Taxes can be confusing, but they don’t have to be. With a slew of numbers, acronyms and deadlines, it can be challenging to figure out how to interpret your returns. Let’s start with transaction codes ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Lea Uradu, J.D., is a Maryland state registered tax preparer, state-certified notary public, ...