If you were recently married or divorced, you’ll want to ensure the name on your tax return matches the name registered with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Here's what you need to know.

If you were legally married on 12/31/09, the IRS considers you married for the entire year of 2009.ringsYou now must decide if you are going to file as Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) or Married Filing Separately (MFS). Note that if you file MFJ it is an irrevocable election—you cannot go back and amend a MFJ return to a MFS return.

Last week we talked about the new Schedule M. This week we’ll look at the new Schedule L.This form is designed for those who typically take the standard deduction on their tax return (those who cannot itemize.) Specifically, it's where you deduct real estate taxes, motor vehicle sales taxes, and disaster losses.

As you may or may not remember, your pay checks were a little larger last year as a result of the “Making Work Pay Credit.” The larger pay checks were due to reduced tax withholdings. If you received Social Security or received a government pension that does not participate in Social Security, you received a $250 check. This was part of the “Government Retiree Credit.” Schedule M is designed to reconcile these two credits.

If you are donating to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti, you may be able to claim those donations on your 2009 tax return. Here is what the IRS wants you to know

The IRS recently published some updates that you will need to know to qualify for first-time home buyer and long-time resident credits