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7 IRS Website Tools That Could Save You Time And Money

According to Ben Franklin, nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes. Well, I can’t help you avoid death, but I can try to give you a hand with your taxes.

Taxes no matter where you live, are a real burden. Unless of course you live somewhere where you don’t have to pay any income tax, in which case please tell me where you live so I can move there. Taxes in the U.S. are especially frustrating. There are just so many forms, so many laws and so many potential loopholes and pitfalls. It’s tempting to just give up and pay someone to do your taxes for you.

Well, if you’re a U.S. citizen and you’re diligently slaving away over your taxes, I have a few important online IRS tools to share with you that could make your job a whole lot easier.

1. Interactive Tax Assistant

Often, people come across issues in life that create complicated tax concerns, so they give up and just pay someone else to do their taxes. But if you only have one or two of those issues to deal with, the Interactive Tax Assistant may be all you need to get through.

The ITA is set up like a FAQ, with common questions covering four major areas — general filing questions, deductions, credits and income.  When you click on a question, the site launches a wizard that takes you through a series of questions, and finally provides you with an answer about what forms you need to fill out for that particular issue.

The great thing about the ITA tool is that it’ll make you realize that seemingly complicated tax issues aren’t that confusing as you thought. All it takes is a little bit of time to work your way through the ITA wizard, and you’re good to go!

2. Free File Fillable Forms & Free Tax Software

One tool that the IRS folks link to throughout the IRS website is something called Free File. Free File is awesome for anyone earning a gross income of less than $58,000 in 2013, because it gives you free access to a commercial tax filing software to do your taxes.

Do you make too much to qualify? Have no fear — you still have access to the Free File Formswebsite, where you can fill out an online “fillable form” and then submit it to the IRS at no charge.

This is for people who have a pretty simple return. Maybe you have one job and not enough deductions to really itemize anything. Fill out one of the simple 1040 online forms at the site, submit to the IRS and your taxes are done. Easy peazy!

3. IRS2Go Mobile App

Who ever said the IRS is old and staunchy? Hey, they’ve got a mobile app for taxes. What could be cooler than that? It’s called IRS2GO and it allows you to check the current status of your refund. Even if the refund hasn’t been issued yet, you can see where it is in the process.

This works much better if you file your taxes electronically, which only takes 24 hours to enter into the status tracker system. If you file a paper return it can take up to four weeks to enter into the system (which is rather useless, really).

Other things you can do with this app is request a transcript of your account for past tax years (the transcript gets mailed out); locate a IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) service near you. You can get free tax help if you qualify, and you can also use the app to watch IRS YouTube videos and follow its Twitter stream. A tax Twitter feed…exciting, I know.

Get the IRS2GO app at the iTunes app store, or on Google Play.

4. Where Is My Refund

Have you been sitting around for weeks after electronically submitting your tax return, waiting patiently for your refund check, with no sign of it anywhere? Well, have no fear, the IRS now offers a quick and simple form on its website where you can quickly check on the status of your refund check.

All you have to do is type in your social security number, the filing status that you used when you did your taxes the year you’re looking up, and the exact refund amount as calculated on the tax return you submitted. The results will at least tell you where in the process your return is, and it’ll give you a much more accurate picture of when you can expect to receive that wonderful tax refund check (if you get one!)

5. IRS Tax Map

If the IRS Tax Assistant doesn’t answer your tax question, you may have a little more luck using the IRS Tax Map tool. Tax topics available at this searchable directory include regular tax tips covering things like adoption, debt and more. The Affordable Care Act and International tax rules etc. are also covered.

You can either use the search field to dig through the 5,000+ topics inside of the map, or you can just click on a letter in the Topic Index. Either way, you’re likely to find detailed information and answers.

The results will turn up the instructions you’ll need to fill out the specific forms required. The instructions take you through the form line-by-line, making it easier for you to  handle the taxes on your own, rather than having to pay someone to do them for you. Just keep the tax map handy as you’re working through your taxes.

6. Withholding Calculator

Are you confused about how much your employer should be withholding throughout the year so that you don’t end up having to write such a large check to the government at the end of the year?

