Helps you avoid common mistakes -- before you file The fun and friendly guide to saving on taxes this and every year Avoid tax headaches with the book that demystifies forms, minimizes errors, and answers your most important tax questions. Fully updated for 2005, including information directed to military families and hurricane victims, this handy, helpful guide covers critical tax code changes and offers reliable advice on keeping more of what you earn. Discover how to * Itemize your deductions * Negotiate with the IRS * Take advantage of tax credits to reduce what you owe * Deal with real estate taxes * Make tax-wise personal finance decisions * Get answers from your tax advisor

Find taxes taxing? You’re not alone! With rules and regulations constantly changing, and nine million of us having to work out our tax bill for ourselves, it’s no wonder that three quarters of us pay too much tax every year. Help is at hand, however, from this insider’s guide to understanding tax, and paying less of it. Including the latest figures from the Spring Budget, the book outlines the basics of the tax system in plain English and shows you how you could save money by avoiding those tax pitfalls and reducing your tax bill. All aspects of tax are covered from child credit, to savings, to pay as you earn schemes, and practical advice is given to show you how your tax savings could soon add up. If you are looking for a light hearted and easy to understand introduction to keeping more of your hard earned cash, look no further!

Everyone knows that the current tax system is unfair. Some of the richest people in America pay no tax, while a huge share of the tax burden falls on the rest of us. A mere glance at the tax code confirms that it is far too complex, with volumes of rules that no ordinary person could possibly comprehend. What is to be done? Some conservatives have called for a so-called flat tax. But a flat tax is not necessarily a simple tax, and "flat" means "more" for most taxpayers: a rise in middle-class taxes to finance tax cuts for the rich. Is there another choice? In clear, easy-to-understand language, Edward J. McCaffery proposes a straightforward and fair alternative. A "fair not flat" tax that is consistent and progressive would tax spending, not income and savings. And if it were collected at its lower levels through a national sales tax, most people would not have to file a return. A supplemental tax on spending for the wealthiest individuals would make the national sales tax progressive. Under McCaffery's system, a family of four would pay no tax on their first $20,000 in spending, and 15 percent on the next $60,000. Only the few families who spend more than $80,000 a year would be subject to the supplemental tax. Necessities would be taxed less than ordinary and luxury items. No one would be taxed directly on savings. The estate and gift or so-called death tax would be abolished, for the simple reason that dead people don't spend. The "fair not flat" tax would fall on heirs when and as they spend their good fortune. Perhaps best of all, most Americans would not have to fill out tax returns. Simpler, more efficient, fairer, and more reflective of America's current social values, McCaffery's "fair not flat" tax could help get us out of the tax mess that politicians and special interests have gotten us into, improving the whole country in the process. Read Fair Not Flat to find out how. “In Fair Not Flat, Mr. McCaffery lays out the case for a consumption tax. He does so in a reader-friendly way, presenting his argument with very few footnotes, equations or technical terms. The consumption of the book, so to speak, is not at all taxing. And its argument is well worth pondering.”—Bruce Bartlett, Wall Street Journal

The one-stop tax guide for the first-time or last-minute filer Updated and revised for the 2008 tax year, Taxes 2009 For Dummies is the only tax guide on the market that walks readers through the major tax forms line by line, including the 1040 Schedules A through E. Filled with helpful tips and strategies for filing income tax returns accurately and on time, this book is aimed at individuals who want to do their own taxes without hiring a preparer. Financial expert Eric Tyson teams up with tax experts Margaret Munro and David Silverman to answer the most frequently asked tax questions in plain English.

"The best of these books for tax novices." —Worth magazine Can a fantastic tax-prep guide actually make doing your taxes fun? Probably not, but you'll have a lot more fun doing your taxes with the help of Taxes 2008 For Dummies than you would without it. This uncommonly friendly tax guide weaves you through the tax-filing maze, walking you line by line through the most common forms for fast, easy filing. Fully updated for 2008, including details on Alternative Minimum Tax relief, enhanced child tax benefits, and deductibility of mortgage insurance premiums, this indispensable handbook also a new list of wise end-of-year moneysaving tax moves. You’ll discover how to: Organize your records and keep them organized Choose your filing status Save time and money filing your taxes Itemize your deductions with Schedule A Take full advantage of Schedule C deductions Determine your capital gains and losses Negotiate with the IRS Use tax credits to reduce what you owe Make tax-wise personal finance decisions Maximize your tax software and e-filing options Audit-proof your tax return Make sure you don't pay for IRS mistakes Complete with four Top Ten tip lists covering audit avoidance, finding overlooked tax-reduction opportunities, interview questions for tax advisers, and special tax issues for military families, Taxes 2008 For Dummies may not make you laugh while your filling out your tax forms, but you'll smile when your done.