How To File Your Own Taxes

What Are The Objectives Of The Free File Agreement

• Provide greater access to free, online tax filing options with trusted partners only through IRS.gov
• Make federal tax preparation and filing easier for and reduce burden on individual taxpayers, and
• Continue to focus free governmental services for those least able to pay for tax preparation services

Collect Necessary Tax Information

Gathering the appropriate paperwork might be the hardest part of the tax return process, but if youre a filing wizard, its not that hard at all. The big document at tax time is the W-2 you receive from your employer. Other forms and documents you may need include:

• Your previous years tax return

• 1099 forms showing self-employment, stock trading, interest or dividend incomes

• 1098 forms showing interest on student loans or mortgages

• Receipts and acknowledgements for charitable contributions

• Documents showing contributions to 401 and individual retirement account plans

• Supporting receipts and documents for any itemized deductions you might claim

Types Of 501 Organizations

There are three types of 501 organizations. They are:

• Public charities, which are organizations that serve a public purpose and exist to benefit the community as a whole
• Private foundations, which are charitable organizations that own more than half of their assets and make grants for public purposes
• Social welfare organizations, which focus on serving one or more of five broad categories:

Helping people deal with poverty-related problems

Assisting disadvantaged individuals in finding employment

Preserving or restoring opportunities for low-income people Improving conditions in low-income neighborhoods

Helping individuals improve their lives by providing them with services

The IRS recognizes more than 30 types of nonprofit organizations, but only those that qualify for 501 status can claim tax-deductible donations.

To be considered a charitable organization by the IRS, a group must operate exclusively for one of these purposes:

• Defending human and civil rights secured by law
• Combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency

Organizations that qualify for tax exemption under section 501 must not serve any private interests, including those of the creator, the creators family, shareholders, other designated individuals, or others controlled by private interests. Additionally, an organizations net earnings cannot benefit private shareholders or individuals, meaning the earnings must be solely for charitable purposes.

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Choose A Deduction Method

The IRS allows you to take a standard deduction amount instead of collecting and sorting receipts all year. The amount changes annually. A married couple filing jointly can deduct twice the amount a single person does. If your actual receipts are higher than these amounts, it may make sense to itemize your deductions, like large charitable donations or uninsured medical expenses. The IRS publishes a detailed list of qualifying expenses on its website.

Prepare Ahead Of Time When Doing Your Own Taxes

So now you know how to do your own taxes! If you decide to do your own taxes this year, make sure to take action. It’s best to start sooner than later just in case.

Keep all of your important documents in one place to streamline the process too. Knock this item off your financial to-do list early so you can focus on your other financial goals!

Sarah

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How Do I Keep Up With New Tax Law Changes

Keeping up with tax law changes is imperative for both new and experienced preparers. As a result, most preparers invest some time each day checking on any IRS changes, technical corrections, or any other state or local changes that might impact their business.

An excellent first stop is the IRS website, which is full of publications and instructions that will help new and experienced preparers navigate changes to the tax code, as well as commonly asked questions and other useful tips.Checkpoint Edge from Thomson Reuters is another resource for tax professionals who are looking to do their jobs with more accuracy, confidence, and daily news updates. Checkpoint Edge provides you with up-to-date research materials, editorial insight, productivity tools, online learning, and marketing resources that add value to your firm immediately.

Alternatively, if youre on a tight budget, a few well-chosen tax books may be sufficient to begin with.

“Understand that you cannot possibly know every tax law ever written, especially in times of sweeping tax law changes as we are experiencing today. Make yourself valuable by honing your tax research skills. If you don’t know the answer, you must know how to find the answer.”

How To File Your Taxes In 5 Simple Steps

7 Min Read | Apr 13, 2022

Does the thought of tax season make you break out in hives? Fear no more! Our easy, step-by-step guide will help you prepare your taxes without even breaking a sweat!

Most people dread this time of year because of all the paperwork involved with taxes. Thankfully, it doesnt have to be that way! Preparing your taxes can actually be a simple, no-stress process if you do a little work on the front end. All it takes is some organization and time.

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Find The Best Way To Pay Yourself

When you pay an employee, you pay them wages or a salary. When you pay yourself as the owner of a sole proprietorship, the salary you pay yourself is called a draw .

