H & R Block is experiencing some bad moments as a result of the delay in the commencement of tax filing for the current year. The company made it known last year that their earnings have taken a bad shape and the situation is worsened by the fact that the company also had a loss in the last quarter. The unstable value of the currency also worsens the condition.

The situation looks horrible to them. Things do not seem favorable as there have been series of loses in recent times. For example, the last auditing showed that the value of shares dropped by more than 5%, making the stock to be valued at about $31. The effect of that downward trend still has an effect in the value of stocks in the current year.

H&R Block jumped higher yesterday by 6% at the open after the company posted a smaller loss and better revenue than anticipated. The company also announced a stock buyback program of $3.5 billion in addition to closing its banking business a month ahead of schedule.

The company’s adjusted gross earnings for the first quarter came in at a loss of $96 million with revenue of $138 million. Analyst were looking for $108 million loss, the same as last year, and revenue of $134 million.

Winning the office pool this March for the NCAA Tournament is something that needs to be claimed on your taxes as a gambling win. Luckily you can offset the win with any gambling loses that you had during the year. Keep track of your loses so you do not need to pay taxes this year on the gain. Winning the brackets is never easy but in case you have the best one in your office, keep some things in mind.

Apple Store, North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did Apple Avoid Billions of Dollars in Taxes?

Apple has been at the forefront of computer technology for years now, a worldwide brand that is based right in the United States. However, all of this success has not been achieved without a few dealings that could be outside of the parameters of the law. On May 21st, 2013, Apple was accused of using subsidiary companies in Ireland to store away billions of dollars, refusing to pay taxes on this money to either government.

The Senate's side of the Capitol Building in DC. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Senate Bill On Internet Taxes Passes First Hurdle

Recently, the United States Senate passed a bill concerning Internet tax collection. Online retailers currently don't have to collect sales tax from every single sale. If a person places an order from a state where that business doesn't have any physical presence, then the company doesn't need to collect taxes. Unfortunately, states lose out on billions of dollars in taxes because of this loophole.

Ken'ichirō Mogi, Senior Researcher of the Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.,, talked with Kazuyo Katsuma, Certified Public Accountant, in Kōchi Prefecture on November 29, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Finding a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) to file and prepare your taxes can be a challenge. You can spend hours calling around; trying to find one that can fit you in to their schedule. Fortunately, there is a solution. With the TurboTax CPA Select program, you are instantly connected to a qualified CPA in your area.

How Does it Work?

When you log on to the Turbo Tax site, it automatically registers your exact geographic location. You can change your location to find a CPA in another area, or simply choose one from the list provided.

After you select the CPA that you want to prepare your taxes, you will start the tax filing process. Instead of trekking all the way to their office and taking hours out of your day, you simply upload your documents onto the secure server and share them with your accountant. You can also share your documents via smartphone or fax.

Food, Inc. on Facebook (Photo credit: Jory™)

Facebook Inc. Pays No Taxes in 2012

In their most recent filing, Facebook Inc. reported not paying any taxes on their 2012 income of $1.1 billion. There are a number of reasons that a company would not pay taxes on such a sizable amount of income and this case it appears that loses from prior years and the granting of stock options to employees are the main reasons. The company lost money during earlier pre-IPO years when it was growing and only beginning to monetize its services. In addition the company gave stock grants to employees to a large degree which is common in the technology industry. These stock options are considered business costs and are therefore deductible.

English: Markowitz-Portfolio Theory, Investment Portfolio Management (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some people start making investments a little here and there to see how they do, others have a full plan for their retirement, and some even strive to make a full-time career out of investing. No matter what level of investing you are interested in, building a profitable investment portfolio is important for getting the maximum return on your investments.