September 10, 2017
On the surface, nearly every tax specialist will tell you the same three basic benefits of electronic filing: One, you’ll get a faster refund; two, you’ll get a proof of receipt by the tax agency; and three, it’s less cumbersome and more convenient than paper filing.
While all that’s true, there’s a whole lot more you should know about the benefits of e-filing than just those three general statements, especially with these important filing deadlines that are coming up:
October 1, 2017
October 16, 2017
Now, more than ever before, we are reminded about the importance of e-filing and how it is so beneficial to the taxpayer as there are many benefits to filing your taxes online.
Please note the following is for area affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma:
Due to the impact caused by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, the IRS has extended 2016 business tax returns to January 31, 2018, for taxpayers in the areas affected by the two hurricanes.
Other September 15, 2017 deadlines the IRS has extended to January 31, 2018 for taxpayers in the areas affected by the two hurricanes are:
No extension of the October 1, 2017 Deadline for self-employed persons or small employers to establish a SIMPLE IRA plan for the year 2016, has been issued.
The October 16, 2017 deadline has been changed by the IRS to January 31, 2018, for properly extended 2016 C corporation and personal tax returns, for taxpayers in the areas affected by the two hurricanes. This includes:
In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in the affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area need to contact the IRS at (866) 562-5227.
Once you are familiar with the advantages of electronic filing, there is a pretty good chance that you will put down the pen and paper forever. Here are some of the biggest advantages of electronic filing.
Faster to file means a faster refund
The last thing most people want to do is spend days or weeks sifting through papers to file their income tax return. When you opt to file your taxes online, it speeds up the whole tax-return filing process, enabling the IRS to process your return and refund faster.
For example, within three days of electronically filing a return, our office obtains a notice either that the tax agency accepted the return or we receive an explanation of why the tax agency rejected it. If the agency has rejected the return, we can correct any issues with the return and then electronically re-file the corrected return within one day. Reasons for rejection can include having two members of a family claim the same deduction in the returns of both members. With a paper return, the tax agency can take two months or longer to notify the taxpayer of any issues.
Provided there are no issues, if a refund is due, taxpayers receives their IRS refund by direct deposit within three weeks after filing a Form 1040 electronically, as opposed to within six to eight weeks after they file a paper return. Because the tax refund will be deposited into your bank account by direct deposit, you will have immediate access to the funds.
Tracks & Organizes Your Records
When you electronically file your taxes, you are creating a permanent electronic record for your use in the future. If a question comes up about your tax return, you will not have to dig through filing cabinets or giant stacks of paper. Instead, you can pull up your information on your computer and get to work right away.
Bigger Refunds
Most taxpayers find that having their tax returns prepared by experienced, professional tax accountants and filed electronically gives them the chance to take advantage of more tax credits and more deductions than the taxpayers would know how to claim in returns they prepared themselves. For example when we file on behalf of a client, our tax preparation programs help us identify potential tax benefits you might be eligible for. In turn, you may receive a larger tax refund or end up owing less money.
Greater Accuracy
It should go without saying, but every tax return preparer needs to make sure that the tax return is 100% accurate. When you have your return prepared by a professional tax-accounting firm, this accuracy is much easier to achieve, because our firm takes all of the guesswork out of the tax return preparation. You won’t have to worry about which tax forms you need – that’s where we come in. We will show you the way.
Greater Security
By using a tax professional like Louis Mamo & Company, you gain assurance that your tax return data is transmitted to the IRS under rules and procedures that ensure the confidentiality of your tax information. Additionally, our programs are equipped to prevent unauthorized people from seeing the data sent to or from the IRS or any State agency. Once your tax information has been transmitted to the proper agency, any data that is sent back to us goes through the agency’s electronic filing network. This network does not use the Internet. It is a private network designed to meet the highest security standards.
There are many advantages to filing taxes online. With all of these benefits in mind, it is hard to imagine that anybody would want to file using paper tax forms. To learn more about electronic filing or to schedule a no-obligation discussion with one of our tax professionals, please call Louis Mamo & Company at 954-942-1120 or 702-931-2022.