How to file your tax forms electronically
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Tax season
It’s that time of year again. Tax season is finally upon us. Exciting, right? Hardly. We all know how frustrating doing taxes can be, so why not make the process a little easier?
Here are some tips that will help make filling out and filing your tax forms a little less… well… taxing.
Benefits of filling out and filing your tax forms electronically
The government requires you to submit your tax returns in a timely manner and to fill out all the required fields with the correct data. By filling out your tax forms electronically rather than on paper, you lower your chances of skipping over important data fields or inputting information that is illegible. Plus, your electronic tax returns are received within seconds, whereas mailing a hard copy will take days, if not weeks.
Not only are you simplifying the process for yourself, you’re also doing the environment a favor. By filling out and sending your tax returns digitally, you’re eliminating the carbon footprint printing and sending a paper copy would normally leave behind.
Another benefit of filling out and filing your taxes electronically is that you will have a permanent record of your files online that you’ll be able to use for future reference. Plus, if there are any questions about your taxes that come up, you won’t have to dig around for your paper tax forms: everything will be readily available online.
Cost savings
You don’t necessarily have to hire an accountant to do your taxes for you. If you’re brave enough to tackle them on your own, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money.
It’s fairly easy to file your own tax forms nowadays, especially with the help of Internet guides and YouTube videos. Plus, there are detailed instructions available on your government’s website that can help you out.
How to fill out your taxes using PDF
All you need is a reliable PDF reader. Many government agencies such as the Canada Revenue Agency and the IRS have fillable/savable general income tax and benefit forms, instructions, and schedules readily available on their websites. Simply save the PDF files onto your desktop and read/fill them out.
If you already have a paper copy of your tax forms and you have a powerful OCR software, you can scan your documents and the OCR engine will transform it into an editable PDF file. Once converted, you’ll be able to fill it out electronically.
How to file your taxes online
Many government agencies will allow you to file your taxes online, for free. For example, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has a list of certified commercial tax preparation software packages and web applications that are free. Download any one of them and you’re ready to go.
