Suggestions for people who have never filed online

Suggestions for people who have never filed online, never done their own taxes, or are first time tax filers:

1. Repeat the following phrase before starting – “This is not rocket science.  If I can pass grade 8, I can do my own taxes.”
2. Get all your paperwork in order before starting.  When you get tax documents in the mail, start a file and put everything into that file.  Once you have all your paperwork, start your tax filing.
3. E-filing is the simplest way to submit your taxes.  TurboTax includes a free e-file with their product.  I always wondered what would happen if your tax return got lost in the mail.
4. You can often download/import information from your financial software or from your financial institutions.  Don’t worry.  If the idea of entering all your stock purchases sounds overwhelming, you can usually just import all that information.
5. When completing your taxes with TurboTax, go through each stage step by step.  Don’t try and guess what is and is not appropriate.  Just follow the questions and be sure you don’t miss anything.
6. If you’re not feeling confident to actually file your own taxes, then once someone completes it, you can compare your results with theirs.