In fact, giving yourself a salary in the form of a draw helps you establish a regular pattern of income. In turn, it helps you get a clearer idea of the cost of your labor. Finally, if you use small business payroll software, it will help you automate the process of paying yourself.

Payroll software will also help you process your self-employment taxes by withholding and depositing the appropriate amounts and remitting your quarterly payments to the proper tax authorities.

Figuring out exactly how much to pay yourself is a challenge for every business owner. A lot depends on the stage of your business, your individual needs, long-term projections and more. The best bet is to bring your accountant or bookkeeper into this discussion. There are many moving parts and you want to know how each one comes together.

What Does A Tax Preparer Need To Prepare Tax Returns

Tax preparers need to efficiently and securely access and manage confidential information for their clients. As a result, most preparers look for software to manage their workflow effectively and efficiently.

Tax software should help preparers in the following ways:

• Learn. You cant know everything. There will always be knowledge gaps and questions from clients that you didnt anticipate. Professional tax software should increase your know-how, the ability to fill knowledge gaps with trusted and meaningful information for your daily work. Something to unstuck you when you dont know how to proceed.
• Research. Every client is different. And that means every answer you provide will need to be tailored to their specific questions and concerns. A tax research software solution can help get the answers when you need to go deeper and retrieve more information.
• Operate. Tax preparation requires a significant amount of day-to-day organization. You need tools to do the work and produce all the necessary forms. From document management solutions to e-filing assistance, tax software should make your operational duties easier, more productive, to do your job with confidence every time.

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Use A Tax Professional

For anyone with a complicated financial situation or a lack of confidence about finances, a tax professional is a better option. Capable tax professionals can help minimize the amount you owe and maximize the deductions you claim. Using a tax professional can pay for itself.

Tax Software Vs a CPA: Which Is Right For You?

Determine Your Tax Bracket

Determining your tax bracket can be straightforward or complicated, depending on your situation and how you earned your income. The IRS offers a complete breakdown, but its a dense document that might seem intimidating given all the numbers and columns.

For a general overview, the following chart offers a summary of brackets that apply to the 2021 tax year:

For more information about how tax brackets work , check out this article.

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Extension To File Your Tax Return

If you cant file your federal income tax return by the due date, you may be able to get a six-month extension from the Internal Revenue Service . This does not grant you more time to pay your taxes. To avoid possible penalties, estimate and pay the taxes you owe by the tax deadline of April 19, 2022, if you live in Maine or Massachusetts or April 18, 2022, for the rest of the country.

What Are The Irs E

The IRS takes the sanctity of the e-file system very seriously, and it has become an area of increased scrutiny, mainly because this is a high-risk area for potential hacking and fraud. As a result, its a little more work for a preparer to complete this process.

In many ways, e-file requirements are like acquiring a PTIN. E-file requirements ask for two additional security measures.

First, a professional certification is required, as well as an official copy of your fingerprints. Once youve submitted the online documents and sent in your fingerprints, you will receive an electronic filing identification number . Then you are ready to access the portal to submit e-filings.

If a preparer prepares less than ten returns, they are not required to e-file. If they have filed more than ten returns in a given year, they are required to e-file every single return they prepare. While there are some exceptions, they are rare.

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Pay As You Go By Paying Quarterly

Even though your filing deadline isnt until April, the federal deadline for paying owed business taxes falls on the 15th day of every third month once the fiscal year closes, which places those dates on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 for any business with a fiscal year spanning January 1 to December 31. If any of these dates occur on a weekend or holiday, payment must be made on the next business day.

Along with your business income taxes, your self-employment taxes are typically paid on a quarterly basis through estimated taxes on Form 1040-ES, which is similar to a regular 1040 and provides vouchers to mail in payments .

If its your first year in business, youll be asked to estimate both your business and personal income from the business for your business and employment taxes. After that, your taxes are assessed by looking back at the year before.

Many states and local tax authorities also follow quarterly schedules. However, its best to verify with each authority.

Which Filing Option Should I Choose To Do My Own Taxes

Each of these options is a completely acceptable way to file. There is no single option that is better than the other. The choice should come down to your personal preferences.

For example, if you are more comfortable working with pen and paper, then work by hand. But if you are comfortable with using your computer, then the online tax preparation software might be a better fit.

Either way, youll be able to file your taxes. Plus, youll determine whether you owe taxes to the government or if youll receive a tax refund. If you need to make a tax payment, then you can also mail your check to the IRS.

