The IRS urges taxpayers to avoid waiting until April 18 to file their taxes.
For those who do wait, the IRS has easy-to-access online resources to help.
These eight tips from the IRS can help make filing less taxing:
- Review tax returns
carefully. Taxpayers who rush to beat the deadline may miss a tax benefit
or, worse, make a mistake. Errors usually delay tax refunds and could
cause the IRS to send a letter.
- Validate e-signature. If
a taxpayer changed tax software products for 2017, they may need their
prior-year adjusted gross income to validate their electronic signature.
Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and
electronically sign a tax return at Validating
Your Electronically Filed Tax Return. Always keep a copy of tax
returns.
- Visit IRS.gov. Go online
for tax information and resources. The
Interactive Tax Assistant, Tax
Trails, Frequently
Asked Questions, Tax
Topics, and IRS
Tax Maps are useful resources.
- Use IRS
Free File. Taxpayers who made $64,000 or less can use free tax
software to prepare their federal tax return. Free File Fillable Forms is
available for those who made more than that. These are electronic versions
of IRS paper forms.
- File electronically.
Kick the paper habit and e-file. IRS
e-file is safe, easy and accurate. Taxpayers are 20 times less likely
to make a mistake with an e-filed return compared to filing a paper
return. Tax software catches and corrects common paper filing errors. It
also alerts users to overlooked tax credits and deductions.
- File on time. Taxpayers
who owe but can’t pay in full by the April 18 due date should still file
on time and pay as much as possible. This will reduce potential penalties
and interest charges. For unpaid taxes, people may apply for an
installment agreement to pay over time. The easiest way to apply is to use
the Online
Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. To apply by mail, use IRS Form
9465, Installment Agreement Request.
- Request an extension of
time to file. People can request a six-month extension electronically
through tax software, including FreeFile, by using Form
4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S.
Individual Income Tax Return. Taxpayers may also make an electronic
payment and designate it as a “Form 4868” payment. A reminder: An
extension of time to file a tax return is not an extension of time to pay
taxes owed. Be sure to e-file or mail the form and pay an estimate of any
tax due by the April 18 due date to avoid penalty and interest charges.
The IRS has the flexibility to work with those who cannot pay all taxes
owed.
- Visit a Local IRS
Office. All IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers now operate by appointment.
Taxpayers can find most answers online at IRS.gov, but if they need
in-person assistance, they will need to make
an appointment.
Taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Beginning in 2017,
taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need their Adjusted
Gross Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their
identity. Learn more about how to verify your identity and electronically sign
your tax return at Validating
Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.
Additional Resources:
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