How Much Tax Help Will You Need This Year?

Most people struggle, fret and worry about filing their taxes. Statistics show that a very low percentage of folks ever seek out qualified tax help when they are experiencing difficulties filing their returns. Are the forms you're planning on using keeping you up at night? Do you have boxes of receipts that you simply do not know what to do with? Just generally bothered with the prospect of making a mistake and getting audited by the IRS?

Your tax preparation really doesn't need to be all that challenging. Many filers fail to realize they can still receive the maximum returns by using one of the various EZ forms. The challenge there is discovering what the differences are between a regular and an abbreviated form. Fortunately many of the better online tax preparation and filing services will take all your information into account as you enter it into their systems and provide you with conclusive results about exactly which forms you should use.

But the specific forms are only some of the challenges plaguing filers this year. The following are a few of the many issues and how you might deal with getting tax help to overcome them and successfully file your taxes quickly and efficiently online.

Many of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provisions of 2009 have expired. If the ARRA is applicable to your return as you seek out an online service to file with, make sure whomever you are using provides you with the information you need to maximize those benefits.

There are some very important changes to income levels for those who can use the Additional Child Tax Credits. Having a clear understanding how those changes apply to you this year can save you hundreds of dollars.

Were you aware there are 10 education tax benefits? While not all of them may apply to you, if you are using a better quality filing service, they should provide access to the knowledge you need to determine if your college students qualify you for additional deductions in your taxes.

Even after some of the most challenging times in the U.S. housing industry there are still a number of tax credits for home owners. For those fortunate enough to take advantage of the great deals that were in the marketplace, first-time home buyers can take a special deduction of up to $8,000.

A number of other deductions related to increasing the energy efficiency of your home should provide you with a wealth of deductions this year as well. Did you install a solar hot water heater? How about a geothermal heating system? Both of these and other residential energy improvements qualify for special deductions this year.

As previously stated, it is virtually impossible for anyone to have a detailed understanding of all aspects of the tax code. For this reason alone you will really want to have access to a service that allows you to find all the relevant knowledge you need when filing your taxes.

If you simply file an EZ form because it’s quick and seemingly painless you are likely to leave much money with the government that is legally and rightfully yours. Get the tax help you need in order to receive the correct amount of money in pocket.