Don’t like ’em but got to pay Uncle Sam to stay clean and fund the land we live in. However be smart and realize while we should pay our fair share there are many credits, deductions and tax breaks you should be taking advantage of to lower your taxes or maximize your refund. For these and other tax related information keep reading.
2021-22 Tax Season Trending Topics
- Tax Rates and Brackets
- Tax Season Due Dates and Deadlines
- Tax Refund Delays and Contacting the IRS
- More Stimulus Payments
- Claiming Your Missing Stimulus Payment via a RRC (Adult or Dependent)
- IRS Tax Refund Processing Schedule
- Unemployment and Taxes (1099-G)
- Child Tax Credit (CTC) Stimulus Expansion
- Earned Income Tax Credit
Tax Filing Software Providers
Maximize your refund and pay as little as you have to with these recommended top online e-file tax software packages. You can try them all for free and only pay when you actually file the return. Most will get you to the same refund number, but the user experience and post-filing support (if audit issues) are what you pay for with the bigger players.
| Tax Provider | Summary |
|---|---|
| TurboTax | The most headache-free option, with a very intuitive user interface. From the simplest to the most complex return, TurboTax probably has you covered. Good for small business’ and self employed. It also has some great post filing support and a 100% accuracy guarantee, where they pay any IRS or state penalty (or interest) because of an error they made. |
| H&R Block | H&R Block’s offers an in-person and online do-it-yourself tax preparation service with well designed filing software and over 12,000 retail offices to provide back-up options and audit support. Its a large national brand and if you like the ability to get a high level of support (online and in person) then block is a good option. |
| TaxACT | Provider of affordable digital tax preparation solutions for individuals, business owners and tax professionals. The software has been designed by in-house programmers and tax accountant. Probably one of the cheapest online tax filing options out there. |
| eFile | Basic and no-frill tax filing software for a fraction of the cost of the larger providers. If your return is simple and you just want a simple electronic filing option then this is the tax filing package for you |
| Liberty eSmart | Liberty (eSmart) Tax provides an exceptional online tax preparation solution at an affordable value. There are over 3,000 Liberty Tax Service locations throughout the United States and Canada |
See a more detailed review of tax software providers.
FREE Filing Tax Options
You can use the IRS Free e-Filing (online tax software filing) if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is below a certain threshold ($73,000 currently). This free filing service is partnership between the IRS and major tax software providers. Note that participating tax software companies can set lower or higher AGI limits for using free file through their online service (see details in this article).
Most tax software provides guidance through the filing process via asking simple questions and putting your answers on the right forms. If does all the math and checks for accuracy. You normally get your refund within 21 days. The following well-known companies (always go with established companies for your taxes!) support the IRS free file e-filing option, but if you want more sophisticated help or have a higher AGI then you may have to pay for filing the return, due to the extra guidance/forms you receive.
TurboTax Free Edition: Turbo tax is the most used tax software and in the years that I have used it, I found it very easy to use thanks to it’s excellent step-by-step program to guide you through filling in your tax return. Like any commercial package though, they will try to “up-sell ” you, so make sure you check the options you really need. Overall, this is the best option for most online tax filers in my opinion.
The IRS also offers free online tax filing support and guidance via the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers. This service is offered free of charge for those who make less than certain annual adjusted income limits (see IRS site for details). The VITA program is staffed by IRS-certified volunteers. In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.
While filing your tax returns for free is a great option for those with lower incomes and simpler tax situations, what you are really paying the tax software providers is for the online assistance guiding you through the process for figuring your taxes and getting the largest refund possible. You also get audit support if any issues are found with your filing – for an extra fee off course if not due to the tax software provider calculations. Given the premium advice and tips you can get from most tax software, the cost of the additional options is more than offset by the larger refund you will likely get.
Tax Season Filing Deadlines
2022 Tax Filing Deadlines | Tax Related Activity |
|---|---|
| Jan 3rd | First day to file a federal tax return, though the IRS generally will not accept e-file and free file returns until the date below. Even paper based filings won't be processed till later in the month |
| Jan 24th | IRS E-file to go live allowing submission, acceptance and processing of electronic tax returns for the vast majority of tax filers. Paper tax returns will begin processing later in mid-February as IRS system updates continue (IRS recommends e-filing for faster refunds). |
| Feb 1st | 1099-G forms for reporting Unemployment Compensation and Taxes paid to you for the prior calendar year. Contact your state UI agency if not received by this date. |
| Feb 1st | Date by which you should have received a W-2 from employers you worked for during the tax year. If not, contact their HR/Payroll department to resend tax documents |
| Feb 1st | Deadline for 1099 statements (factors in your AGI income) that report non-employee compensation, bank interest, dividends and distributions from a retirement plan. This date is also the deadline for self-employed individuals to file and pay in full their fourth-quarter estimated tax payment |
| Feb 1st | Financial institutions (e.g Vanguard, Fidelity) must mail out 1099-B, 1099-S and 1099-MISC forms by this date. See what these forms are and if you will need one for your return |
| March 15 | S Corporation and Partnership tax returns due |
| April 18 | *Tax Day* Last day for filing federal and state income tax returns and extension requests. Due to Emancipation Day holiday in DC, the due date shifted from April 15th to Monday, April 18, 2022, for most taxpayers. Taxpayers who live in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 19, 2022, to file their returns due to the Patriots’ Day holiday Note - This due date could be extended if significant backlog or new tax changes, as was the cast in 2021 (I will update if that happens). |
| April 18 | Deadline for filing state income tax returns (for most states) and extension requests. Last day to make a contribution to a Traditional or Roth IRA, Health Savings Account (HSA), SEP-IRA or 401(k) |
| April 18 | FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) forms due for taxpayers who have signature authority over $10,000 in total in foreign bank accounts in the prior year. Laws enacted last year change the standard FBAR due date to "tax day" (vs June 30th as in years past). No extensions are allowed and forms must be filed electronically. |
| September 15 | U.S. citizens or resident aliens living abroad must file tax returns and pay any taxes due by this date (or file for a four-month extension) |
| October 17 | Filing approved extended federal, state and S-Corp/Partnership income tax returns Note: you still need to file for an extension request by April 15th |
See this article for more information and comments.
