October 23, 2013
1. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant. This tool is a tax law resource that covers a number of topics. The ITA is easy to use as it leads you through a series of questions and provides responses to your tax law inquiries.
2. Check your withholding. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator tool to check if you're on target with the amount withheld from your pay. This tool can help you decide if you need to give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate.
3. Check your refund status. The Where's My Refund? tool is a fast and easy way to check the status of your tax refund. Use the IRS2Go mobile app or click on the 'Refund' tab on IRS.gov.
4. Order a transcript. Order your tax return transcript or tax account transcript online. You'll receive it within 5 to 10 days.
5. Pay your taxes electronically. Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to pay your taxes online or by phone. EFTPS is a free service.
6. Apply for a payment agreement. The Online Payment Agreement tool allows you to apply for a payment agreement online if you owe $50,000 or less in taxes, interest and penalties.
7. Check out a charity. Search for qualified charities using Exempt Organizations' Select Check. This tool will tell you if an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.
8. Check your homebuyer credit repayments. Use the First Time Homebuyer Credit Lookup tool to get account information such as the total amount of your credit or your repayment amount.
9. Get forms and publications. View, download and order federal tax forms and publications anytime, day or night.
10. Check your eligibility for an offer in compromise. An OIC allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It's an option if you can't fully pay your taxes, or doing so creates a financial hardship. Use the OIC Pre-Qualifier tool to see if you may be eligible before you apply for one.
Or, feel free to give me a call. I can help with any of the above topics.
(This article contains the current opinions of the author but not necessarily those of Brighton Securities Corp. The author's opinions are subject to change without notice. This blog post is for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. References to specific securities and their issuers are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities).
IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE:
As required by U.S. Treasury Regulations, please be advised that any written tax advice contained in this communication was not written or intended to be used (and cannot be used) by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code