There isn’t a polite way to say this: it’s the beginning of tax season. Here is a list of common lies we tell ourselves about filing our taxes and their associated underlying toxic trait:
- “I can put this off for now.” (Procrastination)
- “I’m going to have a great time filing my taxes this year!” (Toxic Optimism)
- “I would rather build a time machine, go sit in the nosebleed section of the Steelers vs Bills’ game on January 15th, and watch them lose a playoff game 17-31 while only wearing a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts than get audited by the IRS!”
(That’s not a lie, just somehow the better of those two options).
And we all know how agonizingly laborious it can be seeking out the right tax information online, right? Wrong.
Did you think Allegheny County Libraries would just leave you out in the cold? Put your tax filing ambitions on ice? Give you the cold shoulder when you needed help the most? Let your worries snowball until your tax fears bury you in an avalanche of anxiety?!
You’re right, let’s move on.
Let’s start with resources for Pennsylvania State Taxes!
The link you just clicked takes you straight to the PA State government site. You’ll find all kinds of relevant information there as a PA resident (feel free to browse that extra stuff later). For now, you’re looking for the Department of Revenue towards the bottom of the page.
Looks just like this.
This is where you’ll find pretty much everything you need including:
- Personal income tax forms
- Property tax/rent rebate forms
- PA personal income tax guide
- Info on making a personal income tax payment online, by phone, or mail
- Info on establishing payment plans
- A tool that lets you track the status of your PA personal income tax refund
- Forms for businesses
- A link to speak directly with a customer service representative
- More!
You can even fill out those forms as a .pdf and print them or save them for later.
Now for everyone’s favorite department of the federal government: the IRS! (That’s also not a lie, it’s sarcasm).
I’m kidding! (Please don’t audit me).
The IRS website has all kinds of tax information for you!
Here you will find all the information you need to file federal income taxes, including:
- Forms and instructions for (including but not limited to) the following documents: 1040, W-4, 1040-ES, W-9, 4506-T, 2848, 941, W-2, W-3, 9465, SS-4, and W-7
- Your IRS website account
- Your federal tax record
- Tax withholdings estimator
- Info on making a federal income tax payment online
- Info on establishing payment plans
- A tool that lets you track the status of your federal refund
- More!
Sure, reliable and easy to utilize tax information isn’t the most alluring resource that your Allegheny County Libraries offers. But, spending practically no time at all visiting these sites will make sure you don’t become so overwhelmed by tax season that you feel…frozen with inaction.
This seems like a good place to wrap up.
Always remember, if you ever have questions about accessing or navigating your digital resources, contact your local librarian!
– Derek, South Park Township Library