it comes into the house. Then, after we do our taxes, I print a copy out, pull out all of our supporting documents, put them into a manilla envelope, write the year on the front, seal it, and stash it with our other past years’ taxes. We keep 10 years’ worth of tax records, just in case.

 

Talk Back: Have you done your taxes yet?

Tax Time is Here!

Abby H.

Hard to believe, but tax season is in full swing! I’ve got a couple ways for you to save money on filing your taxes, and some tips to make it a little easier.

I already prepared and filed our taxes using Turbo Tax online. It’s quick and they walk you through everything. Because of our tax situation, we are unable to do our taxes for free, so for my family, TurboTax is the best/easiest solution. If you want to try Turbo Tax out, here is a link where you can receive up to 20% off any paid online federal product!

If you make $72,000 or less, check out the IRS Free File.

There is also E-File, which offers free federal tax returns for those who qualify for a 1040ez.

    • Free Error Correction – Our software will automatically check your tax return for common errors. If our software finds any errors, it will prompt you to correct them.
    • Get Your Refund Quick – Who doesn’t want their refund quickly? Filing online allows you to receive your refund quicker than off-line.
    • Helpful Software – Our software will walk you through common deductions and credits that you may be eligible for with its easy and quick question & answer format.

If you aren’t sure what you need to file your taxes, here are just a few pieces of paperwork you may need (depending on your tax situation):

  • W-2’s- one from each of your jobs
  • 1099’s: if you are an independent contractor
  • DMV paperwork (if you don’t have this, then the VIN and license plate # from your car, and go here– CA only, I’m sure other states may have something similar).
  • Receipts for any tax-deductible donations
  • Receipts for any medical expenses (co-pays, prescriptions)
  • Paperwork from your Mortgage Company regarding your interest paid
  • Paperwork regarding your property taxes paid
  • Dependents Social Security Numbers
  • IRA Year-End Statements
  • Interest Statements from banks

I start a folder (like this one) each year and I put all of the paperwork in it as it comes into the house. Then, after we do our taxes, I print a copy out, pull out all of our supporting documents, put them into a manilla envelope, write the year on the front, seal it, and stash it with our other past years’ taxes. We keep 10 years’ worth of tax records, just in case.

 

Talk Back: Have you done your taxes yet?