Who is Required to e-File Their Taxes In New York State?

It is time to prepare your tax returns, you are pretty sure that you are owed a refund and you want your money. So, can you just hunt down the forms online, print them out and mail them in? Remember the days when you would go to the post office or the library and get the forms?

So who has to e-file their tax returns in New York State?

Well, to be honest it depends on how you are filing your returns, and how quickly you want to get a refund (if you are due one). Does it have to be complicated? No, but then again this is New York so anything is possible.

How can you e-file your taxes and what do you need to do?

Ok, do you HAVE to e-file, no. You only have to e-file if you do the following things.

• Use software to prepare your return. This can be software you bought in a store, online based, etc.
• Does the software require you to file it electronically? For instance, will it not let you print it out and mail it?
• If you have internet access, and can do it.

What if I don't want to e-file or I don't have the money that people are wanting me to pay to e-file?

While you are not 100% required to e-file, that is truly the direction that the Internal Revenue Service is going toward. You can go to the NYS Tax website, print out the forms, fill them out, and mail everything in. Then you will wait. E-filing does reduce wait time in getting that money back. You can even file now and then wait until the April deadline to pay what you owe.

Do you need to pay someone to do your taxes or can you do them yourself?

How to get around paying someone to do your returns? You don't. You can do them. Yep, you can do it. Because, if you only have one or two w-2's, and say a 1099-INT, and are not itemizing, you can really do your return yourself. Grab a calculator, and then wait for a refund, or if you know you are going to owe, you can wait until April to mail.