A Taxing Situation

Taxpayers have two extra days to get their taxes turned in this year.  While Tax Day typically falls on April 15, the IRS is pushing back this year's filing deadline to Tuesday, April 17.  The extension was granted because April 15 falls on a Sunday this year, and Monday is Emancipation Day, a holiday in Washington D.C. that celebrates the freeing of slaves in the district. The extra two days apply in South Florida and across the country.  Remember to support the USPS and mail your income tax return!

This year the IRS has an expanded version of its smartphone application designed to provide taxpayers easier access to practical tools and information.  The new app, IRS2Go2.0, available on the Apple and Android platforms, adds a new YouTube feature, news feed and tax transcript service in addition to existing tools, such as checking on the status of a tax refund.  The phone app offers taxpayers a number of safe and secure ways to access information and keep current on practical tax information. The 2.0 version of the phone app includes three new tools:

• Watch Us. People can view IRS YouTube videos on their smartphones. The videos provide short, informative features on a variety of tax topics. The channel ranks as the fourth most viewed channel among more than 125 federal government YouTube channels. IRS also has YouTube channels available in multilingual and American Sign Language. 
• Get the Latest News. With this tool, users can have the latest IRS news releases delivered to their phones as it becomes available.  
• Get My Tax Record. Taxpayers can now order their tax return transcript from the IRS2Go app. The transcript will be delivered via the U.S. Postal Service to their address of record.

The free IRS2Go app will continue giving taxpayers access to the tools offered last year:

• Get Your Refund Status. Taxpayers can check the status of their federal tax refund through the phone app with a few basic pieces of information. An updated refund status is available about three days after the IRS acknowledges receipt of an e-filed return, or four weeks after mailing a paper return.
• Get Tax Updates. Phone app users enter their e-mail address to automatically receive simple, straightforward tips and reminders to help with tax planning and preparation. Tax Tips are issued daily during the filing season and periodically throughout the rest of the year.
• Follow the IRS. Taxpayers can sign up to follow the IRS Twitter newsfeed, @IRSnews, which provides easy-to-use information, including updates on tax law changes and important IRS programs.

Apple users can update or download the free IRS2Go application by visiting the Apple App Store. Android users can visit the Android Marketplace to download the free IRS2Go app.