E-file your taxes online to save time, paper, and a lot of aggravation. We get you started with a few legitimate online tax preparers and tips you keep scammers from scooping up your info.
It’s understandable: You put it off as long as possible, dread it all year, and when it’s finally time to confront it, you just want to get it over with as soon as possible. Taxes are the worst, but that doesn’t mean you can’t file them. Sure, you could pay for a personal accountant that will charge you an arm and a leg for your time, or shell out for this year’s edition of tax software – or, you could do them online. The benefits? You save some trees, you save some time, and oh yeah – you get your refund directly deposited in 10 days (versus the typical six weeks via paper filing).
Of course, that means you need to be even more wary of scam artists trying to get a grip on your info or just those trying to riddle your computer with spyware. Here are a few things to look out for.
#1. E-mail e-vites. If you get an e-mail from any person, company, or application offering to do you taxes, it’s very possible this is a scam. Even if some of the invitations sound legit, just play it safe and take a look at the some of the options listed below instead.
#2. Avoid viruses. Seems obvious, we know, but be sure you’ve got a firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software up and running on the system you use to file online. If you pirate a lot of music or movies, you know how easy it is to grab spyware with your downloads – so if it’s possible, file your taxes on a different computer.
#3. Clean up. Once you’re done, be sure to get all of your confidential information off the computer. Burn it onto a CD or save it to an SD card, whatever – just get it, and permanently delete it.
#4. Ask for help. You don’t need a fancy, suit-wearing accountant who charges by the hour to help you with your taxes – the IRS will do it for free. And you don’t have to get dressed up to visit an office. The official website of the IRS includes a very thorough FAQ section specifically answering questions about filing online. Make use of it in any confusion.
Here’s a few, reputable e-filing sites to peruse that all have free options:
Of course, you can always visit the IRS’ own site, which helps find the right e-tax application for you.
