Getting married is the greatest day for 50 percent of couples. The other 50 percent get divorced. Perhaps the marriage tax penalty has something to do with it.

Some business owners choose to create partnerships or limited liability companies instead of a corporation. A partnership can also be called a firm, and refers to an association of a group of individuals working together in a business or professional practice.

If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become a nightmare. A less obvious problem is the effect identity theft can have on your taxes.

Homeowners who purchase high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment may benefit from legislation recently signed into law.

A cost segregation study allows property owners to both defer and reduce federal income taxes. When properly performed by an appraiser with expertise in cost segregation, this is a conservative tax planning tool which reduces federal income taxes by properly allocating the cost basis between land, 5-year, 7-year, 15-year, 27.5-year and 39-year property.

Parents must give serious thought to protecting their family through estate tax planning. While life insurance and trusts should be a part of every plan, Roth IRAs can be a simple tool for passing money to your child on a tax-free basis.

Capital Gains tax is a federal tax penalty that is imposed on capital accumulation, investment and productivity. Some of the income that is subject to capital gains tax includes the sale of an investment, a home, a family business, a farm or ranch or even a work of art.

For many business owners the answer to this quandary is tax preparation software. Fill out a fairly simple interview, click “print” and out comes a completed return that will pass muster with the IRS. The answer to all your problems…or is it?

If you’re not sure whether you have a simple tax return you can do yourself or you wonder about missing significant tax advantages or are concerned that you might be making mistakes, use the checklist below to help you decide wheher you should hire a certified public accountant to help you prepare your tax return.