How To

How to Prepare State Taxes Online

Contributor
By Deb Katula
eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)
Prepare State Taxes Online
Prepare State Taxes Online

Skip the mountains of tax forms and submit your state taxes online. Most states offer an online filing option at little or no charge. Filing online is secure, quick and simple. Best of all it can speed up your tax refund.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

    Online Tax Filing

  1. Step 1

    Find out if your state has an online tax filing program at IRS.gov (see References).

  2. Step 2

    Gather your completed federal tax information for the current tax year. Use this information to assist you in completing the online state tax forms.

  3. Step 3

    Connect to your state e-file site through IRS.gov (see References).

  4. Step 4

    Follow the steps for online tax form filing carefully. Typically, states will offer two methods of filing. One will take you through the form and ask you questions online. The other will allow you to directly input information into an online version of your state tax form. Either method is fine. If you are unsure of your calculations or want to catch all possible deductions, select the online question version.

  5. Step 5

    Double-check your work and then submit it to your state taxing authority. To avoid an audit, make sure your address and social security information is accurate.

  6. Step 6

    Choose to receive your tax refund or to pay your tax debt directly through automatic deposit/withdrawal from your bank account. Funds can also be sent via standard mail.

  7. Step 7

    Do not log out of the site until you have received the final confirmation that your taxes were submitted successfully. If there is any missing data or errors, the system will let you know at this time.

  8. Step 8

    Print out a copy of your completed state taxes for your records.

  9. Step 9

    Print out a copy of your confirmation, which should include the confirmation number and date filed. Keep this information with your tax records as proof of filing.

Tips & Warnings
  • The IRS and state governments have agreed to provide online filing services for both federal and state taxes (see Resources for more information0. Many tax software packages offer online state filing as part of their tax package. Why pay for this service when you can do it yourself for free?

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