As you hear the word taxes, you want to run away. Dealing with your taxes can often be tiresome and frustrating and you woe the day you have to file your tax returns. Then there are also those who have no idea how to prepare their tax returns or are doing it for the first time. You get your first job and buy your own apartment and suddenly you are faced with a thing called tax returns. So what are you going to do? Know more about tax management West Palm Beach and other places here.
Don’t worry, because we have decided how to file your tax returns and what all is involved in doing so.
What exactly is tax preparation?
So, you may have received a tax form from the government to fill up. This document contains your tax liabilities and is specific according to the tax you will be paying, for instance income tax forms. These must then be filed with the government as tax returns. The process of preparing these tax returns is called tax preparation and you can even use online services and tax preparation software to fill these tax forms.
You must send these forms by April 15 to the Internal Revenue Service and for any extension you will have to give a written request. It is good to have already done all your deductions and savings beforehand so you will be ready to file by the stated time.
Identify yourself
You need to identify which of the five categories specified by the Internal Revenue Service you fall into. The five categories are Single, Married filing jointly, head of household, qualifying widow with child and married filing separately. If you fall in the married filing jointly category, you and your spouse have agreed to file one tax return for both your incomes. On the other hand if you and your spouse have agreed to handle your taxes separately then you file separate returns and this comes under the married filing separately category.
If you are single and look after the financial needs of most of the household, which includes a dependent, you fall under the head of household category and will be taxed lower. You are eligible for the special qualifying widow with child category, if your spouse died in the previous two years and not the year you are filing the tax return and plus you have a child dependent on you.
Tax preparation software
If this is too confusing for you or if you want some help, you can use some tax preparation software like TaxSlayer, TaxACT, H&R Block at Home and TurboTax. These will guide you and allow you to file your tax returns electronically.
Hire a licensed professional
If all else fails and you still find yourself unable to fill the forms, you can always hire a professional to do the job for you. An attorney, an accountant or an agent will fill out the forms for you and ensure that your returns are filed correctly and help you report and record all your earnings and deductions.
These are a couple of things that you need to know about the tax preparation.
Author’s Bio: Luke Durante owns a tax firm. Apart from his successful career, Luke find pleasure in sharing his experiences and things related to tax preparation and returns to people looking forward to the relevant resources.