Taxpayers Can Start Filing Their Taxes on Tuesday

The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting individual electronic returns (their recommended method) on Tues., Jan. 19, 2016.

Free federal tax preparation and e-filing software is now available at www.IRS.gov/FreeFile to all Americans with a 2015 adjusted gross income (AGI) of $62,000 or less. Early-bird taxpayers can start filing on January 19.

The IRS made several changes to protect taxpayers this year, some of those security improvements could make for a long wait after you file. Tax time can be stressful, but Free File makes step-by-step help accessible to everyone making $62,000 or less. “Free File software can help walk you thorough the steps and help you get it right”.

Last year, TurboTax saw almost 5 million taxpayers take advantage of the no-strings-attached offer, with the ability to easily and accurately file their federal 1040A or 1040EZ returns, as well as their state returns, for absolutely $0.

Also, Tax Counseling for the Elderly program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older.

Taxpayers must prepare their return by April 18.

The agency officials also said they are working with the private-sector tax industry and “state revenue departments to provide taxpayers with stronger protections against identity theft during the tax filing season”.

The following two tabs change content below. “Although we will have more people staffing our phone lines this year, we expect those lines to remain busy so we encourage people to visit the web first as the quickest and easiest way to get assistance”.

Here are some other important dates to know as we head into tax season, from Fiscal Times. Some documents include Form W-2 from employers, Form 1099 from banks and other payers, Form 1095-A from the Health Insurance Marketplace for those claiming the premium tax credit.

Taxpayers should also note that filing deadline this year is on April 18 instead of April 15 because Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington, D.C., falls on the traditional tax day.

Tulino says opt for direct deposit to speed up getting your refund, which you can get back in about 21 days or less. All you need is your routing number and account number handy.

The new measures attack tax-related identity theft from multiple sides.

Eventually the tax payer will get their refund but it will take 120-180 days for the IRS to filter through the process and correct the situation. Use a fillable form at gov, then attach the form to your return and mail according to instructions.