When filing federal income taxes, sometimes it pays to use professional preparers

Suggested Intro:

TAX TIME IS COMING, AND SOMETIMES, THE HARDEST DECISION IS: DO THEM YOURSELF OR GO TO A PROFESSIONAL? A CONSUMER FINANCE SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS FOR SOME SITUATIONS, IT'S BETTER TO GET HELP. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:13) WHEN IS IT BETTER TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP ON YOUR TAXES? PENN STATE EXTENSION EDUCATOR ROBIN KULECK EXPLAINS THAT, WHILE THE COMPUTATIONS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE AVERAGE RETURN ARE USUALLY MANAGEABLE, KEEPING UP WITH FEDERAL AND STATE TAX LAWS CAN BE DIFFICULT:

Kuleck Actuality:
(:18) "ALMOST EVERY YEAR THERE ARE NEW TAX BREAKS, THE LIMITS CHANGE…THE CHILD TAX CREDIT, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL CHILD TAX CREDIT, ALL HAVE DIFFERENT INCOME GUIDELINES, DIFFERENT PURPOSES... SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE LAZY - YOU'RE PROBABLY MAKING A REALLY GOOD DECISION THAT YOU'RE NOT PREPARING YOUR OWN TAXES, UNLESS YOU HAVE A VERY SIMPLE SITUATION."

(:17) KULECK SAYS TAX PREPARATION COMPUTER SOFTWARE CAN DELIVER GOOD RESULTS. AND LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND SENIOR CITIZENS CAN GET TAX HELP FROM THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE'S VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. GET MORE INFORMATION ONLINE AT I-R-S DOT GOV. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

Learn more:

Internal Revenue Service Web site

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