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If you haven’t filed a tax return in years, the Internal Revenue Service wants you – and not in the way that you think.

The IRS is actually looking to return $1.3 billion in unclaimed refunds to roughly 1.4 million people who never filed a federal income tax return for 2006. If you happen to be among those non-filers, you must act fast because to collect any money you are owed, a tax return for 2006 must be filed by April 15, 2010. Under the law, you only have 3 years to claim a tax refund; after three years, any money that would have been due to you becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Lots of people don’t file tax returns for a host of reasons. Some people earned too little money, and weren’t required to file. They may nevertheless be entitled to a refund, based on taxes paid or tax credits for which they were eligible. At other times, however, people don’t file a return simply because they owe money – or they’re scared that they may owe money. Even if you owe the IRS, chances are you can work out a payment plan to clear up past-due payments. If you didn’t owe money, and didn’t file a 2006 tax return, you don’t have to worry about penalties because penalties are only imposed on individuals who had taxes due.

According to IRS statistics, the typical unclaimed refund for 2006 is $604.

The states with the highest numbers of non-filers who have a 2006 tax refund waiting for them are: California (159,800 individuals); Texas (109,600 individuals); Florida (101,700 individuals); and New York (76,700 individuals).

What’s more, many people who didn’t file their taxes a few years ago may stand to gain even bigger refunds if they made less than approximately $38,000 in 2006 and claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.

For more information about getting an unclaimed refund, check out more on this IRS video in English or Spanish.

To find grants or loans to purchase or rehabilitate housing, your best bet is to seek out federal money that is provided to state and local governments, and in turn, passed along to investors or organizations. For example, through HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, home-buyers can purchase foreclosed properties that may need fixing. To learn more about this program, visit www.hud.gov/nsp. Additionally, once you get a little experience under your belt, be sure to check out the HOME Investment Partnership Program (www.hud.gov/sec3.cfm).  These funds are provided via HUD to non-profit or for-profit organizations with experience in providing affordable housing to low-to-moderate income people. Activities for which funding is available under the HOME program includes:
•    Homebuyer assistance, such as down payment aid and closing-cost help, acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of homes
•    Homeowner rehabilitation, including help for owner occupants to repair or reconstruct their homes
•    Site improvements, demolition, relation and administrative costs
•    Tenant-based rental help, such as economic aid for rent, security/utility deposits
•    Rental housing, including purchase rehabilitation and construction

Texas-based Homeownership Programs
As for specific programs in Texas, you can get grant funds up to 5% of your mortgage amount, along with two type of loans with interest rates that are typically 1% below current market rates via the Texas First Time Homebuyers Program. For more information, call the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs at 512-475-3800 or toll-free at 800-525-0657 or visit: www.tdhca.state.ts.us. My understanding is that these loans and grant funds are made available to those planning to become owner-occupants of their homes – not simply buy houses for investment potential and resell them. Read on for more tips on how to find housing grant or loan programs offered in your area.

State Housing Finance Agencies
Start by turning to State Housing Financing Agencies (HFAs). These are state-chartered authorities established to help meet the affordable housing needs of the residents of their states. Although they vary from state to state, most HFAs are independent entities that operate under the direction of a board of directors appointed by each state’s governor. Their reason for being is to help homeowners, so they can often point you in the direction of incredible housing and development programs you never dreamed existed. There is a National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) active in Washington D.C. to keep the issue of affordable housing high on the government’s list of national priorities. Housing Finance Agencies and NCSHA (www.ncsha.org) can help you tap into three federally authorized programs, including Mortgage Revenue Bonds and Mortgage Credit Certificates, and the HOME Program.

•         Mortgage Revenue Bonds
State and local housing agencies also offer loans to first-time buyers via mortgage revenue bond programs. Mortgages funded with these instruments often feature low down payment options and have interest rates as much as 1.5% to 2% below conventional 30-year fixed rates.

•         Mortgage Credit Certificates
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program is another perk available through states to qualified first-time homebuyers. This benefit is in the form of federal income tax credit of between 10% and 20% of the annual interest you pay on your mortgage.