Tax Brackets and Rates
Below are the tax tables for the 2021 tax year (used for filings in 2022). See this article for more on the prior and current year federal tax brackets.
2021 Federal Taxable Income IRS Tax Brackets and Rates
| Tax Rate | Single Filers | Married Filing Jointly + SS | Married, filing separately | Head of Household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $9,950 | Up to $19,900 | Up to $9,950 | Up to $14,200 |
| 12% | $9,951 to $40,525 | $19,901 to $81,050 | $9,951 to $40,525 | $14,201 to $54,200 |
| 22% | $40,526 to $86,375 | $81,051 to $172,750 | $40,526 to $86,375 | $54,201 to $86,350 |
| 24% | $86,376 to $164,925 | $172,751 to $329,850 | $86,376 to $164,925 | $86,351 to $164,900 |
| 32% | $164,926 to $209,425 | $329,851 to $418,850 | $164,926 to $209,425 | $164,901 to $209,400 |
| 35% | $209,426 to $523,600 | $418,851 to $628,300 | $209,426 to $314,150 | $209,401 to $523,600 |
| 37% | Over $523,600 | Over $628,300 | Over $314,150 | Over $523,600 |
| Standard Deduction | $12,550 | $25,100 | $12,550 | $18,800 |
Estimated IRS Refund Schedule
You can see more in this article which has several thousand comments on people having refund issues due to some of these reasons.
| Tax Return Accepted by IRS (Status = Return Received) | If IRS Processing Completed By (Status = Refund Approved) | Estimated Refund Payment Date via Direct Deposit (Status = Refund Sent) | Estimated Refund Payment Date via Paper Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 24th, 2022 | January 31, 2022 | February 7 2022 | February 19, 2022 |
| February 1, 2022 | February 8, 2022 | February 11, 2022 | February 22, 2022 |
| February 7, 2022 | February 14, 2022 | February 18, 2022 | February 28, 2022 |
| February 14, 2022 | February 22, 2022 | February 25, 2022 | March 7, 2022 |
| February 21, 2022 | February 28, 2022 | March 4, 2022 | March 14, 2022 |
| February 28, 2022 | March 7, 2022 | March 11, 2022 | March 21, 2022 |
| March 7, 2022 | March 14, 2022 | March 18, 2022 | March 28, 2022 |
| March 14, 2022 | March 21, 2022 | March 25, 2022 | April 4, 2022 |
| March 21, 2022 | March 28, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | April 11, 2022 |
| March 28, 2022 | April 4, 2022 | April 8, 2022 | April 18, 2022 |
| April 4, 2022 | April 11, 2022 | April 15, 2022 | April 25, 2022 |
| April 11, 2022 | April 18, 2022 | April 22, 2022 | May 2, 2022 |
| April 18, 2022 | April 25, 2022 | April 29, 2022 | May 9, 2022 |
| April 25, 2022 | May 2, 2022 | May 6, 2022 | May 16, 2022 |
| May 2, 2022 | May 9, 2022 | May 13, 2022 | May 23, 2022 |
| May 9, 2022 | May 16, 2022 | May 20, 2022 | May 30, 2022 |
| May 16, 2022 | May 23, 2022 | May 27, 2022 | June 6, 2022 |
| May 23, 2022 | May 30, 2022 | June 3, 2022 | June 13, 2022 |
| May 30, 2022 | June 6, 2022 | June 10, 2022 | June 20, 2022 |
| June 6, 2022 | June 13, 2022 | June 17, 2022 | June 27, 2022 |
| June 13, 2022 | June 20, 2022 | June 24, 2022 | July 4, 2022 |
| June 20, 2022 | June 27, 2022 | July 1, 2022 | July 11, 2022 |
| June 27, 2022 | July 4, 2022 | July 8, 2022 | July 18, 2022 |
| July 4, 2022 | July 11, 2022 | July 15, 2022 | July 25, 2022 |
| July 11, 2022 | July 18, 2022 | July 22, 2022 | August 1, 2022 |
| July 18, 2022 | July 25, 2022 | July 29, 2022 | August 8, 2022 |
| July 25, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | August 5, 2022 | August 15, 2022 |
| August 1, 2022 | August 8, 2022 | August 12, 2022 | August 22, 2022 |
| August 8, 2022 | August 15, 2022 | August 19, 2022 | August 29, 2022 |
| August 15, 2022 | August 22, 2022 | August 26, 2022 | September 5, 2022 |
| August 22, 2022 | August 29, 2022 | September 2, 2022 | September 12, 2022 |
| August 29, 2022 | September 5, 2022 | September 9, 2022 | September 19, 2022 |
| September 5, 2022 | September 12, 2022 | September 16, 2022 | September 26, 2022 |
| September 12, 2022 | September 19, 2022 | September 23, 2022 | October 3, 2022 |
| September 19, 2022 | September 26, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | October 10, 2022 |
| September 26, 2022 | October 3, 2022 | October 7, 2022 | October 17, 2022 |
| October 3, 2022 | October 10, 2022 | October 14, 2022 | October 24, 2022 |
