46.2 Getting Ready To File Your Return

You must collect your tax records before you can start the preparation of your return. Even if you employ a tax professional to prepare your return, organizing your tax data is essential. Once you have compiled all your return information and your records are complete, decide whether to use Form 1040EZ, 1040A, or 1040 with the aid of the checklist at the front of this book on page 8. After you have decided which return to file, review the form to familiarize yourself with its details.

You may obtain IRS forms and publications online at www.irs.gov. You can obtain forms by phone from the IRS by calling (800) 829-3676.

Planning Reminder

Keep Copies

Make a copy of your signed return and keep it with copies of Form W-2 and other income statements, plus receipts, cancelled checks, and other items to substantiate your deductions.

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Checking for possible errors.

After you have completed your return, put it aside and postpone checking your completed return for several hours or even a day so that you can review it in a fresh state of mind. See below for common errors that might delay a refund or result in a tax deficiency and interest costs.

If mailing your return.

If you are mailing your return to the IRS, first check it to ensure the following:

• Your arithmetic is correct.
• Your Social Security number, and that of your spouse if you are filing jointly, is recorded correctly on each form and schedule.
• You have filled in the proper boxes that state your filing status and exemption claims, and reported the Social Security number of each dependent (21.11).
• You have claimed the full standard deduction you are entitled to if you are age 65 or older, or blind (13.4).
• You have used the Tax Table, Tax Computation Worksheet, or special capital gain or foreign earned income worksheet applicable to your tax status. If you do not have net capital gain or qualified dividends, use the Tax Table if your taxable income is less than $100,000, or the Tax Computation Worksheet if your taxable income is $100,000 or more. See 22.4 if you have net capital gain or qualified dividends. See 22.5 if you claimed the foreign earned income exclusion or foreign housing exclusion.
• You have put the refund due you or your tax payable on the correct line.
• If you owe tax and are paying by check, your check should be made out to the “United States Treasury” for the correct amount due and your Social Security number should be on the check. The IRS encourages, but does not require, that you send payment voucher Form 1040-V along with your Form 1040 payment.
• You have signed your return and, if you are filing a joint return, your spouse has also signed (1.4).
• You have attached the correct copy of your Form W-2 and all appropriate forms and schedules to your return.
• If you have elected to have your refund directly deposited into your personal account, verify that you have provided the IRS with the correct routing information on Line 74 of Form 1040, Line 43 of Form 1040A, or Line 11 of Form 1040EZ.
• You have correctly addressed the envelope and affixed proper postage.
• You use certified or registered mail or an IRS-specified private delivery service to prove that your return was postmarked on or before the filing date.

Planning Reminder

Get Timely Postmark for Last Minute Mailing

Last minute filers may use specified services from DHL, Federal Express, and UPS as well as the U.S. Postal Service. If using the U.S. Postal Service, send the return certified (or registered) mail and keep the postmark receipt. If you use a private delivery service, keep a copy of the mailing label or obtain a receipt to verify a timely postmark. If your return is postmarked before or at any time on the filing due date (April 15, 2013, for 2012 returns), it is considered timely filed under a “timely-mailing-is-timely-filing” rule, even if the IRS receives it after the due date.

The timely mailing rule also applies if you obtain a filing extension and are mailing your return on or before the extended due date.

A timely foreign postmark for a return filed from abroad will also be accepted by the IRS as proof of a timely filing.

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