FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 21, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
tax guide
4 tax tips for online fi lers in 2019
As time continues to tick, millions of
tax fi lers are beginning to feel the pressure
to fi le a tax return. But big questions still
remain, and for those fi ling online, those
questions are compounded by the myriad
options for submitting a return.
Fortunately for those online fi lers, there
is such a thing as sound advice. With help
from some of America’s renowned tax
experts, we’ve compiled a list of the top
four tips for fi ling online in 2019.
1. Organization is important -
especially if you’re fi ling online
Organizing necessary documents is one
of the most important steps to make tax
preparation smoother. Start with gathering
last year’s tax return. Online fi lers will
need information from this document.
From there, secure income documents,
receipts, etc. Checking the documents
against a checklist can help taxpayers be
sure they’ve got everything they need.
Missing tax documents can mean missing
out on entitled tax benefi ts. Taxpayers can
fi nd ready-to-use checklists or customize
their own online, at places like hrblock.
com/checklist.
2. Digitize documents
Taxpayers can avoid the paper chase
of fi nding tax and fi nancial documents
by downloading online copies whenever
possible or snapping pictures of hard copies.
Th ese fi les can then be placed in an
online storage tool like MyBlock.
3. Life is FULL of distractions, so
limit yours when fi ling a return
A recent survey from H&R Block asked
consumers what sort of things they do
when fi ling their taxes, and the answers
were interesting. People browse social
media, watch TV, cook dinner, yell at
their kids, and so on. More distractions
can mean a higher likelihood of mistakes
or missed credits and deductions. Limit
those distractions and focus on the task
at hand.
4. Take advantage
of help options
Fortunately, taxpayers don’t have to
make a choice between doing their taxes
themselves or completely turning over the
preparation to a tax professional. Before
committing to any specifi c online tax fi ling
product, taxpayers should be sure to
investigate what assistance options are
available in case they get stuck or have
concerns. Most online tax fi ling products
off er some sort of assistance, whether it’s
going to an in-product help center or even
having a tax pro review their completed
return before it is submitted to the IRS.
Taxpayers looking for a middle ground
may want to select something like H&R
Block’s new Ask a Tax Pro service that
gives them unlimited, on-demand chat
sessions with a tax expert, so they can get
the help they need as they are working on
their tax returns.
“Th is tax season may be a time when
even the most confi dent do-it-yourself
fi ler could use a little help along the way,”
said Heather Watts, senior vice president
and general manager of digital at H&R
Block. “Taxpayers fi ling online have more
support options that let them decide how
much or how little help they want with
their tax preparation.”
Filing taxes isn’t optional for most
Americans, but following these four tips
can help make the do-it-yourself path a
lot smoother. For a full lineup of online
and soft ware tax fi ling products and to get
started, visit hrblock.com.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
/hrblock.com