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Adoption Tax Credit
An adoption tax credit is a tax credit offered to adoptive parents to encourage adoption in the United States. Section 36C of the United States Internal Revenue code offers a credit for “qualified adoption expenses” paid or incurred by individual taxpayers. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), "Tax benefits for adoption include both a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses paid to adopt an eligible child and an exclusion for employer-provided adoption assistance". For tax years 1997 through 2009, the credit was nonrefundable. For 2010 and 2011, the credit was refundable. For tax year 2012, the credit has reverted to being nonrefundable. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 enacted January 2, 2012 permanently extended the adoption tax credit. For 2014 the nonrefundable maximum tax credit (dollar limitation) per child is $13,190. The credit begins to phase out when modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds an amount set every year and is eliminated wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tax Credit
A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit they have accrued from the total they owe the state. It may also be a credit granted in recognition of taxes already paid or a form of state "discount" applied in certain cases. Another way to think of a tax credit is as a rebate. Refundable vs. non-refundable A refundable tax credit is one which, if the credit exceeds the taxes due, the government pays back to the taxpayer the difference. In other words, it makes possible a negative tax liability. For example, if a taxpayer has an initial tax liability of $100 and applies a $300 tax credit, then the taxpayer ends with a liability of –$200 and the government refunds to the taxpayer that $200. With a non-refundable tax credit, if the credit exceeds the taxes due then the taxpayer pays nothing but does not receive the difference. In this case, the taxpayer from the example would end with a tax liability of $0 (i.e. they could mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Court Costs
Court costs (also called law costs in English procedure) are the costs of handling a case, which, depending on legal rules, may or may not include the costs of the various parties in a lawsuit in addition to the costs of the court itself. In the United States, "court costs" (such as filing fees, copying and postage) are differentiated from attorney's fees, which are the hourly rates paid to attorneys for their work in a case. Court costs can reach very high amounts, often far beyond the actual monetary worth of a case. Cases are known in which one party won the case, but lost more than the monetary worth in court costs. Court costs may be awarded to one or both parties in a lawsuit, or they may be waived. In the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, the losing side is usually ordered to pay the winning side's costs. This acts as a significant disincentive to bringing forward court cases. Usually, the winning party is not able to recover from the losing party the full amount of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adoption Law
Adoption law is the generic area of legal theory, policy making, legal practice and legal studies relating to law on adoption. National adoption laws National, or domestic, adoption laws deal with issues such as step-parent adoption, adoption by cohabitees, adoption by single parents and LGBT adoption. Adoption laws in some countries may be affected by religious considerations such as adoption in Islam. Specific laws Laws vary widely from country to country and in the case of adoption in the United States In the United States, adoption is the process of creating a legal parent-child relationship between a child and a parent who was not automatically recognized as the child's parent at birth. Most adoptions in the US are adoptions by a stepparent. ..., from state to state Intercountry adoption laws Intercountry adoption laws vary widely.Cynthia R. Mabry, Lisa Kelly Adoption Law: Theory, Policy and Practice -- 2006 - Page 459 "Some prospective adoptive parents choose certain ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Office Of The Taxpayer Advocate
The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, also called the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), is an office within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, reporting directly to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The office is under the supervision and direction of the National Taxpayer Advocate who is appointed by the Secretary of Treasury. History Established in 1996, the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate has its origins in other Internal Revenue Service programs, such as the Taxpayer Service Program (formalized in 1963) and Problem Resolution Program (established in 1977). On the recommendation of the House Government Operations Committee, the Taxpayer Ombudsman was established within the Office of the IRS Commissioner in 1979, reporting directly to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. In 1984, the problem resolution offices (PRO) consisted of 80 full time employees and was headed by George A. O'Hanlon, the IRS ombudsman at the time. Commentators ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birth Certificates
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth. Depending on the jurisdiction, a record of birth might or might not contain verification of the event by such as a midwife or doctor. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17, an integral part of the 2030 Agenda, has a target to increase the timely availability of data regarding age, gender, race, ethnicity, and other relevant characteristics which documents like a birth certificate has the capacity to provide. History and contemporary times The documentation of births is a practice widely held throughout human civilization. The original purpose of vital statistics was for tax purposes and for the determination of available military manpower. In England, births were initially registered with chur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passport
