There's the version of tax resolution the late-night commercials sell you. Then there's how it actually works. I'm Darrin Mish, a Tampa tax attorney. I've spent 32 years on the inside of these cases. Here's the real version.<\/p>\n
Income Tax News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Earned Income Tax Credit<\/p>\n
If you earn $49,000 or less, you may be eligible for a tax credit to the tune of more than $5,000.\u00a0 This credit is called the Earned Income Tax Credit.\u00a0 If you are living in Connecticut, you may receive help from a newly-formed program called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program where volunteers in Stamford and other areas help you file for the credit that you are eligible for.\u00a0 These volunteers are all IRS certified and you may have your tax returns filed by them at no charge.<\/p>\n
James Horan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) said that VITA \u201censures that working families have access to valuable tax credits without having to pay high fees. \u00a0In addition, VITA connects families to other free services that provide them with the tools to leverage those tax refunds into long-lasting financial stability.\u201d\u00a0 The CAHS also helps coordinate community awareness campaigns about the free VITA services.<\/p>\n
To check out if the VITA program is for you, go to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program<\/a>.<\/p>\n No Income Tax Forms this Year<\/p>\n The IRS will not be mailing tax booklets with forms<\/a> and instructions as in previous years.\u00a0 According to the IRS, only about 8% of taxpayers received tax packets in the mail, while the rest either used a tax preparer or tax software or filed their returns electronically.\u00a0 Hence to cut costs and because of the increase in electronic filing, the agency has decided to do away with IRS forms altogether this year.<\/p>\n However, if you or your business still want to make a paper filing, you may download the relevant forms from the IRS website, www.irs.gov<\/a>.\u00a0 If you wish you can also obtain paper forms by calling 1-800-829-3676 for forms and publications to be sent through the mail.\u00a0 It would take about 10 days for the forms to arrive.<\/p>\n Alternatively, the forms are also available at local IRS offices or at participating libraries and post offices.<\/p>\n If you wish to file your tax return electronically, visit the IRS website for instructions.\u00a0 You can use Free File Fillable Forms, which are online versions of IRS paper forms that can be filed electronically without any charge.\u00a0 And if your income is $58,000 or less annually, you can use Free File tax software to prepare your tax returns.\u00a0 This is also free of charge.<\/p>\n If you are at least 60 years old, you can get free tax counseling and basic income tax preparation help through the tax counseling for the elderly program. \u00a0To help locate a tax-aide site, call 1-888-227-7669.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n