1.What documents do I need to file my taxes?

This list is different for every taxpayer. In order to have your taxes prepared, please bring the following documents and/or information as you will complete a IRS questionnaire:

• A copy of last year's Federal and State Tax Return
• State issued Photo ID
• Social Security Cards and birth dates for you, your spouse, and all dependents
• Wage and earning statements from ALL employers or sources (W-2, 1099, W-2G, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-R)
• The total amount paid for a child or dependent care and the providers' Tax ID or SS Number
• To file a Schedule A/Itemized Deductions – the total amounts of itemized deductions (charitable contributions, auto taxes paid, other property taxes, real estate taxes, medical expenses, mortgage interest, tax preparation fees, etc.)
• To file “married filing separately," you must provide the full name and social security number of the spouse
• For direct deposit of your refund, a valid bank routing and account number will be required.

2.How soon can I expect my refund?

3.What should I do if I think I may owe on my tax return?

• As soon as you receive all of your tax documents, you should do the following:
• Find a qualified tax preparer
• File your tax return early
• Once you know how much you owe, the amount in total is not due to the IRS until April 15th or the specified tax filing due date.
• Set-up a payment plan with the IRS, if you are not able to pay the total amount due in full. Interest and penalties will be accessed.
• Pay the total amount due with a credit card that offers 0% interest for 12 to 18 months

4. What should I do if I have not received my W-2s, 1099s, or other tax documents?

• Check the Calendar, Organizations are required to mail tax documents by January 31st.
• Check your email’s spam folder or check your employer’s Intranet
• Contact your former employer or retirement organization
• Contact the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040. During that call you'll need:

          b)Your employer's name, address and phone number.

           c)The dates you worked for the employer.

           d)An estimate of your wages and federal income tax withheld last year. Your last pay stub year 

                should have these amounts.

• File without a W-2. In this case, you can submit a Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, with your return. This document asks you to estimate your wages and taxes withheld last year. Again, your final pay stub can help provide these figures.
• Request more time to file. Filing Form 4868 will give you an automatic six-month extension to file your 1040.

5.Can I file a prior year tax return?

Yes. To claim a tax refund and tax credits, the IRS allows 3 years from original due date. By not filing within three years of the due date, you might end up owing even more taxes because you can no longer claim the tax credits you might have otherwise qualified for. The IRS usually only requires you to file the last 6 years of tax returns to be considered in good standing. Even so, the IRS can go back more than 6 years in certain instances. To amend your return, the IRS allows 3 years from the original date filed to claim a refund. The IRS has 3 years for the original due date to audit your tax return and 10 years to collect any tax you might owe.

If you haven't filed tax returns, the IRS may file for you. This is called a Substitute For Return (SFR). When the IRS prepares an SFR, they will do it based only on the information available (which may cost you if you earned more in previous years and that is the only information that the IRS has to calculate your taxes due) and you'll only get your standard deduction. You could be married, but the IRS may prepare the SFR as if you're single. If you have big deductions available had you itemized, you will lose those since the IRS will only give you the standard deduction. This will leave the taxes due for an SFR much higher than they would have been had you filed your return on your own.

You can still prepare your tax return after the IRS has filed an SFR. The IRS will usually accept your numbers in place of those on the SFR. If the IRS doesn't replace the SFR with your tax return, you can appeal that decision to the IRS Office of Appeals. 

6. What to do if I receive a letter from the IRS?

• Go to this website to understand the letter(s) you have received - https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/notices-for-past-due-tax-returns 
• Gather all letters received, your filed tax returns, and your tax document for all unfiled tax returns
• Find a qualified tax preparer