
What you can do now to protect tax refund
Take action to make it difficult for identity thieves to steal your tax refund.
Liz Weston is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, award-winning journalist and the author of five books about money, including the "The 10 Commandments of Money," "There Are No Dumb Questions About Money" and "Your Credit Score."
Liz started covering personal finance in the early 1990s, just as interest in 401(k)s, credit scores and other money topics was about to explode. After stints at the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times, she began writing online for MSN and soon became the Internet’s most-read personal finance columnist, according to Nielsen/NetRatings surveys.
She has appeared on CNBC, “NBC Nightly News,” the “Today” show, “Dr. Phil” and numerous radio shows, including American Public Media’s “Marketplace”; NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Talk of the Nation” and “On Point”; and KPCC’s “Air Talk.” Weston writes a weekly question-and-answer column, “Money Talk,” that appears in the Los Angeles Times, among other outlets.
Liz has been a columnist for Reuters, AARP the Magazine and NerdWallet, among other outlets. She retired from full-time work in early 2024. She and her husband, the artist Will Weston, live in Los Angeles when they’re not in Paris or somewhere else in the world, exploring the joys of semi-retirement.
No one is born knowing how to handle money. We all have to learn, and we all make mistakes. The key is finding a balance, so that you’re able to save for the future while enjoying your life today.
— Liz Weston, CFP®
The AMT, or alternative minimum tax, has its own set of tax rates and rules. Here’s how it works and how to calculate your bill.
The qualified business income deduction, or QBI, can reduce your business income by up to 20 percent at tax time.
Uncle Sam will get a cut of just about all of your income, but some types do escape tax.