Easy Ways to Lower Your Taxes

Book excerpt: Many tax books promise readers a radical reduction in taxes (or no taxes at all). All too often, they tout obscure tax strategies that apply to nearly no oneor doubtful schemes that may draw unwelcome attention from the IRS.Written by veteran USA TODAY financial columnist Sandra Block and bestselling tax writer Stephen Fishman, EasyWays to Lower Your Taxes has useful insights and legitimate tactics that many readers can employ to lower their tax bills. It explains, in plain English, the rules of tax planning: Boost tax-free income Get a lower tax rate Defer paying taxes Make the most of deductions Take advantage of exemptions Identify and use credits Shift income to other taxpayers Each rule is fleshed out with plenty of ideas, excerpts, strategies and examples, as well as dozens of USA TODAY Snapshots.