Welcome to Ameritrade Plus University
  Taxes
 
Introduction
 
Top ten
 
The details:
 

Your tax bracket
 

Withholding
 

What's FICA?
 

Estimated taxes
 

Penalty and interest charges
 

1040 mysteries revealed
 

Alternative minimum tax
 

The dreaded audit
 

Tax planning
 

Tax law changes
 
Glossary
 
Take the test
 
Lessons:
1
  Setting priorities
2
  Making a budget
3
  Basics of banking
4
  Basics of investing
5
  Investing in stocks
6
  Investing in bonds
7
  Buying a home
8
  Investing in mutual funds
9
  Controlling debt
10
  Employee stock options
11
  Saving for college
12
  Kids and money
13
  Planning for retirement
14
  Investing in IPOs
15
  Asset allocation
16
  Hiring financial help
17
  Health insurance
18
  Buying a car
19
  Taxes
20
  Home insurance
21
  Life insurance
22
  Futures and options
23
  Family law
24
  Estate planning
25
  Auto insurance

|> About Money 101

investing 101

  Introduction
Don't give away money that's yours

Filing your tax return may seem daunting. And so can the list of forms and schedules that accompany it. But doing your taxes isn't always as hard as it seems. In fact, it actually can be a great opportunity to get your financial house in order.

But if that opportunity lacks appeal or your finances are just too complicated to handle on your own, there are plenty of tax professionals who can do the dirty work for you.

No matter which route you choose, however, you should understand tax basics for two reasons: You are legally responsible for your tax return; and being tax-savvy throughout the year can save you a great deal of money over time.

In this lesson, we'll go over some tax essentials, such as how much you should withhold; what those oft-heard but rarely defined phrases on your 1040 mean; what tax records you should keep; how you can avoid an audit; and some good tax-planning strategies. Unless we note otherwise, we're talking primarily about federal taxes. State and local governments impose a variety of income, sales and property taxes that are too complex and varied to address here.

Next: Top ten things to know

 
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