Confession time, I’m looking forward to electronically filing my taxes. In the old days, I’d have fill out all the forms by hand, making sure the numbers were legible (at best my 5’s look like S’s). Then I’d have to pay postage, send it via snail mail, and hope I didn’t botch anything up. Eventually the IRS would get it, process the thing and a nice fat check would arrive. Unfortunately, that check wouldn’t come till summer.
The longer the government has your money the worse it is for you. Think of it as an interest free loan, and when was the last time you were able to secure one of those? If you are able to get one, hook me up. But really, I can’t think of a worse system.
Then along came e-filing and the rain stopped, the clouds lifted, and now the sun shines bright. Now, some folks look forward to doing their taxes as opposed to putting them off to the very last minute. The truth is, there are lot of reasons why you should file electronically, consider…
Mail System Stinks
I don’t know of anyone who enjoys paying for postage and waiting for important articles to move through the United States Postal Service. Mail gets lost or stolen, it happens all the time. When you e-file you don’t have to worry about that. You simply click a button and the return is sent to the IRS instantaneously. I swear it’s magic.
Mistakes!?
Mail that puppy in and you run the risk of some tired hung-over IRS clerk botching the data entry of your return. Think it doesn’t happen—think again. Some folks have had to go through the unpleasant experience of an audit due to someone else’s error. When you e-file, your data is never seen by human eyes, let alone touched by human hands.
By using a computer to crunch all the numbers, you will reduce errors. You see, the tax software, like Santa Claus, makes a list and checks it twice. In fact, most software providers guarantee accurate calculations in your return. You have to admit that’s a pretty nice feature.
It’s Good to Know
File electronically, and you will know roughly when you’ll get your refund. Don’t e-file and it’s possible you may not see that money for an indiscriminate amount of time. Generally, after you e-file, refunds are deposited in your account in as little as 8 days. Then it’s margarita time!
Why Not?
If sending all your most treasured personal information; i.e. social security number & bank account, through cyber space makes you as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, filing electronically may not be right for you. But unless you’re prone to being struck by lightning or run over by a bus, the chance of your identity being stolen is less than if you filed by snail mail. Most would have to agree; e-filing is a safe proposition.
Fin
There are lots of reasons to e-file and there are systems in place to help make it a stress-free experience. So do yourself a favor and test one of these platforms, get comfortable with the format, the program, and the process. Filing electronically boils down to a value proposition of convenience and accuracy, and what a great proposition it is.