How to E-file Your Return

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) partners with various private industry companies to bring taxpayers affordable, convenient, user friendly IRS e-file options available from home or through an approved IRS e-file Business Provider.

3 Steps to E-Filing

STEP 1: Gather your tax information:

• Social Security numbers for yourself, your spouse, and any dependents.
• All W-2 forms
• All 1099 forms for dividends, retirement income, or other income
• Receipts for expenses for Itemized Deductions, if you itemize on Schedule A
• Bank account numbers. If you expect a refund, you may split your refund for direct depositing using up to three different accounts. For example, a checking, savings, and money market account
• For each bank account you intend to use, you will need: the account number and routing number.
• Have your prior year's Adjusted Gross Income available.

STEP 2: Choose a method for e-filing:

• Self-Select PIN Method or
• Practitioner PIN Method

Selecting your own PIN number

Selecting your own PIN number as your digital signature eliminates the requirement for signing a paper return. If you have tax software, you can use the self-select method to create a PIN.

To self-select a PIN you may use any five digits you want. However, you cannot use all zeros.

Practitioner PIN Method:

The Practitioner PIN method can only be used by taxpayers who file electronically through a tax professional who is an Authorized e-file provider.

You may use a PIN as your digital signature using the practitioner PIN method .

If you use this method you are not required to provide your original Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or PIN from your prior year return or your Date of Birth.

STEP 3: Transmitting your return:

If you file your own taxes online using tax software, answer the simple questions in your tax preparation software, and the software will transmit your return and give a feedback as to the status of your return.

If you e-file using a provider online, you simply follow the online process.

For faster refunds, provide your bank account number and routing number to enable direct deposit.