A recent post on the Equifax Finance Blog offers some tax tips for deducting business mileage. Tax specialist Eva Rosenberg’s article, “2012 Standard Mileage Rate: How It Affects Your Business Vehicle,” has the following advice.

If you use your car for business or work, you probably already know that you can use either the standard mileage deduction or you may use actual expenses. Using actual expenses allows you to claim depreciation deductions, in addition to the registration fees, repairs, insurance and fuel costs. Aside from the standard mileage rate increase, the rate for moving and medical mileage has also increased to 23.5 cents per mile from 19 cents. Charitable mileage stays the same, at 14 cents.

One thing that people may not realize is that the standard mileage rate has deduction built into it. Rosenberg points out that when you sell your car, you must take depreciation into account. She suggests using the table on the Small Business Taxes & Management site to determine how much depreciation you used each year. This number will be be based on the total number of business miles you reported on your tax returns.

Read Rosenberg’s full article on the Equifax Finance Blog.

According to a recent post on the Equifax Finance Blog, the process might seem complicated, but there are things you can do to simplify things. Sam Tamkin shares some great tips in his article, “6 Ways to Get Your Property Taxes Reduced.” For one thing, you need to know how real estate taxes are determined. You should also be aware of when the best time to file your dispute is.

Once you learn some basic tax facts, its time to arm yourself with proper documentation. The key to reducing your property tax is showing proof that homes in your neighborhood are selling for/valued less than your home’s appraisal value. It may also help your cause if you provide photos of the devalued homes and your own. After all, if there is little to no difference in two properties, why should you be forced to pay significantly more than another homeowner?

Tamkin’s article goes into great detail on how to prepare for your dispute. For all of his advice, visit the Equifax Finance Blog.

Hotel guests are certain to enjoy the lavish interiors, amenities and services that the South Ocean Boulevard boutique hotel offers, year-round. The 134-room hotel was designed by Leslie Schlesinger Interiors, who turned the time-worn and old-fashioned building completely around, into the city’s newest and hippest hotel with modern, clean design approaches and state-of-the-art conveniences and amenities.

Modern Asian influences give the beachfront property a relaxing feel and fresh and simplistic design. Omphoy balances the edifice with tranquil, earth-friendly details intended to evoke a stress-free environment.

With trunk-like pillars, koi ponds and floor-to-ceiling ocean views, the soft and comfortably relaxed earthy design scheme of The Omphoy lobby takes the breath away of guests and visitors. The scheme continues in the chic lobby bar, which offers sexy backlit caste glass, an Asian-influenced billiard table, 103-inch plasma television and sumptuous sofa seating that creates a genuinely inviting atmosphere.

With low lighting in the hallways, guests only experience lush, gentle and warm surroundings at The Omphoy, which extends into the guest rooms boasting custom-designed furniture, crisp white sheeting, bronze porcelain tile floors. All rooms offer a spacious balcony, terrace or large picture window that open the rooms to panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean or the Intracoastal Waterway.

Omphoy guests enjoy innovative and world-class cuisine by celebrity chef and James Beard award winner, Michelle Bernstein. The Exhale spa at The Omphoy Ocean Resort features a full spa with transformational spa therapies, skin-care services, steam rooms and cardio gym with yoga. The hotel also offers a full-service complimentary business center, Wi-Fi access throughout, a palm tree lined pool with a soothing waterfall and private cabanas, refined pool bar, direct beach access and access to exclusive area golf courses.

For more information, please visit www.omphoy.com.

Your Jacksonville home is important and there are steps you can take to minimize losses. As far as the structure of your home is concerned, storm shutters can help with hurricanes. If you’re building in an area affected by tornadoes, having a reinforced safe room is a sound investment.

According to the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, another thing you can do is prepare to file an insurance claim. In “Natural Disaster Insurance Claims: What to Do When a Natural Disaster Strikes,” insurance expert Linda Rey discusses the different types of insurance you may need.

Assuming you have the proper insurance, you will want to have a photo or video inventory of your belongings. Although this step is vital to providing the insurance company with proper information, Rey reports that only about one-third of policy owners have taken this step. Saving receipts for large items as well gathering insurance policies and reporting information is also important. You should keep all of this information in an  easy-to-access place so you can grab it on the run. Having all of this information will expedite your claims in case of emergency.

For more disaster preparation tips, read Rey’s full article on the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.

Well, the Equifax Personal Finance Blog is back again this week with just the sort of news we need. According to a recent post, “Hardest Hit States Are Showing Signs of Economic Recovery,”  Florida residents are demonstrating our credit smarts once again. Equifax credit expert Janet Dedrick says higher average credit scores could mean that economic recovery is headed our way.

In her post, Dedrick explains that the areas that were worst hit by the economic and housing crisis – including Florida – saw declines in credit scores for more than three years. The worst, she says, was in June of 2008. At that time, 42 percent of Major Metropolitan Areas (MSAs) watched as average credit scores fell.

