IRS Now Accepting Tax 2012 Tax Returns with Free Services including Online e-filing

Yesterday, January 30th, the IRS officially kicked off the 2013 Tax Season as they began accepting 2012 tax return filing. The good news for millions of Americans anxious to get a speedy tax refund comes with an announcement of some other free online e-filing services and benefits from the IRS. The IRS began processing most individual tax returns after updating forms and completing internal programming and testing of its processing systems to reflect the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) that Congress enacted on Jan. 2.

For many Americans the IRS.gov freefile, a free online tax filing service from the IRS, is just one of the tax filing benefits offered by the IRS. The free e-filing through the IRS freefile is available for individuals interested in “Do It Yourself Free Tax Preparation” who have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of less than $57,000 per year. Other inexpensive online filing solutions exist for those with more complex and higher income tax filing needs.

Some new and expanded services for taxpayers this year include a redesigned IRS.gov web site that’s easier to navigate and improved service options, including more video-conferencing assistance sites and additional social media tools. In addition, the IRS has stepped up its enforcement efforts to protect taxpayers from refund fraud and identity theft.

While most americans are now able to have their returns processed by the IRS, the agency still has some forms and updates remaining, specifically for individuals looking for education credits, depreciation deductions, energy credits, and business credits. While these individuals may submit their online tax returns to the IRS now, they will likely not be processed by the IRS until mid-February to early March, according to the agency.

To help tax payers, This year, the redesigned IRS website makes it easier than ever for taxpayers to get to key forms and vital information. The front page also has links to redesigned pages to help with everything from refunds to specific tax issues as well as easy access to taxpayer-friendly videos on the IRS YouTube channel.

Through IRS.gov, taxpayers can access Free File, which provides options for free brand-name tax software or online Fillable Forms plus free electronic filing. Everyone can use Free File to prepare a federal tax return. Taxpayers who make $57,000 or less can choose from about 15 commercial software providers. There’s no income limit for Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.

For the third year, the IRS will offer IRS2Go, its smartphone application, which enables taxpayers to check on the status of their tax refund and obtain helpful tax information. The IRS2Go app, available for Apple and Android users, has been downloaded more than 800,000 times and used by taxpayers millions of times.

More helpful information is available through IRS social media platforms, including:
•YouTube, where viewers can watch more than 100 short, informative videos. They are available in English, Spanish, American Sign Language and other languages.
•The IRS also has several twitter feeds available for taxpayers in English and Spanish at @IRSnews or @IRSenEspanol. And @IRStaxpros covers news for tax professionals.
•For the 2013 filing season, the IRS has added Tumblr to its list of social media platforms. People who want tax information now have another way of accessing and sharing helpful tax tips, videos, podcasts and other information at www.internalrevenueservice.tumblr.com.

Stopping identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for the IRS, and the agency’s work on identity theft and refund fraud continues to grow. For the 2013 filing season, the IRS has expanded these efforts to better protect taxpayers, help victims and detect refund fraud before it occurs.

The effort includes stronger screening filters for incoming tax returns, increased IRS Criminal Investigation activity and expanded partnerships with local law-enforcement officials and financial institutions. The IRS continues to increase its efforts against refund fraud, which includes identity theft. During 2012, the IRS protected $20 billion of fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft, compared with $14 billion in 2011.