1. Get your records together. CPA Clifford Bowman says, "Watch for your statements coming from banks for your mortgage on your home. Watch for church statements coming in on what you gave during the year."
2. Make sure you have the right documents before you file. Bowman says, "W-2s are required to be to the taxpayers by the end of January, so don't prepare a return until the end of January, if you haven't received all your W-2 forms."
3. Decide if you need a tax preparer, or if you can do it yourself. Bowman says if you've inherited land, started a business, or bought or sold a home, you may want professional assistance.
4. Use Free File. If you make $57,000 a year or less, the IRS says you qualify for free tax software. Click here for a link to Free File.
5. Find Out if you Qualify To Go To A Location That Gives Free Tax Assistance, if you cannot prepare your taxes by yourself. If you earn $50,000 or less, or if you're 60 or older, you may qualify to get one-on-one free assistance from a certified volunteer. Click here for information on those sites or call 1-800-906-9887. The South Carolina Office on Rural Health also offers free tax assistance through what’s called a Benefit Bank. For more information on sites and clinics in the Upstate, call 1-800-726-8774.
6. E-file and use direct deposit. Bowman says both will help you get your return faster and leave less room for error.
7. Be careful who prepares your return. Bowman says, "You need to get some references. And be sure that these people do not promise you something they can't deliver. You're still responsible for that tax return."
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