•         Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
Available from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the HOME program is the largest federal block grant available to state and local governments. The HOME program allocates roughly $2 billion to local governments each year in an effort to create affordable housing for low-income households. One component of the HOME initiative is the American Dream Down payment Initiative. Through ADDI, you can receive down payment assistance, money for closing costs, and even funds to fix up a home you are buying. The cash comes in the form of a loan equal to 6% of the purchase price or $10,000, whichever is greater. The loan carries a 0% interest rate and a maximum loan term of 10 years. For each year you live in the house, 10% of the loan amount will be slashed. If you stay in the home 10 years, the entire amount will be forgiven. If you sell your home before 10 years – and most first-time buyers do sell their homes after an average of four or five years – the remaining amount of the loan must be repaid. This program is open to all first-time buyers who haven’t owned a home within the past three years. The money provided via ADDI can be used to purchase a one-to-four family house, condo, cooperative unit, or manufactured housing. To qualify, your income must not exceed 80% of your area median income. Get more information about this initiative through your state housing finance agency, or by visiting HUD’s website at: www.hud.gov. Also, if you find out about a program like this one that receives federal money, but the money hasn’t come through yet, put your name on the list to be notified about a change in status ASAP. That way you’ll be ahead of lots of other people who are also seeking housing grants or forgivable loans.

•         Housing Redevelopment Offices
In addition to state housing finance agencies, contact the Housing and Redevelopment Office in your state, county or city. Members of The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) (www.nahro.org) champion the cause of adequate and affordable housing for all Americans – especially those with low and moderate incomes.

Be mindful that state housing agencies and redevelopment offices across the country can use lots of different names. One might be called a “Housing Finance Agency,” as is the case with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, while another one is dubbed a “Housing Development Authority,” as is true of the Virginia Housing Development Authority. Any agency with the name “Home” “Housing,” “Community Development,” “Mortgage Finance” – or similar words – is a good place to find homebuyer assistance programs.

I know it hurts to get a big tax bill, and it’s not fun to find out that you owe the government nearly five thousand bucks. But there are some ways you can start to lower your taxes in the future. Here are six strategies I’d recommend:

Adjust Your Withholdings At Work
Since you said that you owed money last year also, and that your wife was recently laid off for two months, it very well could be the case that your W-4 withholdings need to be tweaked at work – possibly at both of your places of employment. In essence, you need to adjust your withholdings so that more taxes are taken out over the course of the year. Even though this is still paying taxes, it’s spread out. So you’re less likely to feel the sting of it. Also, by prepaying the proper amount of taxes due over the year, you’ll avoid those nasty IRS penalties for under-payments. Publication 919 from the IRS has more details about properly adjusting your withholdings to that you don’t wind up paying too much tax. The IRS also has a Withholding Calculator available online. Click the following link for more info. www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html.

Max Out Your 401(k)
If you have a 401(k), a 403(b) or any other type of employer-sponsored retirement plan, try to contribute the maximum allowable. Not only might you get a matching contribution from your employer, but you will also reduce your taxable income because money put into a 401(l) plan is contributed on a pre-tax basis. In 2010, the maximum contribution for a 401(k) plan is $16,500. People who are 50 and older can put in an additional $5,500.
The 2010 maximum contribution amount is $5,000 for IRAs, and an additional $1,000 contribution to an IRA is allowable for those 50 and older. So max out that 401(k) plan. Ditto for your wife at her job.

Take Advantage of Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Savings Accounts
If your company has a Health Savings Account, and you haven’t already done so, do sign up for it. Since you have two young children, you can contribute up to $6,150 to an HSA on a pre-tax basis. If you’re going to have to pay for certain health-related costs anyway, why not get a tax break for doing so? Do the same thing with a flexible spending account, which currently has a maximum contribution of $5,000. So get prepared for your next open enrollment season at your job, when you’ll be able to make 2011 selections for your FSA.

Itemize and Boost Deductions
One other way to lower your taxes is to ramp up your deductions. If you don’t take the standard deduction, you obviously need to itemize your deductions. This calls for some good record-keeping. Even though many taxpayers could benefit financially from itemizing their deductions, the IRS reports that lots of people don’t do it – simply because of the extra work involved.

To boost your deductions, here are some ideas about what you can claim:

•    charitable contributions
•    mortgage interest
•    interest on student loan payments
•    business use of a home
•    state, local and foreign income taxes
•    real estate taxes
•    personal property taxes
•    state and local sales taxes
•    qualified motor vehicle taxes
•    any estimated taxes you paid to state or local governments during the year
•    any prior year’s state or local income tax you paid during the year
•    miscellaneous deductions (in excess of 2% of your adjusted gross income)

In your case, your 2010 miscellaneous deductions could be significant. Since your wife was recently out of work, she can claim job-search expenses (like resume preparation, headhunter services, postage for mailings, unreimbursed travel and hotel bills for interviews, etc.). Under the category of “miscellaneous deductions,” you can also take deductions for things like tax and investment advice, as well as unreimbursed employee expenses.

