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Tax time...online
Sharpen your pencils and stock up on aspirin: it's that time of year again. Fortunately, the Internet has made getting income tax assistance easier—and cheaper—than ever.
Of course, the most logical place to start would be the official site of the Internal Revenue Service http://www.irs.gov. It's easier to understand than those tax instruction booklets, and quicker to navigate than that voice-mail menu on the IRS help line. Here, users can download and print PDF versions of every federal form and publication, learn about e-filing, track the status of their refund, and much more.
New York State's official Department of Taxation and Finances page also includes an e-file option, as well as downloadable forms and instructions and a comprehensive guide to "Filing Your 2002 Tax Return" at http://www.tax.state.ny.us/pit/Income_Tax_2002/filing_2002_return.htm.
In the private sector, there are many Web sites devoted to tax assistance. H&R Block has compiled a Tax Tips page at http://www.taxcut.com/taxtips.html containing information on saving money this year, as well as planning for next year, while Nolo's Taxes & Audits Encyclopedia http://www.nolo.com/
The Tax and Accounting Sites Directory indexes these sites and others by topic at http://www.taxsites.com/topics.html. Everything from adoption to withholding is featured, with links to relevant IRS publications, as well as to private tax-help sites.
For additional links to online tax resources, visit the Business and Government Documents Center's Tax Information page at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/govdocsubj/tax.html—preferably before April 15!
—Jennifer L. Behrens, University Libraries