Home e-Services Locations Tax Tips VIP Bio Franchising Events 36 days till April 15th!
Helpful Tax Tips
L&B Corporate,
Mableton, GA
678-213-1141
678-213-1142 (Fax)
College Park, GA
678-216-0212
678-216-0224 (Fax)
Stone Mountain, GA
678-704-6780
678-704-6782 (Fax)
More Locatons...
  • Things to Bring for Tax Preparation
  • Most Overlooked Deductions
  • Top 10 Overlooked Credits
  • Recent Tax Law Changes
  • Business Structure Information
  • Itemized Deductions 


    Top 10 Overlooked Credits

    Select an item from the list below:

  • Adoption Credit
  • Child and Dependent Care Credit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • The Additional Child Tax Credit
  • Earned Income Credit
  • Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits
  • Tuition and Fees Deduction
  • Retirement Savings Contributions Credit
  • Credit for Excess Social Security Tax or Railroad retirement Tax (RRTA) Withheld
  • Foreign Tax Credit

  • Adoption Credit
    If you adopted a child, you may be able to take a credit for qualified adoption expenses of up to $10,630 per child. If you adopted a special needs child you may claim a credit of $10,630 regardless of your expenses. The credit is phased out if your adjusted gross income is over $159,450.
    Back to Top

    Child and Dependent Care Credit
    If you were working and had dependent care expenses for a dependent child under age 13 or for a dependent or spouse who is disabled, you may be able to claim a credit for these expenses. This nonrefundable credit is calculated based on your dependent care expenses and your income. The maximum credit is $1,050 for the expenses for one qualifying child or $2,100 for more than one child.
    Back to Top

    Child Tax Credit
    You may qualify for a credit of up to $1,000 per qualifying child. A qualifying child is an individual who is under age 17 at the end of the year, is claimed as a dependent, and meets the definition of a child under the Uniform Definition of a Child as a son, daughter, stepchild, adopted child, grandchild, or eligible foster child.
    Back to Top

    The Additional Child Tax Credit
    You may receive less than the full amount of the Child Tax Credit because this credit is limited to your available tax liability. In certain cases, you may be entitled to an additional credit in excess of your tax liability. The additional child tax credit is available to taxpayers with an income greater than $11,000 and is a refundable credit. Active duty military members must include combat pay in their earned income calculation for the additional child tax credit. This addition may result in a greater amount of tax refund for the taxpayer. Combat pay continues to be excluded from taxable income under Internal Revenue Code section 112.
    Back to Top

    Earned Income Credit
    The Earned Income Credit is a refundable credit for low-income workers with earned income. The credit is available for taxpayers with or without children. You could be entitled to a refundable credit of up to $2,853 (if you have one qualifying child), $4,716 (if you have more than one qualifying child), or $428 (if you have no qualifying children or no children at all). You have earned income if you work for someone else or if you are self-employed. Taxable earned income includes wages, salaries, tips, union strike benefits, long-term disability benefits received prior to minimum retirement age, and net earnings from self-employment. For tax year 2006, you may elect to include nontaxable combat pay in earned income for the Earned Income Credit purposes. The ability to decide whether to include the combat pay enables you to choose the largest possible Earned Income Credit. If you qualify for the Earned Income Credit, it reduces the tax you owe. The credit is refundable if your withholdings and earned income credit amount are greater than the tax liability you may have on your tax return.
    Back to Top

    Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits
    There are two nonrefundable tax credits available for qualified tuition and related expenses for post-secondary education. You may be able to claim a Hope Credit of up to $1,500 for each eligible student. The Hope credit is available for the first two years of qualified post-secondary education. You may be able to claim a Lifetime Learning Credit of up to $2,000 for the family. The Lifetime Learning credit is available every year you, your spouse, or a dependent pays for any qualified education expenses.
    Back to Top

    Tuition and Fees Deduction
    Instead of claiming the Hope Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit, you can claim a tax deduction for qualified higher education expenses. You can take a deduction of up to $4,000 for qualified tuition and related expenses as an adjustment to income, even if you do not itemize your deductions. Certain restrictions may apply.
    Back to Top

    Retirement Savings Contributions Credit
    If you contribute to an IRA or an employer-provided retirement account, such as a 401(k), you may be eligible for a credit. The credit is based on up to $2,000 of your contribution for the year. You must be age 18 or older to claim the credit and you cannot be a student or claimed as a dependent on another's return. The credit is in addition to any deduction or exclusion from income for the contribution.
    Back to Top

    Credit for Excess Social Security Tax or Railroad Retirement Tax (RRTA) Withheld
    The maximum social security taxes or RRTA tier 1 an individual must pay in 2006 is $5,580. If you worked for one employer and paid more than $5,580, you must contact your employer for a refund of the overpayment. If you worked for more than one employer and the combined total of your social security taxes or RRTA is greater than the maximum amount, you may claim the excess taxes paid as a refundable credit on your tax return.
    Back to Top

    Foreign Tax Credit
    If your Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-DIV shows you paid foreign taxes, you may be eligible to claim either a credit or an itemized deduction for these taxes. Generally, the foreign tax credit results in a greater tax savings than deducting the foreign taxes as an itemized deduction.
    Back to Top

  • ABOUT L&B TAX SERVICE, INC.

    We are an IRS, Electronic File-Certified Provider, a Certified Drake Software Practitioner and a member of the National Assocation of Tax Professionals (NATP). Our staff of 25 professionals plus 15 marketing representatives offers a wide range of services from tax preparation with SuperFast Refunds (24 - 48 hours) to bookkeeping, financial planning and business startup assistance.

    Copyright ©  L&B Tax Service, Inc.. All rights reserved. The L&B Guarantee | Privacy Policy