internal revenue service

A series of major problems and the whiff of potential fraud at a tax-prep company called "Mo Money Taxes" are a scary reminder: Be smart about selecting the professional who helps with your tax return. Here are some tips to help you avoid the shady characters.

Nobody enjoys paying taxes, so hearing that Congress is cutting the IRS budget might inspire you to applaud. But this is the agency that makes sure the rest of government gets funded, and stops the unscrupulous from dodging their fair share of the burden.

It's tax season, which means the annual deluge of W-2s, 1099s and other financial forms. But thousands of Citibank customers will have an extra surprise in their mailboxes: 1099 forms reporting their frequent flier miles as income.

Over the years, taxpayers have concocted a lot of zany arguments to justify tax deductions. We've come up with what we think are the 10 most creative ones that the tax courts decided didn't quite pass muster.

2011 wasn't a good year for those expecting big checks from the IRS. Not only were fewer refunds delivered, but the average refund was smaller. That's no surprise in this economy, but it's also a sign that Americans are getting smarter about how we handle our taxes.

Congress is damaging the Internal Revenue Service by shortchanging its budget, making it harder for the agency to help taxpayers, detect fraud and bolster revenue collection even as budget deficits surge, a government watchdog said Wednesday. "The imbalance between its workload and its resources is becoming unmanageable," Nina E. Olson, the national taxpayer advocate, wrote in her annual report on the IRS.

Uncle Sam isn't the only one looking to collect from taxpayers this year: A rapidly growing number of Internet scammers are also using the guise of the IRS to siphon money out of consumers' pockets, security experts say.

There may be a way to unlock some extra cash for the holidays right under your nose. If you're getting a tax refund of more than $500 come springtime, it means you are giving the government an interest-free loan. Wouldn't you rather have some of that money now? Here's how to get it.

Cassandra and her husband have seen major life changes in the past few months: A new house in the NYC suburbs, bills that suddenly exceed his salary, and a new business for her. But though her consulting firm is thriving, now she's got a different problem: how to properly take money out of it. DailyFinance drafted an expert to help.

For some of us, getting a financial fresh start might begin with paying back taxes. More than 1 million taxpayers had federal tax liens filed against them in 2010, a 60% increase from 2007. On Saturday, the IRS will host open houses at 74 Taxpayer Assistance Centers around the country to provide assistance with getting liens withdrawn and answer questions about ongoing issues.