The reality is that if your employer doesn’t withhold enough, you’re stuck with a huge tax bill, but if they withhold too much, you’re essentially giving the U.S. government a big interest free loan. You really want to carefully calculate how much is withheld, and then submit a W-3 form to your employer with the appropriate withholding number on it. That’s exactly what the IRS Withholding Calculator is for.

The withholding calculator isn’t so much a “calculator” as it is a wizard that walks you through several steps filled with questions where you just need to share your life situation, such as whether you’re married, and some other details. The results will tell you exactly how you need to fill out your withholding paperwork with your employer so that the correct amount is being withheld for your situation.

7. Online Payment Agreement Application

Have you been hit with a huge tax bill that you have no idea how you’re going to manage? Are you panicking? Afraid of having to go to prison? Don’t worry. Calm down. It’s not that bad.  The IRS is actually a lot more lenient when it comes to payment plans than people think. Assuming you don’t owe hundreds of thousands of dollars, the IRS should permit  you to sign up for a reasonable payment plan to pay off your remaining tax burden each year.

The IRS makes it so easy in fact, that they offer an Online Payment Agreement feature on their website. All you have to do is fill in a bit of information detailing your situation and the IRS will present you with a payment agreement, which you can agree with electronically. No more waiting for paperwork and praying that the IRS accepts your payment plan — just fill out the forms, submit, and make your payments. It’s as easy as that.

Doing taxes is never fun (unless you’re getting a huge refund I suppose…), but no one can say that the IRS is not going with the times. With the tools above, and many others you’ll find at the IRS website, there’s no reason you can’t get your taxes done yourself this year. Why not give it a shot?

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You Know You're Old When... Humorous Old-Age Jokes

You Know You Are 40
You Know You Are 50
You Know You Are 60
You Know You Are 70
You Know You Are 80
You Know You Are 90
You Know You Are 100
You Know You Are Old | Children
You Know You Are Old | Work
You Know You Are Old | Sex
You Know You Are Old | Death
You Know You Are Old | Retirement
You Know You Are Old | Relationships
You Know You Are Old | Memory
You Know You Are Old | Body
You Know You Are Old | Tired
You Know You Are Old | Food
You Know You Are Old | Driving

You Know You Are Old | Why We Miss The Innocence of Youth

You Know You Are Old | Best Jokes

You Know You Are Old When | 40s

 You know you are 40 when you’ve been there and done that, but don’t remember what that was.

You know you are old when you stop growing at both ends and start growing in the middle.

You know you are old when you can cough, fart, sneeze and pee at the same time.

You know you are old when you got to second base with a TSA screener.

You know you are old when the only females who pursue you are mosquitoes.

You know you are old when you are too old to learn new tricks but your old tricks work just as well.

You Know You Are Old When | 50s

You know you are 50 when you knew when the Dead Sea was only sick.

You know you are old when you go to the beach and turn a wonderful color: Blue. It’s from holding your stomach in.

You know you are old when people tell you how good you look.

You know you are old when almost everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work.

You know you are old when the candles cost more than the cake.

You know you are old when you tell people you are retro.

You Know You Are Old When | 60s

You know you are old when you hear your favorite songs in an elevator.

You know you are old when you’re told to slow down by your doctor and not the police.

You know you are 60 years old when you eat supper at 5 p.m.

You Know You Are Old When | 70s

You know you are 70 when you have a hard time locating the keys in your pocket and finding your cell phone when it rings, but you can find the snooze button from four feet away with your eyes closed.

You know you are old when the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling when your birthday candles are lit.

You Know You Are Old When | 80s

You know you are old when you write a note to yourself reminding you not to take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

You know you are 80 when your staying power is for the cake. 

You Know You Are Old When | 90s

You know you are old when kidnappers aren’t very interested in you.

You know you are old when people no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

You Know You Are Old When | 100s

You know you are old when there is nothing left to learn the hard way.

You know you are old when you are too old to care.

You know you are 100 years old when you see expensive antiques and you remember one just like it that you threw away.

You Know You Are Old When | Children

You know you’re old when you start lying about your children’s ages.

You know you are old when you spot that first gray hair…on your kid.

You Know You Are Old When | Relationships

You know you are old when you still got it, but don’t know what to do with it.

You know you are old when you see a cute guy and start to calculate if you could be his mom.

