Spanish American War tax refund for 2006

It grew to 10% to support the Vietnam War, and was then set to decrease 1% per year until it hit 0. When it reached 3%, the government decided to stop letting people keep their money and made it stay there. Seth

The paperwork has already been changed. What's your point

-- that the refund isn't worth claiming?

I'm sure you meant to say:

one exemption, the standard refund amount is: $30 two exemptions, the standard refund amount is: $40 three exemptions, the standard refund amount is: $50 four exemptions or more, the standard refund amount is: $60

-Mark Bole

I think you'll find that the government has a very different idea of _whose_ money it is, especially if you try to hold on to "your" money.

-- D.F. Manno | snipped-for-privacy@mail.com Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. - Winston Churchill

Clarification. Specifically "The Congress" not generally "the government."

Are you confusing this telephone excise tax with the temporary 10% marginal rate on income during several years of the Vietnam war? Look at this link which capsules the amount of tax raised each year:

The 10% income tax surcharge went away when not needed, but you see from this yearly table the receipts from the 3% excise tax just kept on growing. ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA who didn't get a break from paying the 10% even though it went to paying my salary!

No, there was a 10% tax on phone bills in the early 1970's. I distinctly remember having a major fight with the phone company when my bill came to $9.80 and they added $.99 tax (and refused to explain their arithmetic). Seth

They admit it's mine, they just say I owe it to them.

Is your rent money yours or your landlord's? Until you pay rent, it's yours. Seth

FWIW, the paperwork has already been changed. See Line 71 of your 2006 1040 form. Note that this is a REFUNDABLE credit, so a lot more people could be filing (that don't otherwise have a tax liability) than previously. I work at a TaxAide site during the season, so expect to file a LOT more returns - merely to claim this refund for the taxpayer. Many of our clients do not have a tax liability and usually just have their taxes reviewed for peace-of-mind. Normally, just filling out a 9452 form is enough, but now I expect to file many more 1040's (as eFiles) instead.

BTW, does anyone know how to actually get the refund? I looked over the 2006 1040, and I didn't see anything obvious.

-- ============================================================Ian Pilcher snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net ============================================================

Line 71

We had this situation when I did VITA returns in Kansas because of a couple of refundable state credits.

-- Phil Marti Clarksburg, MD

A simple search for "telephone tax refund" at IRS.gov reveals the following Q&A: "What forms do I file to request the refund?

"For many individual taxpayers who want to take the standard amount, there are no additional forms to file, and they only need to fill out one additional line on their regular income-tax return. "Individuals choosing the standard amount can simply fill in the amount on Form 1040, Form 1040A, Form 1040NR or Form

1040EZ. People who don't need to file a return can use a new, simple form (Form 1040EZ-T) to choose the standard amount." I presume that the instructions for each form will designate where to enter it. For the tax preparers among us, the IRS.gov home page describes a formula that can be used by organizations and businesses.

There is provision for it on the 1040 form, line 71. Credit is between 30 and 60$ depending on # of exemptions (1 - 4). Now let's see how they take care of the problem for form

1120S. It should of course be a pass through credit on the K-1. The kicker however will be recognition of the credit as income for 2007. ChEAr$, Harlan Lunsford, EA n LA

My wife and I have a zero income adult dependent son who does not live with us. We provide all of his funding while he is writing the next "Great American Novel". He has had a telephone for the designated time period (all as our dependent) and has paid the bills from the funds given him. In applying for the refund, should we include him as a dependent and claim $50 or file for $40 for the two of us and have him file separately for $30? The $20 difference is of no importance; I just want to do it correctly. Or would either way be correct?

If the client is not required to file, they can just file a very simple one-page form, 1040EZ-T, to get the telephone tax refund. This form can be e-filed if your software supports doing so. The DRAFT Form 1040EZ-T is at the following link as of

11/23/06. Bob Sandler

I wonder how the tax houses would price this. Seems like it would take at least $30 of work to fill out a 1040EZ-T for a new client.

I believe you'll find that the IRS is an agency of the executive branch of the government.

-- D.F. Manno | snipped-for-privacy@mail.com Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ­ Winston Churchill