Washington, DC—As tax season continues, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) announced today that assistance is available at locations throughout the state to help South Dakotans prepare and file their yearly income tax returns. A special toll-free number and website have been created by the IRS to help taxpayers find local resources and information on the documents needed to file their return.
“I encourage South Dakotans to take advantage of the many helpful resources available to make it easier to prepare and file returns correctly,” Johnson said. “Yearly tax returns can often be complex. Fortunately, there is assistance available.”
South Dakotans can find information on the nearest Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) tax preparation locations by calling 1-800-906-9887.
The TCE Program allows senior citizens aged 60 and above to seek free tax preparation assistance. The VITA Program allows for military personnel and their families as well as any individual or family with an income of generally $49,000 or less to seek free assistance with preparing their taxes.
Volunteers at tax preparation sites across the state will utilize software to prepare non-business tax returns for 2010 tax forms due on April 18, 2011. Taxpayers can log on to http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html to find more information about the volunteer sites.
Items taxpayers need to bring to the VITA/TCE sites to have their tax returns prepared include photo identification; Social Security card; current year tax information, including wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R from all employers; interest and dividend statements; a copy of last year’s Federal and State returns and bank routing and account numbers for direct deposits (such as a blank check); and other documents required by IRS guidelines.
Taxpayers are encouraged to utilize the above resources to ensure they are prepared when visiting tax preparation sites. Additional locations throughout South Dakota could become available as the filing deadline approaches, so taxpayers are encouraged to seek up-to-date information.
The IRS also recently completed a Return Preparer Review, which is a comprehensive review of the paid tax return preparer industry. The review offers advice for taxpayers who are considering hiring tax preparers to help with tax filing. To read more about the review, visit http://www.irs.gov/taxpros/article/0,,id=210909,00.html
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