However, you can also complete this transaction with a credit card, debit card, or wire transfer. You can find details about these options in the IRS online payment system.

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What Does A Tax Preparer Do

Most tax preparers prepare, file, or assist with general tax forms. Beyond these basic services, a tax preparer can also defend a taxpayer with the IRS. This includes audits and tax court issues. However, the extent of what a tax preparer can do is based on their credentials and whether they have representation rights.

In a way, tax preparers are asked to serve two masters their clients and the IRS. They must assist their clients in complying with the state and federal tax codes, while simultaneously minimizing the clients tax burden. While they are hired to serve their client, they must also diligently remember their obligation to the IRS and not break any laws or help others file a fraudulent return.

Figure Out Which Credits And Deductions You Can Take

Here are some credits and deductions that you should consider when collecting your documents for filing:

• Savers credit: if you are neither a full-time student nor being claimed as a dependent on someone elses tax return, you could be eligible for a tax credit if you contribute to a retirement plan. The amount of credit you could receive is dependent on your filing status and AGI . For the tax year 2021, as a single filer with an AGI of $33,000 or less, you may be eligible. If you are married filing jointly with an AGI of $66,000 or less, you may be eligible.
• Freelance expenses: if you are self-employed working freelance, you may be able to claim deductions for work-related expenses including office supplies or industry subscriptions.
• Student loan interest: depending on your AGI, you may be able to deduct up to $2,500 in interest payments.
• Charitable deductions: generally, you should be able to deduct charitable donations if you itemize your taxes.

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Learn Which Credits And Deductions You Can Take

Getting a sense of which can help you pull together the proper documentation. Here are a few to consider:

• Savers credit. If you are not a full-time student and are not being claimed as a dependent, you may be eligible for a tax credit if you contribute to a retirement plan. The amount of the credit depends on your filing status and adjusted gross income. For the 2022 tax year, if your filing status is single, you may be eligible if your adjusted gross income is $34,000 or less. If you are married and are filing jointly, you may be eligible if your adjusted gross income is $68,000 or less. However, these numbers are subject to change in future tax years.
• Student loan interest. You can deduct up to $2,500 in interest payments, depending on your modified adjusted gross income.
• Charitable deductions. Donating to your alma mater or a favorite charity? Generally, you can deduct qualified charitable donations if you itemize your taxes.
• Freelance expenses. If you are self-employed, you may be able to claim deductions for work-related expenses such as industry subscriptions and office supplies.

If you think you may qualify for additional credits or deductions, check the IRS website.

File For 501 Tax Exemption

The second step in starting a nonprofit is filing for 501 tax exemption with the IRS. To obtain 501 tax exempt status, you must file Form 1023 and Form 990 with the IRS.

Form 1023 is used as an application for tax exemption, and every new 501 organization must complete one. If youre unsure whether or not your entity qualifies as a nonprofit under section 501, consult with a tax attorney before proceeding with this step.

The IRS website provides detailed instructions on filling out Form 1023 and submitting it online through its electronic system called Exempt Organizations Select Check. You can also mail in hard copies of both forms instead of submitting them electronically. However, this may delay your application processing time by several weeks due to postal mail delivery times.

If you have any questions or concerns while filling out either form , the IRS has resources, including guidelines for when you can expect to hear from them. But keep in mind, the IRS receives more than 95,000 applications for tax-exempt status each year.

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What You Need To Do Your Taxes

Before you start doing your own taxes you will need to gather up all of the documents and information you need first. Youll want to collect all of your information in a convenient spot.

You can save yourself a lot of time by collecting this information before starting your filing process. Instead of pausing to find another document every few minutes, youll have everything you need ready to go.

Here are some items you need to have before you start:

Monitor Your Tax Status

Register for an account with the Georgia Tax Center and you can sign up to receive notifications when any activity takes place on your account. These notifications help you monitor your tax status and help combat fraudulent activity.

After filing, use Where’s My Refund? to track the status of your refund.

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How Filing Online Impacts Your Tax Refund

Filing your taxes online is instantaneous, unlike mailing a paper tax return which takes time to reach the IRS.

Submit your forms online and youll get a notification from the IRS saying that they successfully received it, or an error occurred. If the IRS owes you a tax refund, you can have this direct-deposited into your bank account, or they will mail you a check. The former is quicker and eliminates the risk of your money getting lost in the mail.