Baker's Tax Preparation Services LLC

National 529 Day – Did You Know?

If you put money into a 529 education savings plan, earnings may be withdrawn federal income tax-free when used for qualified education expenses. Qualified expenses can include tuition, fees, books, supplies, computers, and for students enrolled at least half-time, certain room and board costs.

While 529 contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes, many states offer a full or partial state income tax deduction or credit for contributions. Some states and plan sponsors may also offer special incentives around National 529 Day.

Recent law changes expanded the use of 529 plans. In 2026, up to $20,000 per year, per student, may be used for qualified K–12 education expenses at public, private, or religious schools. Prior years were generally limited to $10,000 annually.

Unfiled 2022 Federal Tax Refunds Must Be Claimed by April 15 – Did You Know?

The IRS estimates that over one million people are owed tax refunds from 2022, with the majority of those refunds exceeding $600. However, in order to claim their refunds, people must file their 2022 tax returns by April 15, 2026. Some people may also need to file 2023 and 2024 returns in order to receive an IRS refund.

Those who qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 2022 but did not file a return could be missing out on much larger refunds, potentially exceeding $6,000. The adjusted gross income limits for the 2022 EITC ranged from $16,480 to $53,057 (or $22,610 to $59,187 for joint filers), depending on a person's number of qualifying children.

Filing an accurate tax return for 2022 may require referring to income statements like W-2 and 1099 forms. If you cannot locate those forms but have an IRS online account, you can generally obtain the needed information by using the free IRS Get Income Transcript tool (link below). Most people can set up an account in about 20 minutes, less time than it takes to request and receive replacement documents from employers, banks, etc.

IRS Get Transcript Online tool: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

2026 Tax-Related Scam Warnings – Did You Know? (2/2)

The IRS recently posted its official list of the worst tax-related scams to watch out for in 2026. They include:

Scams Involving Bogus Tax Credits or Exaggerated Withholding:

Scammers often make false claims about tax rules in order to persuade people to file inaccurate returns. One of these schemes relates to a supposed "self-employment tax credit." No such credit exists, and very few people qualify for the actual credit that the scam involves. Other scammers encourage people to inflate tax withholding figures to get larger refunds. In reality, improperly claiming credits or reporting inaccurate tax figures may trigger severe IRS penalties.

Ghost Preparers:

By law, anyone paid to prepare a tax return for another person must sign the return, and must have an IRS-issued Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Remember, regardless of who prepares it, you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of your return. Do not take the risk of putting your standing with the IRS in the hands of someone who hides in the shadows.

Offer-in-Compromise (OIC) Mills:

The IRS offer-in-compromise (OIC) program enables some people with large tax debts to settle those debts for less than the full amount owed. However, submitting an OIC application is a very complicated process, and the majority of applications get rejected. OIC mills overpromise results to lure in vulnerable people, and then charge nonrefundable fees to submit applications with virtually no chance of success. If you owe more tax than you can afford to pay, work only with a trusted tax professional who has experience preparing realistic OIC proposals.