Filling Out a Tax Return for the First Time

Doing your taxes for the first time can be intimidating. It involves getting a lot of rules just right (or else!), but it isn't really all that hard. It just takes patience and attention to detail. It can also help considerably to have a basic understanding of the process including what you'll need to get started, and what all the terms mean.

First time doing your taxes can be daunting. It includes having a lot of correct rules (or otherwise!), but it's not really that hard. It merely needs patience and attention to detail. This can also make a major contribution to getting a clear understanding of the process including what you will need to get going and what all the words mean.

Tax Basics

The U.S. tax system boils down to this: You owe the government a portion of your income and earnings. Income tax is usually withheld from your pay by your employer throughout the year. It's based on what you'll probably owe, given certain factors such as your marital status, the number of dependents you have, and tax breaks that you're likely entitled to claim.You won't know for sure if you've overpaid or underpaid through withholding until you prepare and file your return. You'll receive a refund if you overpaid. If you've underpaid, you must pay the difference by the filing date, usually April 15.

The United States tax scheme boils down to this: You owe a percentage of your wages and earnings to the government. Your employer typically withholds income tax from your salary for the entire year. It's based on what you'll actually owe, considering certain things like your marital status, the amount of dependents you've got, and the tax exemptions you 're likely to assert.Whether you have overpaid or underpaid by withholding, you won't know for sure until you register and file the refund. If you overpaid you'll get a refund. If you have underpaid you have to pay the difference by the date of filing, typically April 15.

How to Start

One of the easiest ways to file your taxes is with tax software. These programs will ask you some questions, and they'll fill out the appropriate forms for you based on your answers.

The Free File Alliance is another nice option. The IRS has partnered with select tax software providers, including H&R Block, TaxSlayer, and TurboTax, to provide free preparation of returns for taxpayers who earn $69,000 or less as of 2020. Some have lower income limits and other qualifying rules, but you can choose from 10 providers for the one that best suits you.Some software is even free to use, such as TurboTax Free Edition and Credit Karma Tax.

Tax Software is one of the easiest ways to file your taxes. Such systems will ask you a few questions, and based on your responses they will fill in the correct forms.One good alternative is The Free File Alliance. The IRS has collaborated with select tax software providers including H&R Block, TaxSlayer, and TurboTax to provide taxpayers who receive $69,000 or less as of 2020 with free filing of returns. Some have lower income limits and other qualifying rules but you can choose the one that suits you best from 10 providers.Some software, such as TurboTax Free Edition, and Credit Karma Tax, is even free to use.

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You can download the necessary forms from the IRS website if you prefer to fill them out yourself and you feel confident enough to do so. They're free at Free File, too, for those who earn above the income limits so they don't qualify for free preparation.  

If you want to fill them out yourself, you can download the correct forms from the IRS web site and you feel comfortable enough to do so. For Free File, they 're just free for those who earn above the income caps and they don't count for free planning.

Review Your Tax Documents

Gather your W-2 forms and any other tax documents you might have received, such as 1099 forms. You'll have just one W-2 if you only work one job, but you might have multiple 1099s if you have any interest or dividend income, or if you freelance or work as an independent contractor. Each financial institution should send you one, as should any entity who paid you more than $600 for non-employee services.Read all those boxes on your W-2s. Each is labeled. They tell you how much you earned overall and how much you paid in taxes over the year through wage withholding.These documents are the starting point of your return, whether you file on paper or use software to file your return electronically.  

Download your W-2 and any other tax records that you might have got, such as 1099 forms. Whether you only have one job, you may only have one W-2 but you might have several 1099s if you have any interest or dividend income, or if you have as an independent contractor or freelance. That financial institution will give you one, just as any company that has paid you over $600 for non-employee services would.On your W-2s, read all those boxes. Every one of them is numbered. They tell you how much you earned overall, and how much you paid by wage withholding in taxes over the year.These documents are the starting point of your return, whether you are filing on paper or using software to file an electronic return.

The Effect of Deductions and Credits

You won't have to pay tax on all those earnings that appear in box 1 of your W-2 form because you're entitled to claim at least one deduction, and deductions reduce the portion of your overall income that you must pay taxes on. Tax credits subtract directly from what you owe the IRS.

