Tax advice for orphans

January is here and I suggest that you do your taxes as soon as possible. Back when I was in college I had to get my taxes done by the end of January so I could fill out my FAFSA online and get my scholarship approved and all set to go for the next year.

1. Get your W2 forms. Most businesses should have your W2 forms ready in the middle of January. Usually they send them to you. You need your W2 forms to file your taxes. You will need to get one for each job you have had last year. I had two jobs the last time I had to file my taxes. One was from before I graduated and the other was from after I graduated. This year I only have one.

2. Find someone to do your taxes. Back in college, they had a program for students where they had a place where students could get their taxes done and filed for free. It was great. Last year I tried Turbotax online. It took me hours. I recommend finding an actual person to help do your taxes. I heard Security Finance does taxes. www.security-finance.com Most places will usually pay a small fee for doing your taxes. There is also Liberty Tax Service. www.libertytax.com Go to the website to find one near you. You can enter your zip code at the top to find nearby locations.

3. Do your taxes before it is too late. The sooner you do your taxes the sooner you will get your tax refund back. This is if you paid too much in taxes and you get a nice check from the State and Federal. If you do your taxes in January, you may get a check in March. The deadline for your taxes to be filed is April 14th...I think. I dunno, I always do mine early.

4. Filing your taxes is not optional. It is required by law that you file your taxes. If you haven't have a job for a year then there is nothing to file now is there? If you are late on filing your taxes you could be fined. If there are any errors made while filing your taxes you could be fined.

This is just one of those things that would be a lot easier if our parents were around. I ask my co-workers and friends who does their taxes and they say "oh, we have a guy". Well....who? That doesn't help me. But this year I got a card in the mail from Security Finance and at the bottom it said "We do Taxes!". So I kept it because I need someone to do my taxes. It also had a recipe for Spooky Spider Cookies.