Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

New York

Reporter for @Kiplinger covering federal tax policy. Past: Yahoo Finance, Money, The Hyde Park Herald, and more. Views mine, hablo español.

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Articles

Mother's Day Sticker Shock: Online Shoppers Face Price Hikes Due to Tariffs

1 month ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Tariffs are causing turmoil for your favorite low-cost Chinese-based e-commerce vendors like Temu and Shein. Other hit parties include TikTok Shop and Amazon, which carry Chinese sellers. But to the surprise of many, even companies like Hallmark, which manufactures many of its products in the U.S., are raising prices due to tariffs. Hallmark, known for its seasonal greeting cards, gift wrap, and other party goods, says it produces 75% of its products in its Kansas-based manufacturing facilities.
‘My Etsy Shop is Dead’: Vendors Cry for Help Amid Trump’s Tariffs

1 month ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Mother’s Day is approaching, and purchasing a personalized gift like jewelry or art from your favorite vendor could be more expensive this year. Small businesses, which make up 98% of retailers and support more than 13 million U.S. jobs, are bearing the brunt of Trump’s tariffs, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
Trump Tax Cuts: Are Your SNAP, Medicaid Benefits at Risk?

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Tax season may be over, but your tax breaks and certain federal benefits for next year are still uncertain. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives recently adopted the U.S. Senate’s amended budget resolution for President Donald Trump’s ‘one, big beautiful’ tax policy package.
Missed Tax Day? Nearly One Million Taxpayers Still Can File and Claim Valuable Tax Refunds

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Are you expecting a tax refund this year? Millions of taxpayers are, but as many as 1 million individuals could unknowingly be missing out. The average refund amount this tax season was $3,116, according to the latest data from the IRS. As of April 4, the tax agency has paid over $211 billion in tax refunds after processing over 100 million tax returns. More than 140 million individual tax returns were expected to be filed by the April 15 deadline.
Tax Day 2025: Don’t Miss These Freebies, Food Deals and Discounts

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Tax Day is finally here, and unless you’ve filed for free, tax prep can take quite a bite out of your wallet. To celebrate the end of tax season, which falls on Tuesday, April 15, this year, many restaurants nationwide will offer deals, discounts, and freebies to sweeten your civic duties as a taxpayer.
Tax Time: Do Young Influencers Have to Pay Taxes?

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Influencers and content creators have tax obligations, and these days, more and more are starting as children. You may have seen families on popular social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram featuring their children and expanding their online footprint. People under 18 have also grown more active on social media, making money from sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, brand representation, and subscribers, just to name a few examples.
Free IRS Tax Filing for 30 Million People: Will It Continue Under Trump?

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

This tax season has raised concerns among taxpayers as the Trump administration and tech billionaire Elon Musk have upended the IRS workforce. Still, the tax agency is urging folks to take advantage of free filing tools like Direct File. So far, the IRS has received close to 800,000 fewer tax returns for the week ending March 28 than the same period last year.
Florida Lawmakers Push for Sales Tax Cuts, Instead of Property Tax Breaks

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

Florida homeowners' much-needed property tax relief will have to wait. The Florida House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved a measure to permanently reduce the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. Other sales taxes for commercial rent, new mobile homes, coin-operated amusement machines, and electricity would also be cut by a 0.75% rate. The legislation is estimated to cost the state $5 billion annually and is against Gov.
U.S. Treasury to Eliminate Paper Checks: What It Means for Tax Refunds, Social Security

2 months ago | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order calling on the federal government to phase out the use of paper checks and switch to electronic payments by September 30, with some limited exceptions. The U.S. Treasury now has approximately six months to phase out paper checks for various purposes, including tax refunds and Social Security payments.
Trump's Downsizing of IRS is Already Causing Problems for Taxpayers

Mar 26, 2025 | kiplinger.com | Gabriella Cruz-Martínez

The IRS is reportedly preparing to reduce its nearly 100,000 workforce by as much as half through layoffs, buyouts, and attrition — and experts say the disruption is already interfering with this tax season. Close to 7,000 probationary employees were laid off on February 20, and now the agency is reinstating and placing those workers on paid administrative leave until further notice.