Your gross income is the total amount of income you receive in the form of money, property, or services that is subject to tax. Expenses that may be deducted from that amount are known as 'adjustments' to income.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Each year the IRS processes billions of documents and correspondence, much of it received by mail. Unfortunately, mail is lost all the time and when mail pertaining to your tax return is lost or mishandled, the consequences can be devastating.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Choosing a tax preparer might seem easy, but did you know that most preparers work part-time and have little experience dealing with the IRS? This year, the IRS will issue about 36 million penalties.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Are you facing a tax bill you can't pay by April 15th? If so, you need to know about one of the IRS's best kept secrets I expose in my book, How to Get Tax Amnesty.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, One of our greatest fears is filing a tax return that raises the audit red flag. Too often, this fear prevents people from claiming their legitimate tax deductions and this costs citizens billions of dollars each year in taxes they don't owe.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Are medical expenses killing you? Most Americans pay medical expenses but don't get a tax deduction for them. The reason is that medical expenses aren't deductible unless they exceed 7.

When you have a question about your taxes, you may be interested in the services that the Internal Revenue Service offers. To avoid additional frustration, it's always wise to ask for assistance as early as you can.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Many people use logs to document and prove their deductions, but few people use logs to track their income. Each year, the IRS handles more than a billion information returns that report income.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com. Over the last several years, the IRS has substantially increased penalty assessments against individuals and businesses.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com. Do you owe back taxes to the IRS? Is the agency threatening wage and bank levies? Here's a simple procedure to help keep the wolves away and to get you into a position to resolve the situation once and for all.

If you're ever audited, your best defense will be a good set of records to back up your returns. But what should you keep, and for how long? Generally, you should keep all your records for three years after filing, which is the statute of limitation for the IRS (I-R-S) to assess how much money you owe and after which no legal action can be taken.

When you file your tax return without taking the full benefit of your deductions, the federal government will not send the form back to you informing you of your mistake.

You've probably heard stories, maybe within your own family, about relatives frantically searching for important financial information following the death of a loved one.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com. The common belief is that the IRS can charge penalties simply if you make an error in your return. In fact, last year alone, the IRS charged more than 36 million penalties against individuals and businesses.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com. There's no question that our tax law grows more confusing all the time. The IRS code now consists of about 18 and a half thousand pages of law and regulation.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com.The IRS has begun an aggressive program of random audits. Starting in October 2007, the IRS is selecting 13,000 random citizens for its National Research Audit Program.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Over the years, recordkeeping for charitable contributions has become very tricky. It's no longer good enough to simply keep copies of your canceled checks that show all your contributions.

If you're married, you can choose to file jointly with your spouse or separately. If either you or your spouse earns all of the money, you should probably file a joint return.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com. Do you owe taxes you can't pay? Currently there are more than 20 million Americans with delinquent tax debts and the number grows every year.

Tax preparers are people you can enlist to file or help you file your tax return. You can usually find them at accounting firms or law offices, as well as at nationally franchised, tax-preparation services.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Do you look forward to your tax refund every year? This year, millions will receive a refund averaging about $2,200. Many people use their refund as a way of saving money, but let me tell you, this is the world's worst way to save money.

Dan Pilla of taxhelponline.com, Tax filing season is approaching. It's time for our annual scramble for receipts and other financial records. However, expense records can sometimes get lost.

The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, has simplified the process of checking tax returns by looking for certain 'red flag' items. Over the years, the types of deductions most frequently challenged by the federal government include: the use of an expensive car for business; travel and entertainment deductions; medical expenses which may have been reimbursed by insurance; and medical deductions for drugs, you can only deduct those drugs prescribed by a doctor.