Time to File Your Taxes
Jan. 17, 2012
Hopefully you had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends and now you’re ready to start thinking about tackling your taxes. In the next few weeks your various tax forms (like your W-2 or your 1099 forms), should be showing up and then you’ll be ready to make your 2011 filing.
We always recommend some kind of electronic filing if it is possible for you to do so. Filing online generally means a faster refund, fewer errors and an easier process for taxpayers. There are quite a few ways you can complete your taxes online, so almost everyone has the chance to do their taxes in this easier way.
You might qualify for Indiana freefile. It’s a new program offered to about 1 million people across the state. The service is free and allows you to file all your taxes at one location while using professional software. All you need to do is check and see if you qualify. If you do, just pick the tax program you qualified for and fill out the forms. The question and answer style of the programs is very intuitive and you shouldn’t have a problem. Go to www.freefile.dor.in.gov to find out if you qualify. You can even do it at your local library.
If you’re uncomfortable with tax filing systems, want personal help and have low income, there is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA is a group of volunteers who will help you file your taxes and they generally meet in community areas like libraries and community centers. This is also a free service and you can contact the VITA hotline to find out more at 1-800-829-1040.
If you are at least 55 years old, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers free tax assistance. You can go to www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/ for more information.
If you don’t qualify for any of the above, you can always buy a software package from a commercial tax preparer. These can be purchased at a physical store location or just downloaded from the company’s website.
Finally, there is always paper. You can pick up all the forms you might need from your local library. They are free. All you have to do is fill them out and mail them back. Paper is not as fast and is more likely to have errors than an online filing, but it still gets the job done and you will only have to buy a stamp and envelope.
To return to Señora Hinojosa’s tax blog, click here.
If you have any suggestions for this blog, please e-mail those suggestions to Señora Hinojosa at feedback@dor.in.gov
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