Check withholding – do a Paycheck Checkup soon
Since employees typically only have one or two pay dates left this year, checking withholding soon is especially important. Because of the many changes in the tax law, refunds may be different than prior years for some taxpayers. Some may even owe an unexpected tax bill when they file their 2018 tax return next year. To avoid these kind of surprises, taxpayers should do a Paycheck Checkup to help them decide if they need to adjust their withholding or make estimated or more tax payments now.
Gather documents
• Year-end Forms W-2 from employers,
• Forms 1099 from banks and other payers and
• Forms 1095-A from the Marketplace for those claiming the premium tax credit.
Taxpayers should confirm that each employer, bank or other payer has a current mailing address or email address. Typically, these forms start arriving by mail – or are available online – in January. Check them over carefully, and if any of the information shown is inaccurate, the taxpayer should contact the payer right away for a correction.
Taxpayers should keep a copy of any filed tax return and all supporting documents for at least three years. Also, taxpayers using a software product for the first time may need the adjusted gross income amount from their 2017 return to properly e-file their 2018 return.
Choose e-file and direct deposit for a faster refund
Filing Your Own Taxes
United Way offers a FREE online filing service that you can use anywhere. MyFreeTaxes.com is a tool (H&R Block software) for people who made $66,000 or less in combined Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2018. You can prepare and file both federal and state taxes at no cost, and claim valuable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Just click the button for "Get Started at H&R Block" to go the to website to create your account, or login to your existing account.
Southern Tier CA$H (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) is an IRS sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, led by Arbor Housing and Development, offering free tax help for low-to-moderate income families and individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
