Web Reviews: Don't Procrastinate at Tax Time

Didn’t you promise yourself that you were going to start thinking about your taxes earlier than you did last year? April 15 might seem far away, but it will be here before you know it. Bankrate.com’s tax page provides tax forms and free advice to help you get an early start. In addition to tax resources, the site hosts several other personal finance channels including banking, investing, and small-business finance.

The tax page allows users to conveniently download federal and state tax forms from a single location. It also provides a state-by-state roundup of income, sales, and property tax policies. You can recommend this feature to out-of-state buyers who want to estimate the taxes in your area.

The site’s “News” section helps users keep up to date on changes in the tax code over the past year, such as a lower income tax rate and larger tax breaks for individuals who claim children. Additionally, it provides articles on common tax mistakes, such as forgetting to update change of address information after a move. Don’t laugh, the IRS reported $88.5 million in unclaimed refunds last year due to undeliverable addresses. Finally, the daily tax tip gives brief facts about deductions and tax breaks you may have overlooked.

Users can also write to receive advice on their specific tax troubles, via Bankrate.com’s “Tax Talk” column. Miami, Fl.-based CPA George Saenz uses his 5 years of experience in income, corporate, and estate taxes to provide guidance on everything from whether deductions are acceptable to what options are available to individuals who can’t afford to pay their taxes. Similarly, users can write in to the “Small Business Advisor” to receive advice on small business taxes from Port St. Lucie, Fla.-based entrepreneur and author Stephen Windhaus. He gives advice on matters such as small business deductions.

Bankrate.com’s “Tax Basics” runs through the A, B, Cs of income taxes for users who are new to filing returns or maybe just need a quick refresher course. It includes an introduction to withholding, the W-4 worksheet, under-withholding, and calculating income-tax brackets. If trying to decipher the meaning of an “above-the-line deduction” is pushing you over the line, turn to the site’s tax terms glossary, which make it simpler to translate IRS gobbledygook into plain English.

Why should you spend the start of the spring selling season stressing out about taxes? Click onto Bankrate.com’s tax page, and start figuring out your taxes early this year.