April 2012

State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio

Page 3

Overwhelmed with Tax Woes? State resources to make income tax time less anxious
Paying taxes can be a stressful experience with all those forms, procedures and rules. Here are some sources of help that can make income tax time less anxious. Ohio Earned Income Tax Coalition (EITC) The Ohio Earned Income Tax Coalition and its members throughout the state offer assistance with tax returns. To find an EITC Coalition in your area, call the Ohio Benefits Bank at (800) 648-1176. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) This program helps people with lowto-moderate incomes prepare their own income tax returns. For more information, or to locate the nearest volunteer, go to VITA or call (800) 8291040 toll-free. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers Free File, a free federal income tax preparation and electronic filing program for eligible taxpayers, developed through a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Free File Alliance LLC, a group of private sector tax software companies. For more information about online help, tax software, or any other tax issues, visit the IRSs website at http://www.irs.gov/efile/index.html. Assistance for Military Personnel The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) coordinates the military-based VITA Program. These sites provide free tax advice, tax preparation, return filing and other tax assistance to military members and their families. Volunteers address military -specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the EITC guidelines. To locate assistance, contact the legal assistance office at the closest military base or visit the U.S. Armed Forces Legal Assistance website at www.legalassistance.law.af.mil.

Internal Revenue Service (E-FILE assistance)

Ohio I-File Helps Ease Tax Return Hassles

Digital filing will speed refund
Tax season still tends to conjure visions of mounds of paperwork and long nights with a pen and a calculator. But it doesnt have to be that way. More and more Ohioans are turning to Ohio I-File, a free service that allows almost any taxpayer to file a return online. In fact, if you still file the oldfashioned way by mailing a return to Columbus you are now in the minority. The Ohio Department of Taxations Web site shows that now, more than half of Ohios income tax returns are filed electronically. There are two big advantages to trying Ohio I-File: It speeds up tax refunds. If you are due a refund and choose the direct deposit option, the money will be in your bank account in seven to ten days. It saves taxpayer dollars. It costs about three times as much to process a paper return as it does to process an electronic return. For more information on Ohio IFile or any other question about filing your state income tax return, visit The Ohio Department of Taxations website at tax.ohio.gov or call (800) 282-1780.