IRS Provides Tips for Taxpayers Planning to File Online

The Internal Revenue Service has provided several tips to taxpayers who plan on filing their income returns online after Jan. 30.

The IRS recently announced that tax-filing season would kick off in late January following law changes under the American Taxpayer Relief Act.

According to Spokeswoman Dianne Besunder, using e-file is not only the most efficient method of filing an accurate return, but also the fastest way to get a refund for those who use direct deposit.

The IRS expects to process refunds within the typical timeframes, Besunder said.

Last year, the agency issued more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than three weeks.

However, some tax returns require additional review and take longer. Therefore, the agency has put stronger security filters into place this season to protect against refund fraud.

After filing a return, taxpayers can track the status of their refund through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS’s website.

This year, the tool will provide an actual personalized refund date following the processing of the return and the approval of the refund, Besunder said.

Take a look at this list of tips on how to best utilize “Where’s My Refund?”

1. Initial information will generally be available within 24 hours after the IRS receives an e-filed return or four weeks after mailing a paper return.

2. The system is updated every 24 hours, so there is no need for a taxpayer to check more than once per day.

3. “Where’s My Refund?” provides the most accurate and complete information that the IRS has about the refund, so there is no need to call the agency unless the web tool prompts the taxpayer to do so.

4. To use the program, taxpayers need to have a copy of their tax return as well as their Social Security number, filing status and the exact dollar amount of the refund they are expecting.