But there are ways to legally reduce some or all of your tax bill. If you want to save money, learn more about how to avoid taxes without breaking the law. In 2010, former NBA star Lamar Odom sued the IRS after the agency said he owed $87,000 in taxes and interest. Odom had made tax deductions of $12,000 in sports fines and $178,000 for fitness expenses, for which the IRS said he could not make deductions. Odom argued that fines and personal fitness fees were necessary for this industry, Forbes reported. Benjamin Franklin said, «Nothing is certain except death and taxes.» Avoid filing your tax returns, and the IRS will call you. And if that`s the case, you`ll likely face penalties and interest — and even lose your chances of getting a tax refund. For example, if you bought a home you lived in for two of the last five years for $250,000 and sold it for $350,000, you probably wouldn`t have to pay capital gains tax because your profit was $100,000 (and probably less once you factored in the cost of selling and other related expenses). This is well below the threshold of $250,000 for individual applicants and $500,000 for married couples who apply together. Here are some of the best ways to keep taxes on your capital income low.

Submit your annual tax returns, even if you can`t afford it or don`t think you owe taxes, to avoid trouble. Tax evasion can result in fines and expensive interest on the amount you owe. The IRS could even freeze your bank accounts and seize your salaries until you file and pay your taxes. There are many IRS tax credits that reduce taxes, such as the earned income tax credit. For the 2021 tax year, a low-income taxpayer could claim credits of up to $6,728 with three or more eligible children, $5,980 with two, $3,618 with one, and $543 if there are none. Tax advisor Jody Padar, CPA, told CNN Money that a firefighter working in a cold climate could write off his diving training trips to the Florida Keys as a business expense on his taxes. He was able to claim the deduction because the dive certificate was required for his work on the firefighters` dive team. Many homeowners pay the long-term capital gains tax rate if they have to pay capital gains tax. The chart below shows the income ranges for each of the federal government`s long-term capital gains tax brackets for 2022.

Income is taxed at the federal, state, and local levels, and earned income is subject to additional levies to fund Social Security and Medicare, to name a few. Taxes are hard to avoid, but there are many strategies to push them back. Here are six ways to protect your income from taxes. Most people take the standard deduction available to them when filing taxes to avoid proof of all purchases they made during the year. In addition, individual deductions often represent no more than the standard deduction. A Roth 401(k) offers many of the same benefits as a traditional 401(k) — paycheck deferral, employer matching, etc. — but does so after taxes, meaning you`ll still pay taxes on all contributions. However, you can expand your account tax-free and then withdraw any money tax-free when it`s time to make distributions.

You can even transfer it to a Roth IRA later. Dividends and other cash distributions are generally taxable in the year you receive them. So if you`re using a taxable account, you don`t have a good way to fluctuate tax-sheltered here, like you do with capital gains. To keep dividend taxes low, consider where you hold your assets. For example, you may have a tax-efficient account such as an IRA and a regular taxable brokerage account. If you have dividend stocks, it may be a good idea to keep them (or most of them) within the tax limits of your IRA in order to avoid taxes on distributions today. If you`re selling a home that has increased in value, you may have to pay capital gains tax when you file your federal tax returns. Even if you use the best tax software, if you don`t use the applicable tax laws, you could pay more taxes than you need. While it`s important to pay for anything that`s legally due to the tax authorities, no one has to pay extra. A few hours on the IRS website (IRS.gov) and browsing reputable financial information pages can bring in hundreds or even thousands of dollars in tax savings. The IRS offers Americans a variety of tax credits and deductions that can legally reduce the amount you owe. All Americans should know what deductions and credits they are entitled to – not knowing is like leaving money on the table.

Read on to find out how you can save some or all of them – depending on how many credits and deductions you`re eligible for – your tax bill. An employer-sponsored 401(k) plan offers many of the same tax benefits as an IRA, as well as a few others. With a traditional 401(k), you can carry forward your paycheck money before tax and reduce your taxes this year. You will be able to transfer taxes on all gains, whether capital gains or dividends. If you take distributions from the account after the age of 59 for 1/2 years, you will pay taxes on all withdrawals. This is because you can carry back investment gains for decades while you work. When you sell a home, you may be concerned about the tax implications.