The most important tax reductions for young people are those for student loan interest, for college education expenses, and credits that can help you save for retirement. Other common credits include the Child Tax Credit, the Credit for Other Dependents, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the American Opportunity Credit, which is an educational credit.

You will not have to pay tax on all those earnings that appear in box 1 of your W-2 form because you are entitled to claim at least one deduction, so deductions minimize the portion of your gross income for which you are expected to pay tax. Tax refunds derive directly from what the IRS owes you.

Among young people, the most valuable tax deductions are those for interest on student loans, for investments on higher tuition and credits that will help you prepare for retirement. Some common credits include the Child Tax Credit, the Other Dependents Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the American Opportunity Credit, an educational loan.

Personal exemptions were a sum you could subtract from your taxable income for yourself, your spouse, and each of your dependents, but they were eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018.Specific exemptions were a amount that you could exclude from your taxable income for yourself, your spouse and any of your dependents, but they were removed by the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

How Tax Credits Work

Credits can be either refundable or nonrefundable. Both are applied first to the tax you owe. A nonrefundable credit can either reduce or erase that amount. For example, you might owe the IRS $800, and you realize you can claim a $1,000 nonrefundable credit. This would eliminate your tax debt—you wouldn't owe the IRS anything—but the IRS would keep the $200 difference.

The IRS would send you $200 under the same circumstances if the credit you were able to claim is a refundable credit.

Credits can be refundable or non-refundable. These are first added to the tax which you owe. A non-refundable loan may either that or wash the balance out. You could owe the IRS $800 for example, and you know you might claim a non-refundable credit of $1,000. That would remove your tax debt — you wouldn't owe anything to the IRS — but the IRS would retain the difference of $200.

In the same conditions, the IRS will give you $200, because the credit you may demand is a refundable credit.

The Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is a specified amount that the Internal Revenue Service lets you subtract from your income, and it varies according to your filing status. For example, it's $12,200 for the 2019 tax year if you're single, $24,400 if you're married and file a joint return with your spouse, and $18,350 if you qualify to file as head of household.

These deductions are indexed for inflation, so they increase a little each year. They're $12,400, $24,800, and $18,650 respectively in the 2020 tax year.

The standard deduction is a defined amount which can be subtracted from your profits by the Internal Revenue Service which varies according to your filing status. For example, if you are single, $24,400 if you are married and file a joint return with your partner, and $18,350 if you choose to file as the head of household, it is $12,200 for the 2019 tax year.

Such deductions are adjusted for inflation, and each year they each a little. For the tax year 2020 they are $12,400, $24,800 and $18,650 respectively.

Itemizing Your Deductions

You can claim the lump-sum standard deduction, or you can itemize your deductions. This involves listing every qualifying expense you paid all year and entering the information on a separate form—Schedule A—that must accompany your return when you submit it. It's an either/or choice. You can't claim the standard deduction and itemize expenses as well.

It only makes sense to itemize if the total of all your paid, qualifying expenses exceeds the amount of the standard deduction for your filing status. Otherwise, you'd be paying taxes on more income than you'd have to.

Some taxpayers are prohibited from claiming the standard deduction, however, so they must itemize. This would be the case if you're married and filing separate returns, and your spouse has already filed and itemized. You must then do the same on your return.

You must also itemize if you're a nonresident or dual-status alien at any time during the tax year, with some exceptions

Putting aside your deductions

You can make the traditional lump-sum deduction, or you can fill in your deductions. This includes recording any qualified cost you have incurred over the year and entering the details on a separate form — Schedule A — that will accompany your return upon submission. It is a option, either. You can not demand the standard deduction and also set out the expenses.

Identifying only makes sense if the amount of all your charged, qualified expenses meets the allowable deduction for your filing status. Otherwise, you would pay more income taxes than you should have to pay.However, some taxpayers are forbidden to claim the standard deduction, so they have to file an object. It will be the case if you are married and separate returns are filed, and your spouse has already filed and filed. You then have to do the same on return.

You must also specify whether you are a non-resident or a dual-status alien at any time during the tax year, with certain exceptions

Know Your Filing Status

The IRS offers five filing statuses, and choosing the correct one is important because it determines your standard deduction and affects other rules:

Married filing jointly: You're married and you and your spouse file a single, joint return together.

