I compiled a huuuuuuge list of tax day freebies and discounts on my WalletPop blog. The list includes sweet treats at Cinnabon, Subway, and Maggie Moo’s, free coffee at Starbucks, free tacos at Taco del Mar, and a free 3-day trial to find love at Chemistry.com. Plus the post has tax day discounts at P.F. Chang’s, McCormick & Schmick’s, Kelly’s Running Warehouse, and a lot more.
Check out the April 15, 2010 tax day freebies here. Haven’t filed? File your income taxes for free. Or use this 30% off coupon to buy tax software. Remember to check out the new tax credits available this year.
If you’re getting money back, here are ideas for how to spend your refund.
Get a free DVD rental from any Redbox at a Kroger grocery store. The expiration date is unknown so don’t delay.
Get 30% off tax software at H&R Block. And remember, the basic version is free!
Check out all the deals and coupons on my WalletPop blog. Later today there will be a 15% off coupon for Kohl’s and a coupon for a free ream of paper at Staples.
AMagill/Flickr
You can request $5 worth of free pens and business supplies for a limited time through Union Pen Company.
Here’s a free movie rental code for Blockbuster Express that is good through April 12, 2010.
Walgreens has two photo deals good through April 10, 2010, including 10-cent prints.
Use these two stackable tax coupon codes to get 15% off at H&R and another 13% off when you shop through eBates.
If you missed an earlier mention of a website that lists free museum days, check it out.
Check out all the deals on my WalletPop blog.
Ryan McFarland/Flickr
This post is brought to you by Mint.com, a hot spot for personal finance software.
A friend of mine is getting a massive tax refund – almost $10,000. I’m frustrated that my friend lets the government keep his money interest-free for a year. But he likes the big cash influx, which he is more likely to save than if he had received a slightly bigger paycheck every two weeks during the year. Here is what he said when I asked him about his return.
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Put it in the bank.”
“All of it?”
“Yes. Why not?
“Isn’t there anything you want to spend it on?”
“Not really.”
I guess he didn’t get the memo that Americans are big consumers. Not that I want him to spend it all. I’m just surprised that he is not going to spend a fraction of it on himself.
Loading ...If you are getting a refund, here are five things to do with it:
- Pay off high-interest credit card debt.
- Pay off any other high-interest debt you may have.
- Boost your emergency savings account.
- Contribute to your IRA, Roth IRA, or other retirement fun.
- If you’re in a good place on the above four, spend a little on yourself!
If you haven’t filed, here are three places you can file your taxes online for free. Remember to review the new tax credits available and use all the tax coupon codes available. If you are looking for paid help, here are tips to hire a tax professional.
David Reber's Hammer Photographer/Flickr
Here are three places where you can file your taxes online for free. If you are doing your taxes yourself, check out these basic tax tips to get started. If you are hiring a tax professional, make sure to ask these five questions.
Okay, here is how to file your taxes online for free.
Option No. 1. You can file your federal returns for free using the traditional IRS Free File, which offers step-by-step help if your adjusted gross income is $56,000 or less (this number could vary slightly for 2009). The software puts your answers directly into the forms and does the math for you. You can get a refund in as quickly as 10 days if you opt for direct deposit. This service is also available in Spanish.
Option No. 2. You can fill in your own tax forms without the help of software using the Free Fillable Forms, thanks to a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance LLC, a group of private sector tax software companies.. This hands-off approach lets you prepare and e-file your 1040, 1040 A and 1040EZ federal returns. There are no income limits as with Option No. 1. State forms are not included.
Option No. 3. If you are a senior, you can get free tax preparation and filing help through AARP.
If your returns are complicated and you want to buy Turbo Tax or another program, remember to use a tax software coupon code!
Jeremy Brooks/Flickr
There are a few new credits you can use on your income tax returns, according to Wells Fargo. Check out these credits, which I’ve summarized from a Wells Fargo press release, before you take the standard deduction of $11,400 if you are married filing jointly, or $5,700 if you are single or married filing separately.
The cool thing about tax credits is that if you end up with a negative tax liability, you will get a check from the government!
Disclosure: I am not a tax professional. Consult with a tax professional or research these credits further if you believe you are eligible.
- Got a student in college or putting yourself through school? Check out the American Opportunity Credit, designed to replace and improve the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credit. Your can make as much as $160,000 for married couples filing jointly or $80,000 for single filers and still claim this credit. You can claim the first $2,000 you spend on college expenses and 25 percent of the next $2,000 to get a total credit of no more than $2,500.
- If you lost your job recently, you don’t have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 in unemployment benefits. The same goes for your spouse. Double unhappiness turns into double deductions!
