IRS Tax Tip 2009-18: IRS Publication 17 - the IRS Instruction Manual

IRS Publication 17, available on IRS.gov, contains helpful information for individual taxpayers. IRS experts have pulled together an overview of common tax issues in one convenient place -- Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.This year for the first time, the IRS will issue a Spanish language version of this popular publication.

From stock sales to student loans, this nearly 300-page publication holds the answers to many of your questions:

• Need help with a Roth IRA? Try Chapter 17 for Individual Retirement Arrangements.
  
• Do you have a new child in the house? See Chapter 34 for the Child Tax Credit.
• Are you selling stock for the first time? Check Chapter 16 for reporting capital gains. If you're unloading losers, reporting capital losses is there, too.
• Do you need to report the profit on your home sale? See Chapter 15 for some good news. Generally, if you qualify you only need to report the sale of your home if your gain is more than $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing a joint return).

And the best part about Publication 17? It's free. To get a copy, visit the IRS Web site at IRS.gov or call 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Links:

• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax
• Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax (PDF 2085K)

Posted by Min Young Choi, Associate Editor, Wealth Strategies Journal.