How soon can I file my income tax return?
As soon as you receive the information you need to file (W-2, Unemployment 1099G, bank interest, etc.) you may fill out both the federal and state income tax forms and mail them in.
However, for electronic filings the IRS announced plans to open the 2015 filing season for tax year 2014 on January 20, 2015 for both Business and Individual tax returns.
In an email sent to tax preparers the IRS asks to remind taxpayers that filing electronically is the most accurate way to file a tax return and the fastest way to get a refund.
There is no advantage to people filing tax returns on paper in early January instead of waiting for e-file to begin.
To help you track the processing of your return the IRS has established a site: irs.gov/Refunds, a cell phone app IRS2GO, and for those electronically challenged taxpayers a Refund Hotline 1-800-829-1954.
New York State refunds can be tracked through: www8.tax.ny.gov/PRIS/prisStart or by calling (518) 457-5181
The IRS and New York State will continue the practice of reviewing some returns with refundable credits (Earned Income Credit, etc.) before sending the taxpayer their refund which will delay the processing of those returns and refunds expected.
The IRS cautions you to not count on your refunds by a certain date, even though they issue most refunds within the 21-day period, it’s possible your return may require additional review and a longer processing time.
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Where do I get the forms and instructions?
As soon as the forms and instructions are approved, federal forms and instructions are available on the Internet at: irs.gov/Forms-&-Pubs, your local IRS office, or you can order up to 10 different forms and instructions to be mailed to your address by calling 1-800-829-3676.
The IRS will send two copies of each form and instructions to you.
New York State forms are only available on the Internet at: tax.ny.gov/forms/other_ways_to_get_forms.htm or by calling (518) 457-5431.
In either case it usually takes 10 to 15 days after they are available for your forms to arrive.
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Questions for Deborah Ritz can be e-mailed to The Weekly Adirondack at WeeklyADK@yahoo.com