- Buy a new car or sell one? You can deduct the sales tax you paid on your new car, truck or motor home as long as you purchased it after February 16th, 2009. You can deduct the taxes up to a purchase price of $49,500, but if you make a lot of money ($250,000 for married filing jointly), the credit slides downward.
- You do not need to report your financial gains from the Cash for Clunkers program as income.
- If you bought a fuel-efficient vehicle in 2009 you may be eligible for green tax credits.
- Are you a first time home buyer? You may be able to get 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000 back in credits. To qualify you must have bought your home between Jan 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. You have to live in your home as your principle residence for at least three years or else pay back the credit. The government considers you a first time homebuyer if you have not owned a home as your principal residence in the past three years. There’s also a $6,500 credit if you traded up to a new principle residence. The credit applies to mobile and manufactured homes but not vacation properties. Some income restrictions apply.
If you have questions Wells Fargo’s tax center has more info.
Related posts on BargainBabe.com:
Tax calculator, forms, and tips
Where do your tax dollars go? (image)
Five questions to ask before hiring a tax pro
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these weekly deals.
Get 15% off at My M&Ms. Expires March 31, 2010.
Get 30% off $150 or more at GNC. Expires March 31, 2010.
Get $25 off $75 or more at Alloy. Expires June 11, 2010.
Get 20% off sale items at Vera Bradley. Expires March 24, 2010.
Printable! Get $20 off tax services at H&R Block. Expires April 15, 2010.
Phillip/Flickr
This post is brought to you by Mint.com, a destination for budgeting software.
I’m slogging through my taxes and found these tax tips from CPA Steven Meyerson of JustAnswer.com to be super useful. Steven apparently gets a lot of the same questions year in year out because folks like you and me forget the most basic rules of tax preparation and filing. His tips:
Dealing with kids and marriages: If you’re married or divorced be sure that you and your spouse’s last names match all social security records, because your return will be rejected if they don’t. Also, if you’re divorced with children, be sure you know who’s claiming the kids. The rule is that whoever files first will initially get the credit and if it’s not the right person, correspondence with the IRS will be required by both parties to resolve the matter. To avoid that mess, it’s something you NEED to work out beforehand.
E-filing is the way to go: If you’re doing your taxes yourself, you should save yourself some time and money by e-filing using the IRS’s Free File program. The online form populates the numbers for you so you don’t have to worry about calculating the math. The other upside is that once you submit your return, you will receive your check earlier than if you had submitted it manually.
Use the correct forms: Make sure you use your W2 forms and not a recent pay stub – there is a huge difference.
Need an extension? Make sure you file it by April 15, unless you are living out of the country in which case you have until June 15 to file your return or file for an extension. Remember, extensions should include an approximation of the amount you owe, whether remitted or not. Failure to properly estimate your liability could lead to a rejection of your extension request and could result in late filing penalties.
Please Don’t Procrastinate: If you want your money earlier, you need to file your return earlier. The closer you file your return to the due date, the longer it will take for you to get it back.
And Don’t Pay Extra: Paying to get your return earlier is never worth it. Avoid anticipation loans or quick refunds because the cost isn’t worth having the funds a few day’s early.
Additionally, I found this IRS tax calculator to help you out over the next month. The post office has free hard copies of basic tax forms or you can get them online through the IRS.
Here’s a nifty graphic from Turbo Tax that shows where your taxes go.The chart singles out 11 categories that benefit from taxes, including national defense, international affairs, and health care. Using data from Salary.com, the chart shows for 10 different jobs the average salary, the average tax bill as a percentage of income, and the average tax bill as paid in dollars.
At the top of the heap you have the CEO, who makes $643,846 and pays 34 percent of his income (some $215, 734) in taxes. At the bottom is the janitor, who makes $28,245 and pays 16 percent of his income (some $4,585) in taxes . Strangely, all the workers depicted are men, unless those are burly cross dressing women.
A pie chart next to each job description shows how many dollars go towards each of the recipient categories. The dollars figures are different for each job but the percentages that goes to each category is the same. Note that military spending is by far the biggest recipient of our tax dollars, followed distantly by health and a nondescript category labeled “other.”
I highly recommend checking out this chart that shows where you tax dollars go.
Some 60 percent of Americans hire others to do their taxes for them, which means a lot of us are looking for a tax pro to hire right now. The March issue of ShopSmart, a magazine put out by Consumer Reports, shares five questions you should ask anyone you’re considering hiring.
1. What kinds of clients do you usually work with? Look for a preparer with clients similar to you.
2. What are your credentials? Look for a preparer who has passed recent state or federal tests and 7 to 10 years experience.
