You have until April 15, 2009, or until October 15, 2009 if you file for an extension, to file your 2008 taxes
BEWARE OF REFUND ANTICIPATION LOANS (RAL's),aka FAST CASH REFUNDS, EXPRESS REFUNDS and INSTANT REFUNDS
Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL's) are expensive,not much faster and possibly risky!
RAL's are short-term loans with high interest rates (from 40% to 700% APR);
RAL's arrive only about a week earlier than IRS refunds;
RAL's are risky because if the IRS denies your tax refund, you still have to pay back the full amount of the loan plus interest!
CLAIM THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC)
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families.To qualify, taxpayers and children claimed must have valid Social Security numbers and have lived in the U.S. for at least six months in 2008.To claim the EITC, taxpayers must file a tax return.
You may be eligible for the EITC if your income in 2008 was less than:
·$38,646 ($41,646 married filing jointly) with two or more qualifying children;
·$33,995 ($36,995 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child; or
·$12,880 ($15,880 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children.
Also, your investment income must be $2,950 or less for the year. EITC varies from $438 to $4,824, depending on income and family size.If you're eligible for the EITC and it exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund to those who file a tax return.
CLAIM THE TELEPHONE TAX REFUND
Taxpayers who paid tax on long distance telephone service anytime during Feb. 28, 2003 to Aug. 1, 2006 can claim a telephone tax refund; the standard refund is $30 -$60. You can request this refund up until April 15, 2010 using a 1040X form.
DON'T SPEND MONEY TO DO YOUR TAXES!
FREE TAX PREPARATION AND FILING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) offers free tax filing services for low-income people.To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-877-211-9274 or 211.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly provides free tax help to people age 60 and older. To locate the nearest site, call 1-888-227-7669, or visit the AARP website at www.aarp.org.
Also, you can file your taxes online for free at www.icanefile.org and www.irs.gov (using the free file program).Your local library and Employment Security Office (WorkSource) offers free internet access. And remember, if you file for an extension, you have until OCTOBER 15, 2009 to file your 2008 taxes!
Last Reviewed On: 02/21/09
Information, Not Legal Advice. We are providing this information as a public service. We try to make it accurate as of the date noted in the materials. Sometimes the laws change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct. Most of the information provided on this web site is specific to Washington State law.
We do not intend this information to be legal advice. By providing this information, we are not acting as your lawyer. If you need legal advice, you should contact a lawyer through your local legal aid organization. Always talk to a competent lawyer, if you can, before taking legal action.
Permission for copying and distribution granted to the Alliance for Equal Justice and individuals for non-commercial use only.
Lawyer Advertising. This web site is not intended to be advertising or solicitation. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based on advertisements. Before hiring an attorney, you should investigate his or her reputation and qualifications.
Links. Some of the items listed here have not been prepared by us, but are instead "links" to information prepared and posted by others. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information posted on other sites. The links are not intended to imply that we sponsor or are affiliated or associated with the persons who created those sites, nor are the links intended to imply that we are legally authorized to use any trade name, registered trademark, logo, legal or official seal, or copyrighted symbol that may be reflected in the links.
In an effort to improve this site, we would appreciate learning about your visit to Washington LawHelp.
Washington LawHelp is provided as a public service by the Northwest Justice Project in collaboration with other legal aid providers in the Alliance for Equal Justice and Washington courts.
(Separate Website)
