The April 15th deadline for filing taxes is just four days away! The best option for taxpayers who have yet to file their return is to e-file their returns because it is easy and more importantly it is fast. As many as 100 million taxpayers e-file their tax returns.
Using the IRS’ Free File service, anyone can file a Form 1040 online for free. Taxpayers who want their taxes prepared through software can also use the Free File service. If their income is less than $57,000, they can use software products by companies in collaboration with the IRS to prepare and file their tax returns.
Tax preparation software, such as TurboTax and TaxAct, can be used to prepare and file taxes, but taxpayers must ensure that they use only authentic and reliable tax software, as they will enter personal information on their tax returns.
It is important for taxpayers to be careful while sharing their tax information online because of the prevalence of identity theft. Bookmarking trusted sites is a good method to stay safe from duplicate sites that may open up if the wrong web address is typed in by mistake. Taxpayers who are not confident about using online tax filing may stick to paper filing for safety.