Tax day Freebies

You've written the check or filed for an extension so you'll have time to save up the needed cash to pay your tax bill...

So...To ease the pain of tax day check out the link for a full list of all the Tax day freebies...

Arby’s
Arby’s is planning to offer a free Snack-Sized Curly Fry on April 15 at all Arby’s locations nationwide. Guests can visitArbys.com or Arby’s social channels to print a coupon.

Hard Rock Cafe
This year, on Tax Day, Hard ROck Cafe is cutting Americans a break across the country by asking them to lay down their wallets and pick up the mic! Warm up those vocal cords as Hard Rock Cafe opens up its stages to give fans a chance to “Sing for Their Supper” on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. On Tax Day, guests will have the opportunity to select their favorite song and take the stage to perform at their local Hard Rock Cafe. Guests who perform a complete song on their Hard Rock Cafe’s live music stage in front of the entire restaurant will receive a free dinner entrée from Hard Rock’s new menu. Singers can choose from a selection of new menu items and classic Hard Rock favorites, including the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, Arugula Salad with Shaved Marinated Chicken, Legendary Big Cheese Burger or Veggie Burger as their free meal.

Orange Leaf Yogurt. To help ease the pain of Tax Day (4/15), all of the more than 300 Orange Leaf locations across the country will be offering customers a great deal: fill your cup for $4.15. On average, this amounts to approximately 50% off, depending on how much froyo and toppings the customer chooses. Claim the offer by visiting the Orange Leaf Facebook page and downloading a coupon.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/04/14/tax-day-freebies-promotions-deals-and-specials/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Home Taxe$ This post courtesy of House Logic 2013

What You Should Know About Your Home and Your 2013 Taxes

It’s the last year for three sweet home tax benefits, but the first for a way simpler home office deduction.

Despite the fact that three important tax benefits used by millions of American homeowners are days from expiring, Congress is unlikely to do anything to re-up them any time soon. So if you’re eligible, tax year 2013 is possibly the last time to claim the private mortgage insurance (PMI) deduction, the energy tax credit, and debt forgiveness benefit.

At least there’s one piece of good news for homeowners: If you have a home office, there’s a new, simpler option for calculating the home office deduction for which you may qualify on your 2013 taxes.

PMI Deduction: This tax rule lets you deduct the cost of private mortgage insurance, which is what you pay your lender each month if you put down less than 20% on a home. PMI protects the lender if you default on the home loan. Your deduction could amount to a couple hundred dollars depending on your tax bracket and other factors.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades: This sweet little tax credit lets you offset what you owe the IRS dollar-for-dollar for up to 10% of the amount you spent on certain home energy-efficiency upgrades, from insulation to water heaters. On the downside, the credit is capped at $500 (less in some cases). But on the bright side, the right improvement could lower your utility bills indefinitely.

Debt Forgiveness: Suppose you’re in financial distress and your lender agrees to let you short-sell your home, say for $50,000 less than you owe on the mortgage, and forgive you for the balance. Without the protection of the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, you’ll owe income tax on that $50,000.

New Simplified Option for the Home Office Deduction: This may be the last year for the benefits above, but a new one kicks in for the 2013 tax year. If you work from home, you may qualify to use a new, simplified option for claiming the home office deduction when you file your 2013 taxes.

How much simpler is it? It lets you claim $5 per sq. ft. for up to 300 sq. ft. instead of having to compute the actual expenses of your home office using a 43-line form. To calculate the square footage of your office, just multiply the length of two walls. For example, an 8-by-10-foot room is 80 sq. ft. And at $5 per, that’s $400.

*Courtesy of House Logic 2013