Credit cards and your taxes

How credit cards can help -- or hurt -- you at tax time

By Julie Sherrier

The deadline to file your taxes is just around the corner. To help you navigate through your paperwork, the CreditCards.com staff has assembled a series of articles to help explain your tax payment options, to offer advice on the best ways to handle a refund and to look at how the IRS treats settled credit card debt and credit card rewards.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

If you're one of those who owe and don't have the cash to pay up, you may be tempted to pull out a credit card. Before you do, make sure you understand all the ways it will cost you ... (more) 

You should consider all the tax and penalty implications before tapping 401(k) funds to pay back taxes. Experts say paying taxes by drawing down from a  401(k) is one of the worst financial choices you can make ... (more)

The Internal Revenue Service has decided that taxpayers who use their credit or debit cards to pay federal tax bills need a break, but it is only available to those filers who itemize their deductions ... (more)

Paying taxes with a business credit card can help businesses that are limited by cash flow problems due to a significant number of accounts receivable ... (more) 

REFUNDS

If you're getting a tax refund this year, it may be tempting to take that cash to the track or the mall. Financial experts have another suggestion: Stop and examine your credit card debt situation ... (more)

Pitched as "fast cash," "refund now" or "instant cash," those high-fee refund anticipation loans are being driven out of the market -- and banking regulators and consumer advocates say "good riddance" ... (more)

Loading your tax refund on a prepaid card has its benefits, especially if you don't have a bank account, but watch out for fees as they may take a big bite out of your payback ... (more) 

CANCELED DEBT, 1099-Cs, TAXABLE REWARDS

Consumers who thought they'd ended their financial problems when they negotiated to settle their debts for less than the full amount are finding their money woes may be far from over ... (more)

Baffled by the complexity of the form and still mired in debt, many people do not take advantage of their right to reduce or eliminate taxes on forgiven debt ... (more)

The rules under which creditors report forgiven debts as income are so confusing and problem-prone that taxpayers are both burdened and frustrated ... (more)

The IRS considers forgiven debt to be taxable income -- usually. There are, however, six exceptions to paying tax on that debt you didn't have to pay. Do you qualify? ... (more) 

As sign-up bonuses for bank accounts and rewards cards have become more generous, someone new has taken interest -- Uncle Sam. Those sign-up bonus points may be taxable, he says. ... (more) 

Updated: February 23, 2012

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