But the news is better since December 2010. Average credit scores are back on the rise, with the largest increases being seen here in Florida and in other hard-hit states, such as California. Dedrick says it all means that consumers are smarter when it comes to using their credit. If creditors see good risk once again, maybe they’ll loosen the lending reins a bit, and we’ll see more homebuyers with access to the loans they need to make homeownership a reality.

What’s your opinion? Do you think Floridians are being more careful with using and managing our credit? Check out the Equifax Personal Finance Blog,  then come back here to let us know what you think. We hope your observations will confirm the positive trends the research is showing.

• Home values are at lows that match numbers from 2002
• Pending home sales dropped 12 percent
• Unemployment numbers are higher than expected
• New home sales are at all-time lows
• Applications for purchase mortgages are also low

In “Housing Market Predictions: Home Values Continue to Sink,” real estate expert Ilyce Glink examines the various numbers and reports on the housing market and predicts that the market won’t come out of its current state any time soon. She points to the State of the Nation’s Housing Report developed by the Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies. This report reveals that stricter lending standards are part of the reason the housing market is recovering at a slower pace. The housing report also seems to suggest that a tax credit may help turn the real estate market around. However, Glink does not believe that this is a responsible and effective way to revitalize the market.

Either way, be sure and check out the Equifax Personal Finance Blog to read the full story. And be sure and share your thoughts with us on the Jacksonville real estate market. Are there places where the sun is shining? Would a tax credit really improve the situation?

Real estate expert Ilyce Glink, a regular contributor to the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, recently posted an article to help. “Can I Save My Home From Foreclosure”  discusses the anecdotal trends she’s seeing around the country. She says the people she meets are still struggling, either directly or indirectly, from unemployment, heavy medical expenses, and pay cuts.

For those who are fearing the loss of their homes, Glink provides links for information on loan modification programs and for direct contact with HUD-certified housing counselors. She even says that if you can’t get results with the first level of people you speak with at your bank, you should go to the bank president. How will you find him or her? She gives links for that, too.

So, if you’re worried about losing your home, take a deep breath and read Glink’s article at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.  You’ll find encouragement, and you may even find the exact answer you need. Come back and let us know what worked for you.

The St. John’s River has been a point of concern to citizens due to pollution from nitrogen, phosphorous and other metals. This was especially concerning because seafood from the river and its streams is sold and consumed across the state.

The aim of the green infrastructure projects is to beautify neighborhoods, address storm water pollution and provide fresh seafood. Specific programs that have been planned through the partnership include the use of permeable pavement, rain gardens and rain harvesting.  The EPA is also providing assistance with building rain barrels and holding composting demonstrations.

Following the announcement of the partnership, the U.S. Postal Service dedicated 16 “Go Green Forever” stamps. The stamps, which encourage sustainability, continue a 50-year tradition of social awareness stamps.

The Postal Service is a national leader in its commitment to sustainability and innovation. In fact, the USPS is the only mailing company worldwide that has stamps that have earned Cradle to Cradle Certification. In other words, the Postal Service leads the way in exhibiting standards for human health, environmental health and sustainability.

According to Ilyce Glink, real estate expert at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, the requirements were issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or OCC. Her article, “Foreclosure Guidelines: OCC Takes Action,” spells out several steps that must be taken by well-known mortgage lenders, including Bank of America, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

For example, OCC is mandating that the banks improve their communication – both formal and informal – to make sure borrowers understand what’s gong on and that they receive the information they need when they need it.

Furthermore, lenders may no longer “dual-track.” That is, if a borrower goes into a loan modification program, the lender cannot continue to pursue foreclosure.

How will we know the banks are doing what they’re supposed to be doing? They must hire independent auditing firms to review their foreclosures from the problem timeframe – January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.

If you were among those who lost a home in an unfair foreclosure process, you’ll want to look at Glink’s article at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.  OCC has set up a restitution process and you can appeal. Check out the full information now and pass it along to those who have recently been affected by foreclosure.

The article, posted on the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, gives a list of situations in which you will be safer having a professional prepare your tax return on your behalf. Examples include taxpayers who have multiple jobs, own one or more businesses or have a dispute with an ex-spouse over exemptions for children.

People who sold their primary residences at a loss, through short sale or foreclosure, also make the list of taxpayers who should seek filing assistance. People who sold investment real estate or rentals should go ahead and pay for the help from a tax professional, too.

Rosenberg does not fault tax filing software. In fact, she praises its usefulness in helping people go through the process of filing a return and pointing out possible items the average taxpayer may not remember. She says if your life is “straightforward and uncomplicated financially,” you should definitely save the money and file your own return.

It’s just those of us who meander a little with our personal finances who need the professional help! Is that you? Check out Rosenberg’s full lists of “file your own” and “pay someone to file for you” criteria at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.