Around this time every year, I go into a sort of tax-induced hysteria which generally follows the five stages of grief:
1. Denial
W-2s? Those are definitely going in the "don't want to deal with it" mail file (along with collection notices, myriad credit card offers, and letters from my alma mater asking for donations), which is strategically located in a disheveled pile underneath my bookshelf. Bam! Out of sight, out of mind, bitches!
2. Anger
Taxes?! Seriously?! I'm pretty sure I don't make enough money for this to actually fucking matter. Besides, didn't I already pay this shit all year? Why the fuck does the fucking government need me to tell them how much I paid? Don't my taxes pay for someone to do that shit for me?
3. Bargaining
Will you do my taxes for me? I'll bake you cookies...
4. Depression
I never get a big refund. With my luck, I'll probably end up owing. I'm just going to curl up into a ball on the couch and eat frozen pizza.
5. Acceptance
Well, I guess I'll do my taxes. It's better than jail, right? And if I get a refund, then I can go and buy a bunch of cute new clothes to help me cope with my post-tax stress disorder!
If you've finally reached the acceptance stage, and don't want to pay the assholes at H&R Block to take half of your tax return, I have a few helpful hints and resources for you:
1. Electronic Federal Return for Freesies
No matter what income level you're at, there are several websites that will let you electronically file your federal return for free. Personally, I like TurboTax and TaxAct. Both offer free federal editions, and are super user-friendly. This is important to me because an excess of numbers sometimes induces pea-colored vomit.
One drawback of these sites is that they will constantly offer and/or try to scam you into upgrading to a "premium" edition for $14.95 or whatever $$ amount extra. Just ignore the pop-ups and move on.
The other drawback is that they will automatically guide you through doing your state return(s), but they will charge you to do the state returns. If you really prefer to just get it all done at once on one site, then go ahead and pay the extra $15 or whatever, but you might be able to electronically file your state taxes for freesies as well. (See below.)
If you do decide to try to file your state taxes for free, you will need to delete your state tax return(s) from whichever site you're using before you submit your federal return. This kind of freaked me out at first, but don't worry, it's totally do-able and as long as you are careful not to delete your federal return, it will work just fine.
Another option is to file both federal and state returns through your state website. Here is a list of states that have that option. New York does, and it offers free filing for those who meet income requirements.
Unfortunately California and Minnesota are not on the list, so we have to be a little more creative.
2. Do your state taxes for freesies
If your state is on the federal/state return list from above, you can ignore this, but here is some info for those of you who live in states that don't provide free federal and state filing:
If you meet certain income requirements, Turbo Tax offers free filing for the following states: AL, AR, AZ, GA, IA, ID, KY, MI, MN, MO, MS, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, RI, SC, VT, WV.
California has two options: Ready Return and CalFile. Both are free, and most people will fit the requirements for one or the other. Either way, the website is very user-friendly, and it's easy to figure out which one to use and then fill it out.
Minnesota also offers a few options for free e-filing for qualifying individuals, one of which is the Turbo Tax site (above).
3. Get some expert help for freesies
If you have an especially complicated return this year, or you're just nervous about filing online without the guidance of an Actual Person, the IRS offers a nationwide Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) for low- to moderate-income individuals (generally $49,000 or less.) The IRS certifies and trains these volunteers to help people do file their individual income taxes. Tax preparation sites are sorted by state on the IRS site.
4. If you really want to nerd out on your taxes...
Check out this Learn Vest tutorial. It's a fantastic, if slightly exhaustive, resource, and it's written in a conversational way so it doesn't make your head spin.
Anyway, I know that I am less likely to panic and procrastinate when I have some fucking clue where and how to start to tackle a problem. I hope this will help you avoid a tax-related meltdown this year.
Sorry for the lack of fashion in this post, but if you save money on your taxes, you'll have more to spend on shopping. Plus, I promise next week will be fashion-y as fuck including Clothing Swap 101 and The Best Thing Ever.
How's that for a fucking teaser?
<3- hallee
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