We're just eight days away from the deadline to file your taxes by Tax Day, which is Tuesday, April 17 this year. There are some easy ways to save both time and money.
H&R Block estimates one in four Americans wait to file their taxes until the last month. Here are a few last minute tips:
The internet can be a great resource. Filing electronically is the fastest way to make sure the IRS gets your forms and you get your refund.
If you made less than $57,000 in 2011, you can file for free using the IRS website, or choose an online service, a tax business or a CPA.
Sidney Starks is an enrolled agent for H&R Block. She recommends sitting down with a professional to save the most cash.
Education, retirement and earned income tax credits are available, but, if you take the credit without qualifying, you could face penalties, interest and audits.
"That's the most important thing, making sure you are qualified," Starks says. "Otherwise you are setting yourself up for a world of trouble later on."
As for refunds, opting to use direct deposit helps get your money faster.
And, if you think you can't meet the deadline, Starks says there is still time and no need to file an extension.
"That doesn't solve the problem," she says. "It is not necessary. We want to get them in and file now. Then work on arrangements to make a payment."
If you have to file an extension, you must meet the midnight deadline on Tax Day and remember you still have to pay on time.
If you're having trouble paying your tax bill, you can work out a payment plan. If you're unemployed, you can file for a hardship extension, which will give you more time to pay off your bill.
Thursday, May 23 2013 11:03 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:03:13 GMT
A Perrysburg Township packaging plant is closing this summer, affecting 126 employees at the location. We're told an agreement allowing Diamond Crystal Brands to sell Splenda sweetener will expire at
A Perrysburg Township packaging plant is closing this summer, affecting 126 employees at the location.
Thursday, May 23 2013 11:34 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:34:48 GMT
13abc and the Red Cross are teaming up for our Road to Recovery Phone Bank to provide information about helping the victims of the Oklahoma tornado and other disasters. Volunteers will be at the station
13abc and Red Cross teamed up for our Road to Recovery Phone Bank Thursday to provide information about helping the victims of the Oklahoma tornado and other disasters.
Thursday, May 23 2013 11:10 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:10:04 GMT
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) - The Washington State Patrol says the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River at Mount Vernon has collapsed, dumping vehicles and people into the water. Trooper Mark Francis
The Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River at Mount Vernon collapsed Thursday evening, dumping vehicles and people into the water, the Washington State Patrol said.
Thursday, May 23 2013 9:57 PM EDT2013-05-24 01:57:54 GMT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and certain uses of hemp has cleared Ohio's ballot board. The panel's approval Thursday sends the issue into its
A proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and certain uses of hemp has cleared Ohio's ballot board.
Thursday, May 23 2013 8:40 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:40:05 GMT
PHOENIX (AP) - The jury in Jodi Arias' trial was dismissed Thursday after failing to reach a unanimous decision on whether the woman they convicted of murdering her one-time boyfriend should be sentenced
The jury in Jodi Arias' trial was dismissed Thursday after failing to reach a unanimous decision on whether the woman they convicted of murdering her one-time boyfriend should be sentenced to life or death in a case that has captured headlines worldwide with its sex, lies, violence.
Thursday, May 23 2013 8:38 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:38:38 GMT
(ABC News) -- The Boy Scouts of America today voted to lift its longtime national ban on admitting openly gay Scouts but will continue to exclude openly gay adults from leadership roles. The vote
The Boy Scouts of America today voted to lift its longtime national ban on admitting openly gay Scouts but will continue to exclude openly gay adults from leadership roles.
Thursday, May 23 2013 8:02 PM EDT2013-05-24 00:02:06 GMT
The 27-year-old woman who was on the ground staring into the barrel of a shotgun says Toledo police officers saved her life. Valarie Williams tells 13 ABC's Christine Long that it is nothing short of
The 27-year-old woman who was on the ground staring into the barrel of a shotgun says Toledo police officers saved her life. As a man stood over her pointing a shotgun to her face, Valerie Williams says, "It was like an angel came because the cops pulled up."
Thursday, May 23 2013 6:22 PM EDT2013-05-23 22:22:19 GMT
Some families in Maumee were surprised to open their utility bills and find some were ten times the normal amount. Many come from the Wrenworth subdivision and say they've been getting these very high
Some families in Maumee were surprised to open their utility bills and find some were ten times the normal amount. Many come from the Wrenworth subdivision and say they've been getting these very high bills recently and now they're asking why. At least one family did not get an actual meter reading in several months.
Thursday, May 23 2013 6:25 PM EDT2013-05-23 22:25:21 GMT
Planning is underway for the First Annual African American Male Wellness Walk in Toledo. The walk will be held August 3, 2013 at the African American Legacy Project located at 1326 Collingwood Boulevard.
Planning is underway for the First Annual African American Male Wellness Walk in Toledo. The walk will be held August 3, 2013 at the African American Legacy Project. Go to 13abc.com for details.
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