One out of every four small business owners says the main reason they procrastinate on filing is the amount of time required, according to a poll conducted by American Express in 1998. Minnick can discuss how small business owners can get better organized for tax season. Mariano Morales a researcher in the University of Cincinnati Marx Law Library, recently published a reference guide of print and Internet tax resources. The key is looking for government sources such as the U.S. Tax Code online. More home computer users are e-filing this tax season, says Gene Goldenberg, vice president of software at Block Financial, the makers of Kiplinger TaxCut software that has had a 52 percent increase in sales this year.
Electronic filing is a win-win situation.
Taxpayers get a faster refund and a more accurate return, and the IRS can process tax returns more quickly. The quality of output is only as good as the data you put in. These programs can't make gray-area judgment calls or determine that you have chosen the correct form. Brown offers tips on how consumers can develop a written retirement plan. Check and double-check tax forms before submitting them, says Russ Upton, vice president of the National Association of Tax Practitioners.