| October 10, 2022 | October 17, 2022 | October 21, 2022 | October 31, 2022 |
| October 17, 2022 | October 24, 2022 | October 28, 2022 | November 7, 2022 |
| October 24, 2022 | October 31, 2022 | November 4, 2022 | November 14, 2022 |
| October 31, 2022 | November 7, 2022 | November 11, 2022 | November 21, 2022 |
| November 7, 2022 | November 14, 2022 | November 18, 2022 | November 28, 2022 |
| November 14, 2022 | November 21, 2022 | November 25, 2022 | December 5, 2022 |
| November 21, 2022 | November 28, 2022 | December 2, 2022 | December 12, 2022 |
| November 28, 2022 | December 5, 2022 | December 9, 2022 | December 19, 2022 |
| December 5, 2022 | December 12, 2022 | December 16, 2022 | December 26, 2022 |
| December 12, 2022 | December 19, 2022 | December 23, 2022 | January 2, 2023 |
| December 19, 2022 | December 26, 2022 | December 30, 2022 | January 9, 2023 |
| December 26, 2022 | January 2, 2023 | January 6, 2023 | January 16, 2023 |
| January 2, 2023 | January 9, 2023 | January 13, 2023 | January 23, 2023 |
| January 9, 2023 | January 16, 2023 | January 20, 2023 | January 30, 2023 |
Tax Refund and Return Customer Service Numbers
| Some useful IRS Phone Numbers to Get More Information on Your Return and/or Refund | |
|---|---|
| Talk To a Live Person (800) 829-0582 Ext. 652 Tax Help Line (800) 829-1040 for human? press 1 for English, then 0, 0 again Refund Hotline (800) 829-1954 TeleTax (800) 829-4477 | Taxpayer Advocate Service Hotline 1-877-777-4778 Turbo Tax Customer Service Line (877) 908-7228 H&R Block Customer Service Line (800) 472-5625 |
Full disclosure : while I may get a small commission when you sign-up for the above links, which helps me keep this site running, I did not get paid to put the above providers not the list. I actually believe they are the best providers our there and the deals to be genuine. For more see my terms of use policy.
Its been over a month now since they given me this 151 code and no letter whats going on?
My husband did my taxes (like every year) and they were accepted. It said they were going to be deposited on the 4th of April but now it says they are processing … Is there a cause for this? Why would they go from accepted to processing?
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Can someone tell me what the minimum amount of income is to be eligible for the EIC?
See this article – > https://savingtoinvest.com/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc-qualification-and-income-threshold-limits/
$! to get some of the credit, but to get the full credit you need to meet the annually adjusted thresholds as shown in the article.
hi had a question how come i cant see the comments to talk about the refund any more when i tey to get on it brings e to the 2015 taxes comments
for the 2016 refunds
I hear that if you can order a transcript you will get your refund within 72 hours? I was able to order mine over the phone. Is this a good sign?
I ordered my transcript (refund transcript) on Saturday (02/20/16) – two weeks after filing (02/06/16). I had no problem ordering them; however, I didn’t get my tax refund yet. On the 27th it will be 21 days. I helped a friend file his taxes on the same day (02/06/16) and he got his refund last week. I always hate waiting, but it’s not looking like the “72 hour” rule really applies.
Also Waiting, Have you gotten anything yet?
I filled over two weeks ago and I still haven’t seen any change on the Wheres my IRS tax refund. Why is it taking so much longer for my taxes to be processed? I only had 1 income and 1 dependent.
See this article with more information on WMR – https://savingtoinvest.com/wmr-and-irs2go-status-differences-return-received-accepted-or-under-review-and-refund-approved-versus-refund-sent/
I lost my copy, of my taxes so that I can find out if it was mailed out yet or not. But I would need the amount to find it out. Cause I need to pay my rent for this mouth, I hop that you can help me cause I don’t need to be livining in the street. Thank you!
I bought my home in june 2010 I think as a vet its wrong I cant get a first time home owners tax credit served 8 yrs still missed it by 45 days there should be a wavier for people like me