A Step-by-Step Guide to Filing Your First Taxes

A Step-by-Step Guide to Filing Your First Taxes Tax time can be super overwhelming. How can you possibly figure out what you need to do and somehow manage to pull it off without melting into a pile of despair (or committing some kind of inadvertent fraud?). It’s actually fairly simple. Here, we’ll lay out the basic steps so you can file without fear you’re missing something important. 1. Get organized.This is really half the battle. The IRS is all about documents. Once you receive your W2 from your workplace, or your 1099-MISC if you’ve worked as an independent contractor, be sure to store it somewhere safe and easily accessible. If you get other statements, like savings account interest, student loan interest, or investment income summaries, put those in the same safe place. You might also have a proof of health insurance or records of contributions to an IRA to add to your pile.2. Determine if you need to file, and and how.If you’re a U.S. citizen and you meet the IRS’s filing requiremen ts for income, then yes, you do need to file. Then you’ll want to figure out what your â€Å"filing status† is. Will you be filing jointly with your spouse or separately? Can you count as â€Å"head of household?† Are you a dependent on someone else’s return? Can you claim dependents of your own?3. Ask for help early.If you’re at all confused with these early stages, get someone to help- a parent, or a mentor, or a professional. They can help you figure out based on your particulars which form you need to file or whether you are eligible to file electronically.4. Pick a medium.Decide whether you will carry through on your own- either on paper or electronically, alone or with the aid of a software program or professional. If you made less than $52k last year, you qualify to receive free tax help with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Check out TaxACT, TurboTax, eSmart Tax, etc. to get a sense of what they can do for you.5. Deduct e xpenses.You’ll have to figure out whether it’s best for you to itemize your deductions or claim the standard deductible. But either way, make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned in this department. Write off state and local sales taxes, student loan interest payments, child care credits, job search expenses, charitable contributions, and things like the Earned Income credit.6. Get it done.Don’t procrastinate. It’s best not to rush, so make sure you’ve left yourself plenty of time before April 15  to get this done right.7. Check your math.If you did it all on your own, make sure to have someone you trust to look over your tax returns before filing. It may even be possible to have a tax attorney do this for you for free.Good luck, and we hope for many happy returns in your future!

Brass Alloys and Their Chemical Compositions

Brass Alloys and Their Chemical Compositions Brass is any alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with zinc. In some cases, copper with tin is considered ​a type of brass, although this metal historically has been called bronze. This is a list of common brass alloys, their chemical compositions, and the uses of the different types of brass. Brass Alloys Alloy Composition and Use Admiralty brass 30% zinc and 1% tin, used to inhibit dezincification Aichs alloy 60.66% copper, 36.58% zinc, 1.02% tin, and 1.74% iron. Corrosion resistance, hardness, and toughness make it useful for marine applications. Alpha brass Less than 35% zinc, malleable, can be worked cold, used in pressing, forging, or similar applications. Alpha brasses have only one phase, with face-centered cubic crystal structure. Princes metal or Prince Ruperts metal Alpha brass containing 75% copper and 25% zinc. Its named for Prince Rupert of the Rhine and used to imitate gold. Alpha-beta brass, Muntz metal, or duplex brass 35-45% zinc, suited for hot working. It contains both and phase; the -phase is body-centered cubic and is harder and stronger than . Alpha-beta brasses are usually worked hot. Aluminum brass Contains aluminum, which improves its corrosion resistance. Its used for seawater service and in Euro coins (Nordic gold). Arsenical brass Contains arsenic and frequently aluminum and is used for boiler fireboxes Beta brass 45-50% zinc content. It can only be worked hot, produces a hard, strong metal that is suitable for casting. Cartridge brass 30% zinc brass with good cold-working properties; used for ammunition cases Common brass, or rivet brass 37% zinc brass, standard for cold working DZR brass dezincification resistant brass with a small percentage of arsenic Gilding metal 95% copper and 5% zinc, softest type of common brass, used for ammunition jackets High brass 65% copper and 35% zinc, has a high tensile strength and is used for springs, rivets, and screws Leaded brass Alpha-beta brass with an addition of lead, easily machined Lead-free brass As defined by California Assembly Bill AB 1953 contains not more than 0.25 percent lead content Low brass Copper-zinc alloy containing 20% zinc; ductile brass used for flexible metal hoses and bellows Manganese brass 70% copper, 29% zinc, and 1.3% manganese, used in making golden dollar coins in the United States Muntz metal 60% copper, 40% zinc, and a trace of iron, used as a lining on boats Naval brass 40% zinc and 1% tin, similar to admiralty brass Nickel brass 70% copper, 24.5% zinc, and 5.5% nickel used to make pound coins in the pound sterling currency Nordic gold 89% copper, 5% aluminium, 5% zinc, and 1% tin, used in 10, 20, and 50 cents in euro coins Red brass American term for the copper-zinc-tin alloy known as gunmetal considered both a brass and a bronze. Red brass usually contains 85% copper, 5% tin, 5% lead, and 5% zinc. Red brass may be copper alloy C23000, which is 14 to 16% zinc, 0.05% iron and lead, and the remainder copper. Red brass also may refer to ounce metal, another copper-zinc-tin alloy. Rich low brass (Tombac) 15% zinc, often used for jewelry Tonval brass (also called CW617N, CZ122, or OT58) copper-lead-zinc alloy White brass Brittle metal containing more than 50% zinc. White brass may also refer to certain nickel silver alloys as well as Cu-Zn-Sn alloys with high proportions (typically 40%+) of tin and/or zinc, as well as predominantly zinc casting alloys with a copper additive. Yellow brass American term for 33% zinc brass