Trust
me. Your taxes aren’t going to file themselves. Even I am guilty of waiting
until the last minute.
Tax
season can bring on many emotions, but don’t be defeated. Dust off those old
shoeboxes in your closet or go into that top drawer that you only touch once a
year and find all of your receipts, charitable donations, and other important
paperwork.
Preparing
ahead of time will help you avoid mistakes and delays in receiving your refund.
Confused about what papers to take to your local tax preparer? I’m going to
provide you with a checklist of documentation to bring along to make for an
error free filing process and possibly an even bigger refund. Everyone could
use a little extra money, right?
Simply
put, here’s what you will need:
- your
driver’s license (and Power of Attorney if filing on behalf of a service
member);
- name,
birthdate, and Social Security Card of each person in your household;
- your
child care provider’s Tax ID number;
- receipts
of charitable donations and any taxes that were paid during the year;
- your
W-2;
- any
paper that contains Form 1098 or 1099 in its title…they are all equally
important;
- all
of your old tax returns since your tax preparer may want to check them for
accuracy;
- and,
a copy of all business related expenses and vehicle mileage accumulated during
work hours (this mileage includes travel for volunteer work!).
If you are
uncertain as to whether you should bring a particular document, just bring it
anyway. A more detailed list of paperwork can be found at www.libertytax.com/tax-interview.html.
It’s only natural
to have questions, but that’s why your tax preparer is there. They are trained
for this kind of stuff! I recommend asking about the preparation fees upfront.
There could be referral programs or discounts that you may not even know about.
Also, ask about when you could expect to receive your refund and if you can opt
for direct deposit to receive it quicker.
Confused about what
tax credits may apply to you? Write them down and ask your tax preparer if you
qualify for them. Having children or being a full-time student could actually
pay off for you.
So throw the
stress, confusion, and worries out of the window. Prepare early in order to
file smart. For a complete list of Liberty Tax locations, visit www.libertytax.com.