You know you are old when you keep some people’s numbers just so you know not to answer.

You Know You Are Old When | Work

You know you are old when work is a lot of fun, and fun is a lot of work.

You Know You Are Old When | Sex

You know you are old when you have sex on the first date because there might not be a second. Ever.

You know you are old when “Getting any?” means sleep.

You know you are old when the only thing that gets hard is arteries.

You know you are old when you can live without sex, but not your glasses.

You Know You Are Old When | Death

You know you are old when you don’t think about dying because it’s the last thing you want to do.

You know you are old when eating right and exercising means you’re going die anyway.

You know you are old when you live each day as it was your last. You’ll get it right someday.

You know you are old when you read the obituary to check on your friends.

You Know You Are Old When | Retirement

You know you are old when your investment in health insurance has paid off.

You know you are old when you say goodbye to tension and hello to pension.

You know you are old when your only problem with retirement is that you never get a day off.

You know you are old when you get into heated arguments about pension plans.

You Know You Are Old When | Memory

You know you are old when you speed because you don’t want to forget where you’re going.

You know you are old when you’ve been diagnosed with CRS: Can’t remember shit.

You know you are old when you stop searching for the meaning of life to focus on searching for your car keys. 

You know you are old when you just smile and nod after asking, “What?You know you are old when you look down at your watch three consecutive times and still don’t know what time it is.

You know you are old when your secrets are safe with your friends…because they won’t remember them.

You know you are old when you buy pills to improve your memory but forget where you put them.

You know you are old when your brain cells are down to a manageable size.

You Know You Are Old When | Body

You know you are old when your eyes won’t get much worse.

You know you are old when you’re young at heart, but you can’t say the same for your other organs.

You know you are old when you don’t exercise because you don’t want to spill your coffee.

You know you’re old when it’s not men touching your boobs…it’s the carpet.

You know you are old when your dreams are dry and your farts are wet.

You know you are old when your body changes and the only thing you occupy is the bathroom.

You know you are old when your joints are more accurate than the meteorologists.

You know you are old when your hips no longer set off the dance floor but the metal detectors.

You Know You Are Old When | Tired

You know you are old when Happy Hour is a nap.

You know you are old when you feel bad in the morning without staying out the night before.

You know you are old when you want to take back all those times you didn’t nap when you were younger.

You Know You Are Old | Food

You know you are old when you have a hard time deciphering between boredom and hunger.

You Know You Are Old | Driving

You know you are old when you no longer see speed limits as challenges.

We Miss the Innocence of Youth

Here are is a collection of stories about why we love and miss the innocence of youth. The way children come to some conclusions is hilarious at best. As we go into old age, it's hard to believe we were just like that at one time. Some say youth is a disease, we know that's not always true!

Nudity:

When I was driving with my cousins and my little brother in the back seat, a funny nude woman waved at us from a car. As I was recovering from my shock, my little 4-year-old brother said, “Sis, that lady forgot to put on her seatbelt.

A child was lost at the YMCA and wound up in the women’s locker room. When he was spotted, everyone shrieked and told him to get out to which he replied, “Why are you scared? Haven’t you seen a boy before?”

Police:

While writing a report near an elementary school, a little girl came up to me and asked if I was an officer. I said I was. She said her mom said if she ever needed help to find an officer or call the police. I told her that the mother was right.

“Well then,” she said extending her foot, “can you help me tie my shoe?”

It was the end of my shift and I parked my cruiser in front of the station. As I picked up my equipment and dog, a boy asked if that was my dog.

“Yes,” I said.

“What crime did he do?” the boy asked.

Elderly:

While working for a group that delivers meals to seniors, I decided to bring my 5-year-old niece.  She was puzzled over the machines attached to the patients, the walkers, wheel chairs and canes they used. She spotted a pair of teeth in a jar. I prepared myself for the questions she would ask, but was surprised over her conclusion.

“The tooth and gravity fairy will never believe this!” she said.

Dress Up:

A little girl was watching her parents get ready for a party. She walked up to her dad and said, “Dad, don’t wear that suit!”

“Why?” the father said.

“Because it always gives you a headache the next morning,” she said.

 School:

On the first week of school a little boy brought the teacher his homework. On top on the homework was a post-it note that read THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY OUR SON DO NOT IN ANY WAY REFLECT THOSE OF US, THE PARENTS.

