Free Tax Filing Options Through IRS.gov
It’s that time of year: Mardi Gras? Sure, but it’s also time to start filing our annual income tax return. Sure, the deadline isn’t until April 15th — but why wait? You likely have most of the documents you need to file by now. Maybe you wait until you can afford to buy software or pay someone to file your return? If so, pay attention because you may qualify for free filing options from the IRS.
As you can see above, those individuals making up to $60,000/year can use commercial software to file their taxes for free. Yes, free!
You’ll need to select from the 14 software sites listed, each has different qualifications so you’ll want to read the descriptions carefully. Last year I tried a couple of the software sites for our individual returns, I ended up using the free TurboTax because the other one wasn’t as easy and it couldn’t handle my investment 1099. Try a couple to see which you like best.
My husband’s employer uses a payroll service — I was able to download a PDF of his W-2 and by entering the employer number TurboTax was able to populate the fields for his income so I didn’t need to enter it! For the first time in my life, I’ll file a joint return — saving us hundreds of dollars. See the IRS FAQ for married same-sex couples for answers to questions you may have. Will finalize our 2014 tax return as soon as I receive one last 1099.
Nobody likes paying taxes, but filing for free is good news in my book. Please avoid those storefront businesses charging you to file your return and then charging you again to process your refund.
Enjoy the weekend, see you Sunday with a new poll.
— Steve Patterson