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IRS Help - No Kidding!

FIGHT BACK! BY DAVID HOROWITZ

IRS Help -- No Kidding!

Most Americans, I suspect, consider preparing their income tax returns a
bout as enjoyable
as having root-canal work (with apologies to my dentist). It can be an intimida
ting and frustrating
chore, especially if there is some significant change in your return from the p
revious year, such
as retirement, a death in the family or sale of a home. Those things can raise
dozens of
questions you haven't had to answer before.
The easiest way to go (and the most expensive) is to pay a professional
to prepare your
return for you. If you have a really complicated return, this may be money well
spent.
Then, there are the commercially published tax guides, from booklets to
detailed volumes
the size of a phone directory. Thumbing through several different guides at the
library may tell
you which one you want to go out and buy.
If you have a home computer, you may want to use a tax program to prepar
e your return.
These usually cost between $50 and $75 and come complete with step- by-step inst
ructions and
online help to answer your questions as you go along.
Finally, there's the Internal Revenue Service, itself. I know this sound
s like an old joke,
but the IRS really is there to help and not just for public relations. Mistakes
on individual returns
cost the government time and money to correct, so it's in the IRS' interest to
make sure your
return is complete and accurate. Every dollar the IRS spends helping taxpayers
with their returns
brings back $5 in cost savings and uncollected taxes.
The easiest way to get free help is by phone. Last year, the IRS' teleph
one service got
mixed reviews at best. Accuracy of the information was good -- around 89 percen
t. But the
phone lines were nearly always jammed, and only one caller in four ever got thr
ough to the
service. The other three either got a busy signal or hung up in frustration. Th
is year, the IRS has
installed more phone lines in an effort to improve service.
There are three types of phone services available: a live operator to an
swer individual
questions, pre-recorded Tele-Tax information and another line to order addition
al tax forms.
The general number for live operators nationwide is 1-800-829-1040. Ther
e are local
numbers for certain cities in most states to call instead of the 800 number, ho
wever. They're
listed in the instruction booklet you received from the IRS.
For information for the hearing-impaired, call 1-900-829-4049. For prere
corded Tele-Tax
information, dial 1-800-829-4477. Again, certain cities have local numbers avai
lable for this
service. There is a list of topics printed in your tax instructions. You can al
so use this number to
If you need additional tax forms, call 1-800-TAX-FORM (829-3676). The IR
S also has a
video on tax preparation available through public libraries and many commercial
video stores. It's
called "A Video Guide to Taxes."
Finally, the best bargain around is Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and
Counseling for the
Elderly. This is a program sponsored by the IRS, AARP and local senior-service
organizations.
IRS-trained volunteers help seniors, low-income, non- English speaking and disab
led taxpayers
prepare their returns for free. For the location nearest you, check with your l
ocal senior-service
center, or call the IRS information line at 1-800-829-1040.
For more information on free taxpayer services from the IRS, ask your lo
cal office for a
copy of publication #910.
If you have any questions or comments, please write to David Horowitz in
the Consumer
Forum+ (go FIGHTBACK). COPYRIGHT 1995 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
 
To the best of our knowledge, the text on this page may be freely reproduced and distributed.
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