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Military Combat Pay – Did You Know?

Members of the military may generally exclude combat pay from their taxable income up to a certain limit. However, if you receive military combat pay, including it as earned income may help you qualify for the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit. In some cases, this can even result in a larger tax refund.

Injured Spouse Relief - Did You Know?

If you file a joint tax return and the IRS withholds your refund due to debts owed only by your spouse, you may be able to claim your share of the refund. This program, known as Injured Spouse Relief, may be available to you regardless of whether you live with your spouse.

2026 Healthcare Open Enrollment - Did You Know?

The 2026 open enrollment period for Marketplace health insurance begins this Saturday, November 1, 2025, and ends December 15, 2025 for plans starting January 1, 2026. During this period, you will be able to enroll in, renew, or change health plans for the coming year.

Once the Open Enrollment period is over, you will only be able to enroll if there's a qualifying life event for the Special Enrollment Period.

Enrollment can be done at https://healthcare.gov, and a simple checklist of documents you'll need can be found here: https://marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/marketplace-application-checklist.pdf.

IRS Issues New Warning About Tax Credit Scams

The IRS recently warned all Americans about the growing number of tax scams getting promoted on the internet and social media. Many of the scams involve fraudulently claiming tax credits like the Fuel Tax Credit and Sick and Family Leave Credit. In reality, the vast majority of people are not eligible for these credits, which can only be claimed by businesses and self-employed people under very specific circumstances.

The consequences of filing a return with improper credit claims may include denial of a refund, a $5,000 civil penalty, and additional tax penalties and interest charges. Over the last few years, IRS penalties assessed in connection with tax credit scams have totaled over $162 million.

Common traits of these scams include claims that "everyone qualifies" for a tax credit, promises of a rapid refund with little or no paperwork, advice to amend past tax returns by adding unusual credit claims, and encouragement to ignore or falsely respond to IRS notices. In reality, no one can determine whether you qualify for a tax credit without reviewing your circumstances. Anyone who says otherwise is almost certainly peddling a scam.

If you receive an IRS letter about a tax credit you claimed, or believe you may have been misled by one of these scams, seek guidance from a reliable source immediately such as a trusted tax professional.

Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments - Reminder

If you are making quarterly estimated tax payments to the IRS, the due date for the June 1st - August 31st, 2025 quarter of year is today, September 15th, 2025.

For payments made using IRS Direct Pay, you can make payments until 11:45PM EST, and for payments using a credit or debit card, payments can be made up to midnight on the due date.