3. Will you file my returns electronically? Filing electronically ensures fewer mistakes and helps speed your refund.
4. Can you give me a price quote? Try to get a price quote by presenting last year’s forms. Ask for all fees and avoid preparers who base their fee on a percentage of your refund.
5. Do you provide audit help? CPAs and enrolled agents can usually represent you before the IRS, but you might have to pay extra.
In case you missed these resources to file taxes for free:
If you make less than $49,000 you can get free tax preparation and e-filing through the IRS’ VITA program.
File your taxes for FREE through AARP, even if you’re not a senior.
No matter what your income, file your taxes for free online through the IRS’ Free File Fillable Forms.
And there are lots of coupon codes for tax software, like this tax software coupon for 25% off at H&R Block At Home.
There are plenty of ways to do your taxes yourself and not pay a dime, especially if you make less than $49,000 (see three ways to do this below). But if you are going to hire someone, here are nine tips from author and CPA Stacy Johnson to help you choose a tax pro.
For the last four of Stacy’s tips for choosing a tax pro, visit his site, MoneyTalksNews, and scroll down to below the video.
Resources to file taxes for free
If you make less than $49,000 you can get free tax preparation and e-filing through the IRS’ VITA program.
File your taxes for FREE through AARP, even if you’re not a senior.
No matter what your income, file your taxes for free online through the IRS’ Free File Fillable Forms.
And there are lots of coupon codes for tax software, like this tax software coupon for 25% off at H&R Block At Home.
Get 15 percent off H&R Block At Home tax software plus a 12 percent cash rebate when you purchase the software through eBates.com. The deal includes their deluxe and premium software. With the two discounts here’s how the pricing breaks down:
Premium tax software sells for $49.95
Minus instant 15 percent = $42.45
Minus cash rebate of 12 percent = $37.36
That adds up to 25 percent off the starting price!
Deluxe tax software sells for $29.95
Minus instant 15 percent = $25.45
Minus cash rebate of 12 percent = $22.40
That adds up to 25 percent off the starting price!
Basic tax software is free!
If you don’t use these H&R Block coupons, you can file your taxes for free. There are also a lot of coupons for state and federal tax filing. And if you are 50-plus, you can get free tax preparation and filing through AARP.
If you are new to eBates, see No. 3 on my earlier post about online shopping coupons and discounts.
One way to reduce the cost of paying and filing taxes is to use a coupon code for your state and federal returns. Here are a handful from CouponCabin.com.
At Jackson Hewitt get 25 percent off with this printable coupon. Expires April 30, 2010.
Exclusive! Get 50 percent off entire online order at One Price Taxes. No expiration date.
Get 10 percent off your online order at Turbo Tax. Expires Dec. 31, 2010.
File your federal returns for free through Tax Act. No expiration date.
Related:
Free tax preparation and filing through AARP
File your federal taxes for free, thanks to the IRS and the Free File Alliance.
Reader Louise left a comment with a tax tip that I just had to look into. On my post yesterday about H&R’s tax prep software sale (federal tax software and filing is $14 through Sunday) Louise said:
AARP will do your taxes for FREE as long as it is not a complicated return. I have been doing this for several years now. Just go on their web site to find a location near you. and you do not have to belong to aarp to take advantage of this.
Was Louise telling the truth?
She was! The AARP site says “AARP Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service. It is available to taxpayers with low- and moderate-incomes and gives special attention to people age 60 and older.”
To get the free help go into one of the 6,500 centers around the country. Many are located in senior centers, libraries, and community centers. The service is for people who have simple 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ returns, including if you use Schedule A and B. If it’s more complicated than that, they can’t help. You can file your taxes electronically at most sites for free.
The sites open in Jan/Feb and stay open until April 15. Find an AARP Tax-Aide site near you. I plugged in my zip code and found 21 centers within 13 miles of me. If you’re not sure if you qualify because of your income, call a center near you. You can also ask a question about your federal returns and get an answer for free.
Thanks, Louise!
- GenBug/Flickr
Taxes have absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s Day but H&R Block is doing their best to associate the two events. Starting tomorrow through Sunday you can get discounted tax software and filing help through H&R Block online.
All their online tax prep products for federal taxes are $14 (orig. $15-$50). That’s 6-72 percent off depending on whether you use the basic, deluxe or premium versions. Filing state returns is an extra $30.
The deal runs Friday, Feb. 12 through Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. One cool thing about this deal is that if you register during the offer period you lock in the price, even if you do your taxes in April.
The H&R Block At Home basic, deluxe and premium programs offer audit support from a live tax professional, the ability to import data from your employer and financial provider, and a tax calculator. You can also import last year’s tax data from TurboTax or TaxCut.
