The key to avoiding headaches at tax time is keeping track of your receipts and other records throughout the year. Whether you use an excel spreadsheet, an app, an online system or keep your receipts organized in a folding file organized by month, good record-keeping will help you remember the various transactions you made during the year.

If you're a taxpayer who has not yet filed their 2019 tax return, you may be getting ready to do so now. One of the first things you will need to do - before visiting your tax preparer - is to gather all of your year-end income documents. Doing so ensures that your tax return is complete and accurate.

Tax-related ID theft occurs when someone uses a taxpayer's stolen personal information to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund. Thieves then use personal information like a stolen Social Security number. While the accounting profession and IRS work hard to prevent identity theft, taxpayers also play an important role.

The short answer is yes, tips are taxable. If you work at a hair salon, barbershop, casino, golf course, hotel, or restaurant, or drive a taxicab, then the tip income you receive as an employee from those services is taxable income. Here are a few other tips about tips:

While September and October are prime time for Atlantic hurricanes, natural disasters of any kind can strike at any time. As such, it's a good idea for taxpayers to think about - and plan ahead for - what they can do to be prepared.