Helpful Tax Tips for Federal and State Tax Returns
By Gray Rollins

Each year there are millions of Americans who prepare their own federal and state tax returns and even more individuals have their taxes professionally prepared. Whatever choice a taxpayer makes there are a number of important tax tips that everyone should know.

A W-2 or 1099MISC is needed to accurately prepare a federal or state income tax return. There is always a chance that a taxpayer may misplace these forms or for one reason or another the forms may not have reached them. For federal tax returns and most state tax returns a W-2 or a 1099MISC is required. Individuals who do not attach these items are likely to prevent their tax returns from being processed or cause a refund delay. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) states that all taxpayer should receive their W-2 or 1099MISC forms before February 15th. Individuals who did not receive these items are encourage to contact their employer to determine why the forms have not arrived. Taxpayers who misplaced their W-2 or 1099MISC forms are encouraged to contact their employer right away to receive a copy. Taxpayers must do so because even if a wage or income form is missing a tax return is due on the traditional April 15th deadline or else late fees and penalties may be assessed.

Another one of the popular tax tips that taxpayers should know about is tax deductions. It is estimated that each year the American public loses millions of dollars from tax deductions that they were entitled to, but failed to claim. A professional tax preparer and a tax software program may prompt an individual to claim tax deductions that they qualify for. Individuals preparing their own paper taxes are more likely to miss tax deductions that they may claim. To prevent this from happening taxpayers are encouraged to research the most frequently overlooked tax deductions to determine which deductions they may qualify for.

Another one of the most common tax tips that taxpayers need to be aware of is what to do if they can’t pay the amount of taxes owed on federal or state tax returns. The biggest mistake that taxpayers make when realizing that they cannot pay the amount due on their taxes is to not file a tax return. Some people think that not filing a return will prevent a refund from being owed on time when in reality it can make the situation a lot worse. Taxpayers can file an extension deadline; however, the estimated amount of taxes owed is still due on the traditional tax deadline. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will impose a number of late fees and penalties on tax payments that were not received in time. Just ignoring the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may increase the number of or the amount of penalties.

http://www.taxhelpdirectory.com/irs/irstaxlaw/

One of the most important tax tips that a taxpayer needs to keep in mind is that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and many state governments change or update their tax laws each year. For this is reason taxpayers are encouraged to check out the website of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the website of their state tax department to determine if any of the tax law changes need to be applied to their federal or state tax returns.

These helpful tax tips are just a few of the many tax tips that can help tax preparation flow more smoothly. The above mentioned tax tips will also help to reduce the amount of money that an individual owes on federal or state taxes or even potentially increase the amount of their refund. Why pay late fees or lose money on tax deductions that you deserve? Let these and other helpful tax tips assist you this tax season.

About The Author
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for the Tax Help Directory. To learn more tax tips, visit http://www.taxhelpdirectory.com/taxtip/ and for more tax information, visit http://www.taxhelpdirectory.com/taxinformation/.

Online Tax Assistance Resources

AARP Online Tax Assistance http://www.aarp.org/money/taxaide/taxcounseling/
AARP Tax-Aide Services https://locator.aarp.org/vmis/sites/tax_aide_locator.jsp

Internal Revenue Service Tax Preparation Assistance
The IRS offers free assistance by computer and telephone and in person. The IRS can help taxpayers get forms and publications and answer a wide range of tax questions. The IRS can also help find free tax preparation services for those who qualify.
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=152009,00.html

Main IRS Site with Links to Forms and Other Resources
http://www.irs.gov/

IRS Information on Taxpayer Rights
http://www.irs.gov/advocate/article/0,,id=98206,00.html

Free and Low Cost Legal Assistance
Tax clinics throughout the United States provide free or low-cost legal assistance to qualifying taxpayers. Tax clinics are funded by the National Taxpayer Advocate. You can find a complete list of tax clinics in IRS Publication 4134 (PDF file, 4 pages).

State Tax Resources
Federation of Tax Administrators
http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html
Louisiana State University Resources
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/govdocs/taxes.html

Do You Need a Tax Attorney?
Tax attorneys specialize in the complex and technical field of tax law. They are best for handling complex, technical and legal issues. Some tax attorneys also have a background in accounting. If you are facing a complex accounting as well as legal matter, you might want to looking for an attorney who is also a CPA (Certified Public Accountant).   » Find a tax attorney in your area.

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