8 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • MARCH 8, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business tax guide
Use IRS Free File for an easier way to complete your taxes
As the fi ling deadline approaches next
month, the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) reminds taxpayers that more than
70 percent of them qualify for free tax
fi ling with IRS Free File.
Th e special service is available on IRS.
gov and through the IRS2Go mobile app
for Android and iOS users.
Almost everyone can use Free File
to prepare and e-fi le their federal taxes
either through brand-name soft ware or
using online fi llable forms. Individuals
or families with 2017 adjusted gross
incomes of $66,000 or less can use Free
File soft ware. Th ere is no income limit
to use Free File Fillable Forms, which
are electronic versions of IRS paper
forms.
Th e Free File eff ort is featured as part
of the Tax Time Guide, a series of nine
news releases to help taxpayers navigate
common tax issues as this year’s April
17 deadline nears. Th is is the fi rst news
release in the series.
Taxpayers have the option to prepare
their return at any time and schedule
a tax payment as late as the April 17
deadline. Taxpayers who cannot meet
the April tax fi ling deadline can also use
IRS Free File to request an automatic
six-month extension until Oct. 15, 2018.
Th e IRS and Free File Alliance are
marking their 16th year of providing
free tax preparation products to taxpayers.
In those 16 years, taxpayers
have fi led 51.1 million free federal tax
returns. Th is equals a savings of $1.5 billion
to taxpayers, using a conservative
$30 per return preparation fee.
More than 70 percent of all taxpayers
— over 107 million people — are eligible
for the soft ware products. Each of the 12
commercial companies in the Free File
Alliance has its own special off ers, generally
based on age, income or state residency.
Taxpayers can review each company
off er or they can use a “Lookup”
tool that will fi nd the soft ware for which
they are eligible. Some products off er
free state return preparation, too.
Active duty military personnel with
incomes of $66,000 or less may use any
IRS Free File soft ware product of their
choice without regard to the criteria.
IRS Free File soft ware does the work.
It walks users through the tax preparation
process using a series of questions
and prompts while also helping to fi nd
tax changes that may aff ect their return.
Taxpayers can fi nd answers to questions,
forms and instructions and easyto
use tools online at IRS.gov 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Th ere’s no
appointments required, and no waiting
on hold.
From the Internal Revenue Service
New Yorkers already received $875M in tax refunds this year
Th e New York State Department of
Taxation and Finance announced that
more than three million personal income
tax returns have been fi led since the fi ling
season began on Jan. 29. Th e department
also issued $875 million in refunds
to taxpayers with an average state refund
of more than $800.
“New Yorkers continue to experience
the simplicity and ease of e-fi ling,
which allows us to more effi ciently process
returns and refund claims,” said
Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion.
“Th e free resources available directly
from the Tax Department, including
user-friendly online soft ware and
in-person assistance, are making it even
easier to fi le electronically and receive
refunds sooner.”
Take advantage of free
e-fi ling options
For those who need some e-fi ling guidance,
the Tax Department has opened
free tax assistance sites for eligible taxpayers.
Th ose who had adjusted gross
household incomes of $66,000 or less in
2017 may use free tax preparation soft -
ware at the sites to electronically prepare
and fi le both their state and federal
tax returns.
Tax Department experts will be available
at each site to assist low- and middle
income New Yorkers through the fi ling
process at no charge. A schedule of
dates, times, and locations is available
online at www.tax.ny.gov/fsa.
Tax Department experts are also able,
at certain locations, to assist taxpayers
in multiple languages, including Arabic,
Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and
Urdu.
Free online option. Eligible taxpayers
don’t need to visit a site, though: they
can also access and use the same free
soft ware anytime from their computer,
smartphone, or tablet at www.tax.ny.gov
(search: freefi le2017).
All returns undergo the same systematic
review, but e-fi lers typically receive any
refunds due two weeks sooner than paper
fi lers. Using the tax preparation soft ware
also helps fi lers avoid careless errors that
can cause signifi cant delays and prevents
valuable credits from being overlooked.
Check refund status
online, anytime!
If you’re eager to fi nd out the status of
your claim for an income tax refund, use
the Check your Refund tool on the Tax
Department’s website. It’s the fastest and
most convenient way to know when to
expect your refund.
To use this online application anytime,
you’ll need to enter the refund amount
you’re claiming, your Social Security
number, and which form you fi led. You’ll
then obtain the same information as you
would from our Tax Department phone
representatives, without the wait.
You can also use the Tax Department’s
automated phone line (518-457-5149) to
check your refund status, which is also
available anytime and likewise provides
the same information you’d receive from
a phone representative.
Courtesy of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance