How To File Your Taxes on TurboTax

The first time you do your own taxes is often a nerve-wracking experience. You worry that you are going to miss something and get hit with a steep penalty from the IRS. Fortunately, you can use www.TurboTax.com to file your taxes yourself with confidence. Follow the tips below to learn How To File Your Taxes on TurboTax.

1. Gather Your Paperwork.
Getting your financial paperwork, including your W-2 and 1099 forms, together before working with TurboTax is a critical first step. Being organized at the start will save you a lot of time as you proceed

2. Check the Cost.
If your taxes are simple and you have only W-2 forms and bank interest statements to include, you may be able to file for free. Use TurboTax to determine whether or not you qualify for free filing by answering some simple questions as prompted by the program.

3. File Your State Taxes.
Federal taxes get most of the attention in the media, but you also need to file state taxes. Fortunately, TurboTax transfers all of your details to the appropriate state tax forms to save you time.

How To File Your Taxes on TurboTax
Photo by JeepersMedia

4. File Electronically.
TurboTax 2015-2021 lets you quickly and easily file your taxes online without needing to print and mail forms. The program walks you through deductions, credits and obligations to help you get the maximum refund to which you are entitled without risking penalties. Sounds like the perfect solution for many families and individuals across the country.

How To File Back Taxes

How To File Back Taxes

All people with income need to file taxes yearly. If you have missed one or more years in the past ten, now is the time to file back taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can impose steadily increasing fines and penalties the longer you wait.

Why File Back Taxes
There are convincing reasons to catch up on back taxes:
• Reduce penalties; there are separate penalties for not filing, and for not paying; by filing you avoid one penalty even if you cannot afford to pay immediately
• Ease your conscience by meeting legal requirements
• Start the clock on the IRS statute of limitations which is three years to audit and ten years to collect
• If the IRS has sent an inaccurate estimate, filing can correct it
• You may be due a refund for any of the previous three years; unless you file, you will not know

Steps for Filing Back Tax Forms
Follow these steps to file back taxes:
• Gather all W-2s or 1099 forms, receipts and other documents to support deductions and credits for each year
• If you are missing W-2s, 1099s or 1098s to support deductions, ask for copies from the IRS, using Form 4506-T
• Download appropriate tax forms for each year, or use tax preparation software
• Prepare the tax return for each year, using that year’s information and guidelines
• Submit the forms, along with as much of a payment as possible to reduce interest charges
• After filing, talk to the IRS to try to reduce penalties and fees

If you need help to file back taxes, consult a tax attorney. He can help gather and complete necessary documents to send to the IRS. This professional can also negotiate a payment plan or settle other issues.

A Look At The Tax Deadline

The 2014 Tax Deadline

Like most years, the tax deadline for 2014 falls on April 15. Failure to file federal income taxes by this date results in penalties. Most people seek to avoid these financial penalties and get their taxes in on time. Still, thousands of taxpayers run into trouble and can’t meet this deadline each year. Each American adult is required to pay taxes, and taxpayers should strive to meet these deadlines.

English: Protesters standing near the United S...
English: Protesters standing near the United States Capitol during the Taxpayer March on Washington. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many late filers simply procrastinate until the very end and pay the price. Without a doubt, taxpayers should start gathering their documents as soon as possible. Companies and stock firms usually send out necessary tax forms by the middle of February. Two months is more than ample time to file one’s federal taxes. Therefore, the average taxpayer doesn’t have a good excuse for not meeting the tax deadline 2014.

For 2014, the six-month extension lasts until October 13, 2014. That date is static and won’t be changed by the government shutdown. Anyone can take advantage of this extension, but they must apply for it. Fortunately, each taxpayer is guaranteed an extension, and many states offer automatic extensions. A simple extension doesn’t free a person from accrued interest on their tax burden, though.

In the end, tax deadline 2014 is much like every other year. A taxpayer can’t wait too long to file their taxes. They could otherwise find themselves spending hundreds or thousands on penalty fees. Sadly, such penalties can push a person into financial distress quite quickly. It’s always a better idea to file taxes as early as possible on an annual basis.

Benefits Of Online Tax Programs

It is almost tax time and more people are opting to file their taxes online as opposed to using an accountant. The market for online tax filing programs continues to grow since TurboTax launched their program.

Mobile devices are now now introducing apps to help you with the preparation of your 2011 taxes. Currently, only the 1040EZ form can be filed using the iPhone or Android via the TurboTax and H&R Block apps.  Complete Tax hopes to launch by the end of January and TaxAct has now made itself available on the iPad.  Just scan your W-2 into your smartphone or iPad and your taxes are filed.  You can also use your mobile device to track the status of your refund.

TaxACT Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Other tools that people have found useful include TaxAct’s glossary of terms, tax preparation checklist, tips, and status check.  Complete Tax will retain your data in its database in the event that you do not qualify as an EZ filer.  TurboTax allows you to ask questions and provides a checklist, while H&R Block answers questions, estimates taxes, and can schedule an in person appointment at a local office.

Users can also enjoy the availability of bookmarks.  Some services also refer to the them as flags.  While each company calls them something different, these tools come in handy.  They allow the user to mark a page to include notes or reminders.  The can help the user remember to enter important information and remember where you left off, should you need to stop in the middle of filing your return.

Do You Know Your Options For the Tax Season?

Preparing and filing your federal tax return is quite simple with the IRS e-file free tax filing program. The Internal Revenue Service provides this program to help ensure that you can get your taxes done fast and easy. In addition, the IRS E-File is safe, free and ensures that you get the highest refund amount entitled to you.

There are two ways to take advantage of free 2011 tax return filing from the IRS. You can choose to use easy tax software or file electronically online. If you earn less than $58k per year, you are eligible to take advantage of Free File Software.

If you are one of nearly 100 million who are eligible for free 2011 tax filing, you can access the IRS e-file online forms by visiting the government IRS website. Once you begin, you will be assisted in finding free software and after choosing the right one for you, you will then be instructed through the filing process for your 2011 tax forms. The best thing about e-file is that it eliminates the high costs of having a professional complete your tax return and most anyone can successfully file their return online for free without prior tax knowledge. If the government owes you money, such as the EIC, the software will automatically apply your earned income credit to your refund.

Of course, safety and security is always a concern when filling out private information online and the IRS takes this into consideration with Free File. To date, the software has been used both securely and safely by millions of people since the year 2003.

If you are not comfortable doing your 2011 tax return online, there are still options that allow you to mail your tax forms. Although it takes longer to receive a refund when you file by mail, it is still preferred among some tax payers and will likely remain an option when 2012 tax time rolls around as well.