Filing Income Tax Return before April 15 deadline

Tax filing season is back and with April 15 deadline fast approaching, many procrastinators might getting nervous about filing IRS return. Many people are filing tax returns online and this has helped in quick disbursal of tax refunds. However, taxpayers should be aware of the tax frauds and should avoid paying high fee to some tax preparers.

IRS has offered some tips to taxpayers to avoid any kind of scam while filing their returns or in getting a tax refund. IRS suggests e-filing of returns and direct deposit for tax refund as the best option to get timely refunds.

Some taxpayers have received 5071C letter from IRS which asks the taxpayer to check if they did indeed file a tax return. 5071C letter is sent to few taxpayers by IRS in case their return is having some inconsistencies compared to their last filed tax returns.

IRS guidelines published last month suggested taxpayers to check the fee of tax preparers beforehand to avoid higher charges. Also, taxpayers should give their own account information for tax refunds, not of the tax preparer.

IRS has also offered a smartphone app IRSGO, which offers free tax return preparation guidelines. The app also offers a quick check on the tax refund status. IRS updates the refund status records once every 24 hours.

For taxpayers e-filing their return, the tax status can be checked online within 24 hours. Usually, the IRS issues tax refund within 21 days in case the return is accepted and account information is correct. In case of paper-based returns, the refund status can be checked online within four weeks.