Monday, January 19, 2009

Ten Reasons to Visit IRS.gov


1. Get answers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Whether you need a form or have tax questions, IRS.gov has a wealth of information. IRS.gov is accessible all day, every day for individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations.

2. Get tax forms and publications. You can view, download and order tax forms and publications any hour of the day or night.

3. Find out all about electronic filing. You can e-file from the comfort of your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. E-file is fast, easy and free for some taxpayers.

4. Request a payment agreement. Paying your taxes in full and on time avoids unnecessary penalties and interest. However, if you cannot pay your balance in full you can use the Online Payment Agreement Application to request an installment agreement.

5. Find out how to make payments electronically. You can authorize an electronic funds withdrawal, use a credit or debit card or enroll in the U.S. Treasury’s Electronic Federal Tax Payment System. Electronic payment options are convenient, safe and secure methods for paying taxes.

6. Check the status of your tax refund. Whether you opted for direct deposit or asked IRS to mail you a check, you can check the status of your refund through “Where’s my Refund?” on our secure Web site.

7. Calculate the right amount of withholding on your W-4. The IRS Withholding Calculator will help you ensure that you don’t have too much or too little income tax withheld from your pay.

8. Find out if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. EITC is a refundable tax credit for people who work but don’t earn much. Find out if you are eligible by answering some questions and providing basic income information using the EITC Assistant.

9. Search for charities. Search Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations, to find out if an organization is exempt from federal taxation and, if so, how much of your contributions to that organization are tax deductible.

10. Get information about careers at the IRS. No matter what your professional specialty, the IRS can offer you a variety of full-time career or seasonal job opportunities.

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is http://www.irs.gov/. Also, the IRS does not initiate communication with taxpayers about their tax account through e-mail. Before identity theft happens, safeguard your information. If you get a questionable e-mail claiming to come from the IRS, do not open it — forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

Additional IRS links:

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