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Step 1
Start early, even midway through the tax year, and use estimation tools to find out how the tax picture is shaping up. These estimators show if you'll likely owe taxes and offer advice on how to lower a tax bill by putting some of your earnings in tax-deductible areas, or change how much tax to take out of your check.
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Step 2
Learn how to read W-2s and 1099s received at the end of the year. These forms concisely state how much you earned and the amount deducted for taxes. All tax forms require this information, so it's essential to understand these two forms for your taxes.
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Step 3
Try e-file through the IRS website. Gone is the thick booklet and mounds of paperwork. Online instructions guide and help you through a user-friendly website that electronically fills out and sends the required forms to the IRS, and it shortens the time it takes to get a tax refund too.
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Step 4
Check the status of your tax refund by visiting the IRS website. Have the household's social security number and the amount of expected refund shown on the return filed on hand to enter into the website. You will receive an update on checks mailed or direct deposits made. The site can also help track checks that the IRS has not yet received.
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Step 5
Extend your due date to October 15 by downloading Form 4868. Submit this form by the original April 15 due date and for legitimate reasons, you can get an additional 5 months to help work out the kinks in taxes.
