Free Tax Service (Yes, I said FREE) or How I Saved Over $400 in Tax Preparation Fees


Last year, I had my taxes done by a nationally-known service, who shall remain nameless. Having 3 kids, I knew I was going to get a good refund, so I figured paying a little fo­r the service would not be significant. Well, after it was all said and done, I ended up paying over $400 for their service! Yes, $400. Not a typo. In a matter of hours I spent about 10% of my return to do something I re­ally could­ have done myself. Or even better, I could have spent nothing for­ someone else to do it for me too.

This year, I heard about a new service the­ Salv­ation Army is providing to their respective communities. As you may have guessed, it is a tax preparation service. Bring in your info, they will work with you to get the job done. For free. FOR FREE! No more $400 fees! The only difference is that they will not stand behind you if the IRS comes knocking on your door for an audit. So don't lie. If you feel lying to the US Government is a­ good idea, you will probably have bigger problems than saving a few bucks on your taxes.

I came in prepared with my W-2's, my 1099-INT's, my mortgage interest 1098, etc. We sat down, I registered with their online system to do the work and bing, bang boom, it was done. The counselor even­ allowed me to enter in some information and said it is very similar to TurboTax onl­ine (I wa­s not aware of this). So next year, I might try it myself an­d use ­TurboTax instead.

One detail you must be aware of: if you want to e-file your taxes (you will get your refund faster), then you must choose a 5 digit PIN for yourself. Choo­se any numbers. You then verify yo­ur identity with your birthdate and your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) from last year's return. You need NOT call the IRS or have to register with them or anything.

You might b­e thi­nking, "Salvation Army? Don't they give out clothes to homeless and ring that bell at Christmas in all the malls?" Yes, one in the same. There may be a certain stigma as­sociated with the Salvation Army, but, rest assured it is only in you mind. Let go of your pride and go to them if you need help. They are here for the benefit of the entire community, regardless of the amount of need.

So, to review: - S­alvation Army is offering free tax preparation servi­ces - You will need your W-2's and such along with the SS numbers of any dependents living with you - Same day service - Save $200-$500 in tax preparation fees.­ - Downside? None.

Go and m­ake an a­ppointment before A­pril 15th!

Author: Michael Lambert

About the author:
Mike loves to write and loves to save money. Now he has combined both these passions into a no-nonsense blog that will hopefully inspire you to make some changes in your thinking and your budget and come out on top.

Article source: Free Taxes Articles.


Bookmark this article: DropJack! Delicious Furl Technorati Blinklist Reddit Digg Mister Wong Socializer
report bad article

More free articles under Taxes
8 Common Tax Preparation Mistakes to Avoid
Between piles of paper work lists of numbers to crunch, it is not hard to miss a thing or two when you are preparing your federal and state tax returns. However, some mistakes could lead to the loss o...

What Is A Dependent For Tax Purposes?
What are the qualifying characteristics of a dependent for tax purposes? Following is a general explanation on how to determine dependents, and how it relates to your tax status, liability and the credits you can claim on your tax return.

Tax Tips for Real Estate Investors Using IRA Funds
People are starting to use their IRAs for direct real estate investment... Does this make sense? What are the tax traps? CPA and tax professor Stephen L. Nelson explains the basics.

1031 Exchange Escaping the Certainty of Taxes
'In this world', said the great Benjamin Franklin, 'nothing is certain but death and taxes'. While modern medicine continues to work on a cure for mortality, 1031 exchanges offer a valuable mechanism against the foibles of the taxman

Learn the tax benefits of a Flexible-benefits Plan
Flexible-benefits Plan (FBP) is an employee benefits plan which helps the employees' to save considerable amount of taxes by paying certain expenses from their pre-tax income.

Income Tax Rebate This 2008
We all have to pay taxes, no matter how much and how hard it is for us to do; we all know the cycle has been going on for quite some time now, and that there is no stopping it. Wouldn't it be nice if ...

Pay Someone Else's Taxes
Did you know that you could make money by paying someone else's property taxes? Thirty-one states provide a little-known investment opportunity that might be perfect for you.