Taxpayers who received an extension to file their 2018 tax return might have questions. They should remember that help is just a few clicks away on IRS.gov. Here are some of the tools and resources they may find useful.
Researching a tax question
- The Interactive Tax Assistant asks a series of questions and provides answers based on a taxpayer’s input. There is also a page for Frequently Asked Questions and the IRS Tax Map, which allows taxpayer to search for information about specific tax laws. Users can search by topic or keywords.
- Additional help is available in Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, and the tax reform information page.
Finding forms and publications
- All IRS forms, instructions and publications are available on IRS.gov.
Making a payment
Taxpayers who need to make a payment can:
- Use IRS Direct Pay. It is a free, secure way to pay online directly from a checking or savings account.
- Pay their taxes by credit or debit card. Fees apply when using this option.
- Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System. It has online and phone options. Registration is required to use this system.
- Use the IRS2Go app, which allows taxpayers with a mobile device to get instant payment confirmation.
- View their federal tax information at IRS.gov/account. It’s a secure way for them to review the amount they owe, access their tax records online, and see their payment history.
- Learn what to do if they can’t pay what they owe.
Using IRS Free File to file tax returns through October 15
- IRS Free File can be used to prepare and e-file taxes online for free through the October 15 deadline. Taxpayers who earned less than $66,000 in 2018 can use free tax preparation software online. All taxpayers, regardless of income, can use free file fillable forms.
Checking on the status of a refund
- After filing their 2018 tax return, taxpayers can easily find the most up-to-date information about their tax refund using “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov. Where’s My Refund is also available on the IRS2Go app. It’s updated once every 24 hours, usually overnight. So, there’s no need for a taxpayer to check the status of their refund more often.