Tax Tip Tuesday

Amarillo -- If you havent filed your taxes yet, chances are youre still debating whether to take a stab at it yourself or hire the experts. "Well if you just have a simple return that has a W-2, maybe two W-2s, theres no reason to pay somebody to do it. If you have any kind of computer savvy at all, you can just go online and file online," says Enrolled Agent Monte Fielding. And if youre 70 1/2 and taking distributions from an IRA, heres how you can lower your taxable income. "Instead of taking the distribution personally and including it in income, they can make a trustee to charity transfer direct to the charity and not have to include that in income," says Fielding. And if most of your work days are spent out here on the roads, you could be letting major tax savings pass you by. Fielding says, "Professional truck drivers who are on the road overnight can take a per diem of $52 a day for everyday that theyre on the road overnight. That adds up to more than $15,000 in deductions if youre on the road 300 days a year. But theres one catch -- you must own your own home. And whether you do it yourself or let the experts handle your taxes, be sure to you cash in on these deductions. Fielding says the standard deduction has increased so much that fewer and fewer people are itemizing. But you should itemize if your taxes and interest on your home, plus your charitable contributions, are more than the standard deduction.