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Tax Deadlines: With April 15 falling on a Saturday this year, federal tax returns are not due until Monday, April 17. However, residents of Washington, D.C., and six states served by the Andover, Mass., IRS processing center will receive an additional day to file because Monday is Patriot's Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts. Tax returns from states processed in Andover include Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.
Wealth may be concentrated in the upper tiers of American taxpayers, but complications in the tax laws remain quite democratic: They are spread across all income levels. We look at some pitfalls and tangles for taxpayers at several income levels.

• Stories: High: Fading Benefits | Middle: AMT | Low: EITC

• Q&As: Crenshaw | Singletary | Energy Credits | H&R Block | IRS

Steps Toward a Happier Return
A new baby? A new name? In a new home? The following are some helpful tips to file your taxes successfully.
 
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Until last year the tax law contained as many as five definitions of Whose Child Is This?
Until last year the tax law contained as many as five definitions of "child" that taxpayers had to sort out in claiming different benefits. The definition has been streamlined, but taxpayers must still be careful to meet the requirements. For the earned income tax credit, the Internal Revenue Service suggests you think it through this way:
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POST POLL: The Taxman Cometh
It's the start of tax season as Americans scramble to collect W2 forms, bills and receipts as well as decipher their federal and state income tax forms. While it comes as no surprise that virtually nobody confesses to having cheated on their taxes, about one in six admits being tempted - including a disproportionately large share of men, Republicans and those with household earnings in excess of $75,000 a year.

Color of Money Tax Columns

Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary writes her "Color of Money" column twice-a-week focusing on user-friendly tips to keeping your money and credit under control. Below are some of her recent columns that focus on helping you take control of your taxes.

Cash Flow Tax Columns

This Sunday column offers information and advice on financial planning, with a focus on taxes and insurance issues. Albert B. Crenshaw, who came to The Post in 1972, spent a decade covering national news before moving to the business section.

Housing Counsel by Benny L. Kass

Charitable Giving

On Nov. 6, 2005, The Washington Post's Sunday Business section focused on the broad topic of charitable giving, offering tips and advice on tax benefits, finding the right causes to support, and how companies can support employee giving.

Putting Tax Software to the Test: TurboTax and TaxCut Are More Expensive but User-Friendly (Post, February 26, 2006)
 
'Phishing' Season For Tax Scammers: IRS Warns Public Of Phony E-Mails (Post, February 25, 2006)
 
How to qualify (Post, October 29, 2009)
 
Congress scrutinizes problems in homebuyer credit (AP, October 22, 2009; 5:43 PM)
 
Finances of tax credit extension are questioned (AP, October 21, 2009; 6:39 AM)
 
Congress looks to extend credit despite problems (AP, October 20, 2009; 6:26 PM)
 
Housing Counsel: Can't Sell? You May Still Be Able to Save Your Tax Exemption. (By Benny L. Kass, October 17, 2009)
 
The Nation's Housing: A Form to Take Seriously (By Kenneth R. Harney, October 10, 2009)
 
Real Estate Matters: If You Can Buy a House With Cash, Should You? (Post, October 3, 2009)
 
Postponing the Investor's Tax Bill (By Benny L. Kass, September 19, 2009)
 
Housing Counsel: Tax Planning Tips For Inherited Properties (By Benny L. Kass, September 12, 2009)
 
The Nation's Housing: Going Where Congress Hasn't Gone (By Kenneth R. Harney, August 29, 2009)
 
Housing Counsel: Casualty Losses at Home Bring No Windfall From the IRS (By Benny L. Kass, August 22, 2009)
 
Housing Counsel: What Happens to the Loan When a Couple Separates? (By Benny L. Kass, August 15, 2009)
 
Holding Tax-Preparers Accountable (By Michelle Singletary, June 11, 2009)
 
Small Businesses Brace for Tax Battle: Under Obama Plan, Some Entrepreneurs' Bills Would Soar (Post, April 27, 2009)
 
The Cost of Texting Teens (washingtonpost.com, April 16, 2009; 1:13 PM)
 
Income Tax 'Defiers' Include D.C. Detective: Protesters Call System Illegal; IRS Disagrees (Post, April 15, 2009)
 
Housing Counsel : Read IRS Rules Carefully Before Taking a Home-Office Deduction (By Benny L. Kass, April 11, 2009)
 
ASK KIM: Filing Tax Write-Offs After Ponzi-Scheme Losses (Post, April 5, 2009)
 
Times May Be Tough, but So Are IRS Penalties (By Michelle Singletary, April 2, 2009)
 
Overlooking the Benefits of Charity (Post, March 30, 2009)
 
Housing Counsel: Making It Pay to Make the Leap From Renter to Owner (By Benny L. Kass, March 28, 2009)
 
A Deduction From Charity (By Martin Feldstein, March 25, 2009)
 
At Tax Time, Seek Help From the Right Places (By Michelle Singletary, March 12, 2009)
 
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