Married filing separately: You're married, but you and your spouse elect to file separate returns.

Qualifying widow(er): You were married, but your spouse died during the last two years. You must have a dependent child to qualify for this status, and you can only use it for two years after the year in which your spouse died.

Head of household: You're "considered unmarried." You might still be legally married to your spouse, but you never lived together during the last six months of the year. You must additionally have a qualifying dependent who lives with you, and you must pay for more than half the cost of maintaining your home during the tax year. Other rules apply as well.

Single: You've never married, or you're legally divorced or separated by court order.6

The rules for the head of household and qualifying widow(er) filing statuses can be particularly complex, so you might want to check with a tax professional to make sure you qualify before you claim either of them.

Know the status of your filing

The IRS provides five filing statuses and it is important to choose the correct one, because it determines your standard deduction and affects other rules:

Joint marriage filing: You are marriage and you and your partner file a single, joint return.

Married filing separately: You 're married but want to file separate returns for your partner.

Widow(er) qualifier: You were dating, but your spouse died in the last two years. To apply for this status you must have a minor child, and you can only do it for two years after the year your spouse died.Head of household: You are "considered single." You may still be legally married to your partner but you have never lived together for the last six months of the year. You will have to have a qualified partner that lives with you, and you have to pay more than half the cost of maintaining your home for the tax year. Other rules, too, apply.

Single: You have never married, or by court order you are legally divorced, or separated.

The rules for the position of head of household and qualified widow(er) filing can be especially complicated, so you may want to consult with a tax professional to ensure that you qualify before claiming any of them.

Understand Tax Brackets

Your filing status affects your tax rate. There are seven rates or brackets as of 2020, each spanning a different portion of your income, but the income spans vary depending on your filing status.

The more you earn, the higher the percentage tax rate becomes on your top dollar. For example, a single filer with income between $9,875 and $40,125 would pay 10% or $987 of the first $9,875 they earned as of 2020, then 12% on income over this amount, up to $40,125 when the 22% tax bracket kicks in.

These numbers increase to $14,100 and $53,700 respectively if you qualify for head of household filing status. You'd pay 10% on the first $14,100 you earned, then 12% on the balance up to $53,700, then 22% on income over this amount up to $85,500.7

Head of household filers get to enjoy the 10% tax bracket on an additional $4,225 of income—the difference between $9,875 for single filers and $14,100.

Comprise tax rates

Your condition of filing has an effect on your tax rate. As of 2020, there are seven levels or tiers, each covering another portion of your salary, but the revenue periods differ based on your filing status.

The higher the percentage tax rate on your top dollar is, the more you earn. For example , a single filer with income ranging from $9,875 to $40,125 will pay 10% or $987 of the first $9,875 they received as of 2020, then 12% on income above that sum, up to $40,125 when the 22% tax bracket kicks in.

When you apply for head of household filing status, these numbers rise to $14,100 and $53,700, respectively. You will pay 10% on the first $14,100 you paid, then 12% on the balance up to $53,700, then 22% on profits above that amount up to $85,500.7.

Home filers head get to enjoy the 10 percent tax rate on an extra $4,225 of income — the gap between $9,875 for single filers and $14,100.

Practical Tips for Preparing Your First Return

You might want to try completing your return on paper, too, even if you elect to use software. This will let you see if your calculations on paper match up with the calculations in the software. The IRS provides a list of forms you can use, and they're free.

Consider visiting a professional tax preparer and have them look over the forms when you've finished filling out your return. Make an appointment in advance, especially if it's getting close to the filing deadline. Let the office know that you just want someone to review your return prior to the IRS receiving it. Many tax offices will do this for free or for a nominal charge.

Practical tips for making the first return ready

Also if you want to use apps, you may want to try completing your return on paper too. That will allow you to see if your paper calculations suit the software calculations. The IRS has a list of forms that you can use, which is secure.

Consider contacting a qualified tax preparer after you have finished filling out your paperwork and have them look at the forms. Make an appointment in advance, particularly if the filing deadline is close. Let the office know you only want someone to check your return before IRS receives it. Many tax bureaux can do this for free or for a small charge.