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When you invest in anything, you will pay taxes one way or another. If you invest in real estate, then you pay property taxes. If you invest in stocks, then you will pay capital gains taxes. In the US, The Internal Revenue Service or the IRS collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. It is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is responsible for interpretation and application of Federal tax law. If you do not pay your taxes, then the IRS start the collection process of your taxes owed plus IRS tax penalties and interests. Most people want to pay as little taxes as possible which is the reason why tax planning is such as popular service. There are lots of free tax tips that will teach you how to keep as much of your hard earned money in your pocket as possible.

Property tax is an ad valorem tax that a homeowoner is required to pay on the value of the home being taxed. Property tax can be defined as “generally, tax imposed by municipalities upon owners of property within their jurisdiction based on the value of such property.” The taxing authority requires an appraisal of the monetary value of the property, and tax is assessed in proportion to that value. Different countries, states, and jurisdictions have different systems for property taxes.

Now that home prices have fallen sharply, the government is providing even more incentives for people to purchase properties or invest in properties. They hope that new buyers will help stimulate the economy and help the real estate market. The new home buying tax credit, for example, gives a new home buyer a maximum of $7,500 tax credit or $8,000 if the home is purchased in 2009. This tax credit is for either a single taxpayer or a married couple filing a joint return, but only half of that amount for married persons filing separate returns. The full credit is available for homes costing $75,000 or more or $80,000 if purchased after Dec. 31, 2008, and before Dec. 1, 2009. This first-time homebuyer credit is a new tax credit included in the recently enacted Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

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