Internet Tips & Tricks
By MARK DAVIS
General Manager, CommSpeed Internet Service
President, Prescott Computer Society
Visit the Computer Society Website
www.prescottcomputersociety.org
 TAXMAN
“One for you 19 for me”
Am
I showing my age by quoting a line from that old Beatles
song “Taxman?” Let’s
take a look at the Internet resources and software
available to make tax time a little less excruciating.
Tax
preparation software and Internet sites about taxes can
be very useful. But, if your taxes complex, it’s a good
idea to also work with a local tax preparation expert.
Software
The two most widely
used programs are TurboTax (www.intuit.com)
and TaxCut (www.hrblock.com).
Each offers a range of editions, from $19.95 to $79.95.
Watch for various rebates and software giveaways. They
also offer versions allowing you to prepare your return
online.
TaxACT (www.taxact.com)
offers a FREE edition for download or online use.
Electronic Filing
Last year, 47
million individual returns, or about 36 percent of the
total, were filed electronically. In previous years
there was a cost, but now it’s FREE! Check out
www.irs.gov and click
on “Free File.”
Direct Deposit
Electronic
filing can speed up your return. Do you have a refund
coming? You can get it even faster by using direct
deposit to your bank account. The state of Arizona
also provides electronic filing and direct deposit. I
read that the state is expecting a 6 to 8 week
turnaround for mailed refunds, so it’s good idea to
investigate these options to get your refund sooner.
Other Websites provide online preparation and electronic
filing. Check out
www.completetax.com, www.filetaxes.com, and
www.easy-efile.com.
Online Resources.
The Net
abounds with sites dedicated to tax issues.
www.taxsites.com
is an index of hundreds of sites on every tax topic
under the sun.
There are also many sites dedicated to offering a
variety of helpful articles. Some of the more
informative sites include:
www.taxopedia.com
http://taxes.yahoo.com
www.wwwebtax.com
http://moneycentral.msn.com
www.1040.com
www.turbotax.com
And
of course, the Internal Revenue Site -
www.irs.gov - is also a
fine resource for tax information.
Have
fun with your taxes :)
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