IRS Tools: Make Taxes Easy!

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the U.S. government agency responsible for tax collection and enforcement of tax laws. To assist taxpayers in meeting their obligations, the IRS offers a variety of tools, including online portals for filing and payment, resources for checking tax refunds, and guides for managing tax deductions and credits. Additionally, the IRS provides access to forms, educational materials, and personalized assistance through help centers to ensure accurate and timely compliance.

Almost all of the tools the IRS provides are free. In this article, we will explore the most common tools and specify how much to costs, if any, to use.

IRS Account

Individuals can create or access their own IRS online account (free, must have current driver’s license and a device with access to the internet with a front-facing camera). With an account, you can do the following:

View the amount you owe for each tax year
Make and view payments and/or payment plans
Access limited tax records
View and approve authorization requests from tax professionals
Check your refund
View data from your most recently filed tax return, like your adjusted gross income (AGI) or tax compliance report
View digital copies of certain IRS notices
Change your profile preferences, like going paperless for notices or getting email notifications for new account information/activity

Business owners can create or access their own IRS business tax account (free, must have current driver’s license and a device with access to the internet with a front-facing camera). Depending on the type of business structure you have, you can either have full or limited access to all capabilities. For more detailed information for each business type, you may visit the business tax account page from the IRS website. Depending on the business structure, those with a business tax account have access to the following:

– Limited Access (Individual partners of Partnership or individual shareholder of S Corporation)

View limited business information on file
View balance due
Make payments on balance due modules
View payment history

– Full Access (Sole proprietors or designated official of Partnership, S corporation, or C Corporation)

Everything included in limited access
View business information on file
View tax records like tax transcripts, tax compliance report, and tax certificate for award use
View notices and letters
Manage third-party authorizations when applying for a loan or mortgage

Get Transcript

Individuals can order copies of tax records like transcripts of previous tax returns, tax account information, wage and income statements, and verification of non-filing letters (free). These records can also be viewed and downloaded from your Individual Online Account.

Business owners can obtain their transcript by downloading it from your Business Tax Account or requesting it by mail by filing out Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return (free). To get a copy of a previous tax return, fill out Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return (costs $50).

IRS2Go App

By downloading the IRS2GO app on a mobile device (free and available in English and Spanish), taxpayers can utilize the following:

Check refund status within 24 hours after the IRS receives their e-filed return, 4 weeks for paper-filing their return
Make payments using IRS Direct Pay, a free and secure way to pay straight from a bank account or credit/debit cards, without having to sign-in
Access to free tax software to quickly prepare/file taxes to get your refund

Free File

The IRS Free File allows taxpayers, who meet the criteria, to prepare and file federal tax returns online using guided tax preparation software. To qualify, you must have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $79,000 or less.

Taxpayers also have access to the most commonly filed forms and schedules. You can find a list of these forms here.

Where’s My Amended Return?

Individuals can check the status of their amended return 3 weeks after it has been submitted. Generally, it takes 8 to 12 weeks to be processed, 16 weeks at the most. This will show your amended return status for the last 3 years and the current year. This tool is free but you must have your SSN, date of birth, and ZIP code.

There are some limitations. This will not give you the status for business returns, those with a foreign address, injured spouse claims, carryback applications/claims, Form 1040 marked as amended/corrected return instead of 1040-X, returns processed by special units like Examination or Bankruptcy. To use this tool and for more information, visit the Where’s My Amended Return page on the IRS website.

Where’s My Refund?

This tool can be used to check your refund and/or its status. For a current-year return, the status appears 24 hours after e-filing. For a prior-year return, the status appears 3-4 days after e-filing. For a paper-filed return, the status appears 4 weeks after filing. The form to request a refund status is here.

To check your refund status, you’ll need your filing status, the exact refund amount on your return, and your SSN or ITIN (individual taxpayer ID number). After your refund has been approved and sent, it may take 5 days to appear in your bank account or several weeks for your check to come in by mail. For more information, visit the Where’s My Refund page on the IRS website.

Document Upload Tool

Taxpayers can upload documents using the Document Upload Tool to respond to an IRS letter/notice. This is not for uploading tax returns. This tool is a secure and fast way to send information via PDFs, JPGs, or PNGs. A confirmation is sent out when the IRS has received your documents.

To upload, you’ll need an access code (if provided) or the notice/letter number on title, the first/last name or business name on the notice/letter, and a SSN or EIN.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Assistant

This tool is a calculator to help you see if you’re eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. This helps low to moderate income workers and their families get a tax break. This can reduce the tax you owe and/or increase your refund amount. It also shows if you have any qualifying children or relatives, the estimated amount of credit, and your filing status.

To use, you’ll need to provide your income statements (W-2s, 1099s, etc.), documents stating taxes withheld or money paid to you, and any expenses or adjustments to your income.

Tax Exempt Organization Search

Taxpayers can search for a non-profit organization or charity to see if it can receive tax-deductible contributions. You may also download data sets like an organization’s tax-exempt status and filings. To access the tools, visit the Tax Exempt Organization Search on the IRS website.

Tax Withholding Estimator

Taxpayers can calculate an estimated federal income tax amount that they want withheld from their paycheck. This tool allows those to see how that amount affects your refund, tax due, and take-home pay.

To calculate, you’ll need your most recent tax return, pay stubs from you and your spouse (if applicable) for all jobs, and other income information like side jobs, investments, self-employment, etc.)

For more information on what to do after you calculated your withholding amount, please visit the Tax Withholding Estimator page on the IRS website.

Sales Tax Deductions Calculator

This tool helps you determine the amount of state and local general sales tax claimed when itemizing deductions on a Schedule A.

To calculate, you’ll need your income statements (W-2s, 1099s, etc.), receipts for specified large purchases, ZIP code, and dates lived in said ZIP code.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN is a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and other entities. This is required for almost all businesses. This tool allows you to either get an EIN or verify your existing EIN in minutes. For more information to determine if you need one, visit the Employer Identification Number page on the IRS website.

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)

The EFTPS allows you to pay your federal taxes with no additional cost. This includes your income, employment, and estimated/excise federal taxes. New enrollments can take up to 5 business days to process. You may also:

Schedule payments up to 365 days in advance
Change or cancel scheduled payments
Pay whenever and wherever you want
Track a payment via email
View payment history within the past 15 months
Get assistance from customer service agents

For further information, visit the EETPS: The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System on the IRS website.

Final Thoughts

While these are not all the tools the IRS offers, these are the most common ones. For further information and more tools, visit the Tools page on the IRS website. Utilizing these resources can help out tremendously and most of them are free, so why not use them?!