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal identity and nationality of its holder. It is typical for passports to contain the full name, photograph, place and date of birth, signature, and the expiration date of the passport. While passports are typically issued by national governments, certain subnational governments are authorised to issue passports to citizens residing within their borders. Many nations issue (or plan to issue) biometric passports that contain an embedded microchip, making them machine-readable and difficult to counterfeit. , there were over 150 jurisdictions issuing e-passports. Previously issued non-biometric machine-readable passports usually remain valid until their respective expiration dates. A passport holder is normally entitled to enter the country ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Social Security Number
In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent agency of the United States government. Although the original purpose for the number was for the Social Security Administration to track individuals, the Social Security number has become a ''de facto'' national identification number for taxation and other purposes. A Social Security number may be obtained by applying on Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Number Card. History Social Security numbers were first issued by the Social Security Administration in November 1936 as part of the New Deal Social Security program. Within three months, 25 million numbers were issued. On November 24, 1936, 1,074 of the nation's 45,000 post offices were designated "typing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Adoption
International adoption (also referred to as intercountry adoption or transnational adoption) is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple residing in one country becomes the legal and permanent parent(s) of a child who is a national of another country. In general, prospective adoptive parents must meet the legal adoption requirements of their country of residence and those of the country whose nationality the child holds. International adoption is not the same thing as transcultural or interracial adoption. However, a family will often become a transcultural or interracial family upon the adoption of a child internationally. The laws of countries vary in their willingness to allow international adoptions. Some countries have established rules and procedures for international adoptions, while other countries expressly forbid it. Various countries, notably many African nations, have extended residency requirements for adoptive parents that, in effect, rule out most int ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Special Needs Tax Credit
Special Needs Tax Credit is a proposed addition to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax code, which would enable a $5,000 refundable tax credit to reimburse family members of adults with special needs and seniors with dementia for the legal expenses of guardianship for their loved ones. It would also enable the creation of a Special needs trust for a person with disabilities. The proposal, initiated by Jaret L. Vogel in 2006, became draft legislation in 2009, and the "Special Needs Tax Credit" Bill was put before the United States Congress in March 2011. Special Needs Adoption Tax Credit The Adoption tax credit has provided tax credits continuously since 1997. Special needs adoptions qualify for the maximum tax credit even if no qualified adoption expenses are incurred. Section 36C of the United States Internal Revenue code offers a credit for "qualified adoption expenses" paid or incurred by individual taxpayers A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Foster Care
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family member approved by the state. The placement of the child is normally arranged through the government or a social service agency. The institution, group home, or foster parent is compensated for expenses unless with a family member. In some states, relative or "Kinship" caregivers of children who are wards of the state are provided with a financial stipend. The state, via the family court and child protective services agency, stand ''in loco parentis'' to the minor, making all legal decisions while the foster parent is responsible for the day-to-day care of the minor. Scholars and activists are concerned about the efficacy of the foster care services provided by NGOs. Specifically, this pertains to poor retention rates of social workers. Poo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attorney's Fee
Attorney's fee is a chiefly United States term for compensation for legal services performed by an attorney ( lawyer or law firm) for a client, in or out of court. It may be an hourly, flat-rate or contingent fee. Recent studies suggest that when lawyers charge a flat-fee rather than billing by the hour, they work less hard on behalf of clients and clients get worse outcomes. Attorney fees are separate from fines, compensatory and punitive damages, and (except in Nevada) from court costs in a legal case. Under the " American rule", attorney fees are usually not paid by the losing party to the winning party in a case, except pursuant to specific statutory or contractual rights. Overview The phrase is a legal term of art in American jurisprudence (in which lawyers are collectively referred to as "attorneys", a wording practice not found in most other legal systems). Attorney's fees (or attorneys' fees, depending upon number of attorneys involved, or simplified to attorney fees) are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Business Job Protection Act Of 1996
The Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 () is a United States federal law. It was sponsored by Rep. Bill Archer ( R- TX) and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The stated intent of the bill is: "To provide tax relief for small businesses, to protect jobs, to create opportunities,to increase the take home pay of workers, to amend the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 relating to the payment of wages to employees who use employer owned vehicles, and to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the minimum wage rate and to prevent job loss by providing flexibility to employers in complying with minimum wage and overtime requirements under that Act." Effects 401(k) The Act created a simplified 401(k) retirement plan to make it easier for small businesses to offer pension plans to their employees. Adoption A nonrefundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per child for adoption expenses and $6,000 for children with special needs was established. Entitled "Removal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
