Few people look forward to tax season. It is a time for filling out endless documents and searching for lost receipts or simply throwing up your hands and taking everything to an accountant. However, before you give over tax preparation to highly-paid professionals, consider using some of the online resources outlined below to minimize your taxes and complete your returns accurately.
Who Can Help With My Taxes?
Interestingly enough, the best resource for tax questions and learning how to minimize your tax load is the Internal Revenue Service. IRS.gov has every tax form, plus all the instructions and worksheets to go along with them. While the IRS won’t do your taxes for you, it can give you access to every possible resource for lowering your tax bill. Online tax help offered by the IRS includes 1040 Central, a regularly updated page that includes any changes in tax law that might affect you return. As Congress traditionally makes tax law changes late in the year, or even into January, this section can give you the most updated information. Additionally, the IRS website has a withholding calculator and can direct you to authorized e-filers.
Where Else Can I Go for Help?
Another popular tax help website is provided by H&R Block, at hrblock.com. This Web site has a large section of tax articles and tips, organized by category for easy searching. For example, by clicking on “Home and Family” then “Child Tax Credit” a taxpayer can learn whether they are eligible for the credit and how to take it. The Web site also has interactive tools that help you get the most out of job-related deductions and major life changes.
Are Any Other Companies Able to Help with My Taxes?
Not to be outdone, TurboTax, another well-known tax preparation company, has a helpful website as well. The site, turbotax.intuit.com, includes how-to videos on different ways to lessen your tax liability and has a life-events adviser for predicting your tax savings from major events such as moving or buying a house. The site also includes relevant articles about increasing your refund.
April is Coming Soon
Tax season always seems to be just around the corner. Consider using any of these resources now to determine what changes you can make to minimize your taxes. Any of these three resources will allow you to complete your taxes yourself, and H&R Block and TurboTax will also complete your returns for you. For those with a bit more experience, IRS.gov has all of the forms needed to file your return and maximize your refund.
