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tax notes
Do not go to irs.com looking for forms and publications; that is a private website, not affiliated with the IRS. The real IRS website is irs.gov.
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If you have an HSA (Health Savings Account), you have to submit an additional form (8889) with your federal taxes. When your HSA contributions are taken automatically from your paycheck, that is called a "Cafeteria Plan", and those amounts should be included along with the employer contributions on line 9, *not* on line 2, of form 8889.
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Long Term Care (LTC) insurance premiums may be considered a qualified medical expense that can be reimbursed from an HSA (some restrictions apply).
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The federal "free file fillable forms" website automatically rounds amounts that you enter (at least, it did last year). Therefore, if you plan to submit your taxes via that method, and if you fill out drafts of your forms first, it is best to round the amounts to begin with.
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South Carolina lets you contribute a part of your tax refund to several specific organizations via what they call "Contributions for Check-offs" (form I-330). I was never certain, but always assumed, that these organizations were all themselves tax-deductible. In other words, that you could deduct these contributions on your federal tax form the next year.
Their website simply says that the donations *may* be tax deductible:
Today, I tried to verify it by using the search tool on the IRS website. I only found some of the organizations, so it seems that the rest might not be officially tax-deductible after all. These were my findings:
Endangered Wildlife Fund (www.dnr.sc.gov) - not found
Childrens Trust Fund (www.scchildren.org) - EIN:57-0785431
Eldercare Trust Fund (aging.sc.gov) - not found
SC Veteran's Trust Fund - EIN:57-1031920
Donate Life South Carolina (www.donatelifesc.com) - EIN:57-1052258
SC First Steps to School Readiness Fund - EIN:57-1087576
War Between the States Heritage Trust Fund - not found
SC Litter Control Enforcement Program (PalmettoPride) - EIN:58-2466709
SC Law Enforcement Assistance Program (scleap.org) - not exactly found, but seems to be affiliated with this organization: EIN:57-1063879 (Law Enforcement Chaplaincy for South Carolina)
K-12 Public Education Fund (S.C. Department of Education) - not found
SC State Parks Fund (www.southcarolinaparks.com) - not found
SC Military Family Relief Fund - not found
SC Conservation Bank Trust Fund (sccbank.sc.gov) - not found
SC Financial Literacy Trust Fund - not found
SC State Forests Fund (S.C. Forestry Commission) - not found
SC Department of Natural Resources Fund (www.dnr.sc.gov) - not found
(update - this one was added for tax year 2016)
SC Assocation of Habitat Affiliates (www.schabitats.org) - seems to be an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which has EIN 91-1914868.
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Free File Fillable Forms
When entering form 1040, the "Done With This Form" button will always remain disabled. It is only used for the other forms that you Add.
W2, W2G and 1099-R forms can be added on the "Step 2" page.
"All other Form 1099’s, including SSA 1099, 1099 INT, 1099 MISC etc. are not available as individual forms in Free File Fillable Forms because you do not have to e-file these statements to IRS."
.
If you have an HSA (Health Savings Account), you have to submit an additional form (8889) with your federal taxes. When your HSA contributions are taken automatically from your paycheck, that is called a "Cafeteria Plan", and those amounts should be included along with the employer contributions on line 9, *not* on line 2, of form 8889.
.
Long Term Care (LTC) insurance premiums may be considered a qualified medical expense that can be reimbursed from an HSA (some restrictions apply).
.
The federal "free file fillable forms" website automatically rounds amounts that you enter (at least, it did last year). Therefore, if you plan to submit your taxes via that method, and if you fill out drafts of your forms first, it is best to round the amounts to begin with.
.
South Carolina lets you contribute a part of your tax refund to several specific organizations via what they call "Contributions for Check-offs" (form I-330). I was never certain, but always assumed, that these organizations were all themselves tax-deductible. In other words, that you could deduct these contributions on your federal tax form the next year.
Their website simply says that the donations *may* be tax deductible:
Donations made to elligible [sic] charities may be tax deductible. Deductions are taken in the year in which the donation was made. Individuals making donations through CheckOff, filing in 2012 for 2011, would include the donation on their 2012 federal tax return.
Today, I tried to verify it by using the search tool on the IRS website. I only found some of the organizations, so it seems that the rest might not be officially tax-deductible after all. These were my findings:
Endangered Wildlife Fund (www.dnr.sc.gov) - not found
Childrens Trust Fund (www.scchildren.org) - EIN:57-0785431
Eldercare Trust Fund (aging.sc.gov) - not found
SC Veteran's Trust Fund - EIN:57-1031920
Donate Life South Carolina (www.donatelifesc.com) - EIN:57-1052258
SC First Steps to School Readiness Fund - EIN:57-1087576
War Between the States Heritage Trust Fund - not found
SC Litter Control Enforcement Program (PalmettoPride) - EIN:58-2466709
SC Law Enforcement Assistance Program (scleap.org) - not exactly found, but seems to be affiliated with this organization: EIN:57-1063879 (Law Enforcement Chaplaincy for South Carolina)
K-12 Public Education Fund (S.C. Department of Education) - not found
SC State Parks Fund (www.southcarolinaparks.com) - not found
SC Military Family Relief Fund - not found
SC Conservation Bank Trust Fund (sccbank.sc.gov) - not found
SC Financial Literacy Trust Fund - not found
SC State Forests Fund (S.C. Forestry Commission) - not found
SC Department of Natural Resources Fund (www.dnr.sc.gov) - not found
(update - this one was added for tax year 2016)
SC Assocation of Habitat Affiliates (www.schabitats.org) - seems to be an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which has EIN 91-1914868.
.
Free File Fillable Forms
When entering form 1040, the "Done With This Form" button will always remain disabled. It is only used for the other forms that you Add.
W2, W2G and 1099-R forms can be added on the "Step 2" page.
"All other Form 1099’s, including SSA 1099, 1099 INT, 1099 MISC etc. are not available as individual forms in Free File Fillable Forms because you do not have to e-file these statements to IRS."