After the first week of school, our daughter had enough.

“I am quitting kindergarten!” she announced.

“Why?” we asked.

“I can’t read, I can’t write and the teacher won’t even let me talk!” she said.

Ketchup:

One day my aunt was struggling to get ketchup out of the bottle. She asked my cousin to answer the phone. My cousin picked up the phone and said, “My mom can’t come to the phone. She’s hitting the bottle.” Then my cousin hung up and went back to playing with his toys.

Religion:

A child opened up a Bible and a few pressed leaves fell out. The boy went running to his mother.

“Mom,” he said. “Look what I found in the old Bible, it's funny.”

“What are they?” the mother asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? They’re Adam’s underwear!” the boy said.

You Know You Are Old When | Best Pictures

You know you are old when you realize old age doesn't last that long.

You know you are old when you can relate to the Seven Dwarfs of Old Age: Nappy, Wrinkly, Squinty, Rocky, Saggy, Leaky, and Farty!

You know you are old when you have to buy super-sized alphabet soup.

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Nikola Tesla Lore

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/nyregion/group-buying-long-island-estate-for-tesla-memorial.html?_r=0

Group Buying L.I. Estate for Tesla Memorial

By WILLIAM J. BROAD

Published: October 5, 2012

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A dream of 16 years came true for science enthusiasts on Friday when they struck a deal to buy a dilapidated estate on Long Island and transform it into a museum and educational memorial to Nikola Tesla, an eccentric genius who lit the world with alternating current but died penniless.

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Maxine Hicks for The New York Times

The only surviving former workshop of the inventor Nikola Tesla sits on 16 acres in Shoreham.

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The overgrown 16-acre site, in Shoreham, features his only surviving workshop. The crumbling brick laboratory was designed by Tesla’s friend Stanford White, a celebrated architect who drew up plans in Manhattan for the Washington Arch as well as neoclassical gems like the Century Club.

The Agfa Corporation, which owns the heavily wooded site and once operated a factory there, agreed to sell the estate to the Tesla enthusiasts for an undisclosed sum after they succeeded in raising $1.4 million through a Web campaign. The property had been listed at $1.6 million.

“All the terms and conditions have been accepted,” said John P. O’Hara, a real estate agent on Long Island who represents the property. “It’s all good. The stars have finally aligned.”

Agfa’s attorney, Christopher M. Santomassimo, confirmed the deal, saying, “We have reached an agreement.”

Tesla, best known for establishing alternating current as the basis for the modern transmission of electrical power, died in 1943 at age 86 on the 33rd floor of the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan. (The inventor late in life had become obsessed with the number three and its multiples.)

Marc J. Seifer, author of “Wizard,” a Tesla biography, said the memorial would become a magnet for visitors from around the globe while providing jobs on the island’s North Shore and a lift for the local economy.

“It’ll be a beacon,” he said in an interview. “Tesla was an inventor in so many different realms — aircraft design, robotics, beam weapons, mass communications — that he’s an inspiration for what true genius really is.”

Mr. Seifer said donors from more than 100 countries contributed money to the Web campaign, run by the comic The Oatmeal and another site, Indiegogo.

“I think people from all over the world will want to visit the site of his laboratory,” he said. “It’s going to be a tremendous thing.”

The effort of the Tesla enthusiasts to acquire the Agfa property on Long Island began officially in 1996 with the founding of Friends of Science East, a nonprofit corporation spun off from the science museum at Shoreham-Wading River High School. The group investigated Tesla and the site’s history and redoubled its acquisition efforts after Agfa in early 2009 put the property up for sale.

Friends of Science East now calls itself the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, after Tesla’s name for the site during its heyday. By 1903, the inventor had erected a wooden tower there that rose more than 18 stories above the surrounding farms. One night, it fired bolts of electricity into the sky.

But Tesla eventually sold Wardenclyffe to satisfy his debts. In 1917, the new owners had the giant tower blown up and sold for scrap. Today, the brick laboratory is the main Tesla relic.

A version of this article appeared in print on October 6, 2012, on page A19 of the New York edition with the headline: Group Buying L.I. Estate for Tesla Memorial.