Margaret A. Munro

Margaret Atkins Munro, EA, has more than 30 years of experience in trusts, estates, family tax, and small businesses. She lectures for the IRS annually at its volunteer tax preparer programs.

Articles & Books From Margaret A. Munro

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-21-2023
Taxes are a part of life. Love them or hate them (okay, no one loves paying them!), everyone has to deal with them. The Taxes For Dummies: 2024 Edition Cheat Sheet is here to help guide you through tax challenges with some straightforward strategies.Important IRS informationIRS Tax Forms and Publications. Only the most commonly used forms come with your annual IRS 1040 booklet.
529 & Education Savings Plans For Dummies
Don’t let money get in the way of your kids’ best education 529 & Education Savings Plans For Dummies helps you sort through the vast amount of information about education savings accounts and choose the plans that are best for you and your family. A college or private K-12 education is generally parents’ single largest expense for their children.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-11-2023
When you're ready to start saving for college, check out the different savings plans available so you pick the one best for you. Find out how you can cut wasteful spending from the budget to contribute more to your college saving plans, and be aware of provisions affecting the conditions of the 529 and Coverdell accounts.
Article / Updated 10-06-2022
As of January 1, 2013, an additional 3.8 percent tax was added to investment income in estates and trusts, thanks to provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. It's not an additional tax on every dollar, but only on the lesser of undistributed net investment income or any amount of adjusted gross income in excess of the highest tax bracket in any year.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022
As the fiduciary of an estate or trust, you have many duties, beginning immediately upon the decedent’s (deceased person’s) passing. You’re also guaranteed to become intimately familiar with a host of tax forms you may not have known existed.Tax forms to know as the fiduciary of an estate or trustWhen you’re administering an estate or trust, you may have to prepare a seemingly endless array of tax returns.
Taxes For Dummies
Cut your tax bill down to size with year-round tips and tricks Taxes For Dummies is the antidote to the annual headache that is the U.S. tax system. This book paves the way for you to file a return that maximizes all the deductions and credits available to you. It also provides insight on making smart financial decisions that help minimize your tax burden.
Article / Updated 07-06-2021
If you are serving as executor for a loved one's estate, you’ll need to consider all the stuff you find in the decedent’s residence (or residences). Everything the decedent owned outright on their date of death is now under your care as executor; you’re responsible for making sure that you account for this stuff and that it ends up where it’s supposed to.
Article / Updated 03-13-2020
When you’re administering an estate or trust, you may have to prepare a seemingly endless array of tax returns. The following table lists some of the most popular ones. Check with your accountant or attorney if you have any questions. Federal Tax Form Number and Name When It’s Required When It’s Due Form 1040 U.
Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies
Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781119543879) was previously published as Estate and Trust Administration For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781118412251). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.
Step by Step / Updated 03-10-2017
When you’re asked to administer a trust or estate for a relative or friend (especially if that person didn’t have a will), this important responsibility can feel overwhelming during an already difficult time. Here are ten pitfalls that often trip up unwary administrators — and that you should avoid:Don't fail to terminate an existing real estate purchase and sale agreement.