Fund a 529 Plan for Each of the Kids
Since you mentioned having a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old, it’s possible that you’ve already thought about saving money for their future. One great way to do it is by opening a 529 Plan. That’s a state-sponsored college savings plan. Money invested in a 529 plan grows tax free and when you later take the money out to pay for college, the appreciation or gains that have been racked up in a 529 plan are also tax free. Best of all, many states offer a tax deduction for 529 Plan contributions. In 2009, you could put up to $13,000 in a 529 plan without triggering any federal gift taxes. In Massachusetts, where you live, unfortunately there is no direct state tax deduction or credit for contributions. However, according to SavingforCollege.com, which offers great information about 529 plans, Massachusetts does exempt qualified distribution from 529 plans, in conformity with federal law. The state also allows for tax-free treatment of 529 rollovers (i.e. earnings rolled into or out of a 529 plan). Again, if you’re already saving for your kids’ college education, or had planned to do so, you can get some serious bang for your buck with these tax-advantaged 529 plans.

Professional Help Wouldn’t Hurt
In addition to the strategies I’ve just recommended, as a practical matter, it would certainly not hurt you to also do some front-end planning with an accountant or financial advisor. This means you should get going now on tax-reduction activities, ahead of the April 15th tax filing deadline, and continue to make some smart money-moves all year long. A qualified CPA or other tax/financial expert should be able to review your overall financial picture, and give you even more specific advice about how to lower your tax bill.

If you use all these options, chances are by the time next year rolls around, you won’t find yourself having to write yet another big check to Uncle Sam.

There are many opportunities for home-buyers, especially first-time purchasers, to get free money and other resources to buy a house. First, there’s the federal tax credit available for those who close on a home by April 30, 2010 and close by July 1, 2010. The tax credit goes up to $8,000 for first-time buyers and up to $6,500 for repeat homebuyers. You don’t have to wait until you file your taxes to take advantage of this tax credit. It can be applied in advance toward your closing cost or home down payment. Additionally, there are eight overall sources of aid you can turn to for financial and educational assistance in buying a home of your own. The eight sources include:

•    Federal and/or National Programs
•    State Aid
•    County Initiatives
•    Local/Municipal or City Efforts
•    Non-Profit and Community-Based Organizations
•    Lender-Specific Programs
•    Programs Based on Your Job or Occupation
•    Employer Assisted Housing Initiatives

It’s common for there to be overlap between programs. For instance, a state might offer aid to certain workers, such as teachers, fire fighters, or police officers or a community program might work closely with designated lenders or specific types of national mortgage loan programs. As you read about the staggering array of financial assistance initiatives available nationwide, keep in mind an important trend that is emerging in many communities. Lenders are starting to permit borrowers to layer two, three, or more first-time buyer programs. This means you get the benefit of multiple sources of aid – instead of just one – which allows you to offset higher home prices, and enter a new home in a stronger financial position.

Your First Home

For more information, check out chapter 4 of my book, Your First Home: The Smart Way to Get It and Keep It. The entire chapter is devoted to offering details on each of the eight types of homebuyer assistance programs listed above. It also provides specific listings – for every state in the country – of programs that offer free money to homebuyers.

Without knowing the details about your situation, it’s very hard to say the impact that working overseas will have on your income taxes. It depends on several factors, not the least of which are: the exact country in which your husband will be working, how he is compensated, and whether or not he is deemed to be an employee or an independent contractor. Regardless of these considerations, U.S. citizens are legally required to pay taxes on all income, no matter where it is derived or generated (i.e. either domestically or overseas).

Lowering Your Tax Bill

To potentially lower your tax bill, find out three things:

•    Is There a Reciprocal Tax Agreement With the U.S.?
Some nations have reciprocal tax treaties and agreements with the United States; other countries do not. If a U.S. worker is employed overseas in a country that does have a reciprocal tax agreement with American, then that worker may be eligible to get a tax credit for taxes paid to that foreign country.

•    Is His Pay “Grossed Up?”
Many employers will “gross up” an employee’s pay when that person is working overseas, relocating, or doing something else to benefit the employer – which in turn, may negatively impact the employee, from a tax standpoint. So it’s important to know whether your husband’s pay will include added compensation to essentially cover his income tax bill.

•    Is He Considered an “Employee” or an “Independent Contractor?”
Your husband’s taxes will also be determined by his employment status as either an “employee” or an “independent contractor.” Each has its pros and cons form a tax standpoint. And each may be afford certain tax benefits and deductions not provided to the other. For instance, an employee may get a deduction for relocation or moving expenses; whereas an independent contractor may be able to write off some of the same business expenses as entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals.

Once you find out the answers to these three important questions, then you can begin to do some appropriate tax planning. Also, since this situation involves a far more complicated set of financial and tax considerations than normal, I would strongly advise you to also consult a qualified tax professional.