Whether you do your own taxes or use a paid preparer, gathering your records is the first step of tax preparation. The IRS has a detailed guide to help you identify and collect the forms and documents you need.

The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) will help you determine your filing status. Answer the interview questions and the ITA will respond with your filing status and a transcript that you can print and save for your records.

This interview-style assessment will help you determine if a person qualifies you for the child tax credit (CTC) or the credit for other dependents (COD).

Find out your eligibility and requirements for IRS tax relief and economic stimulus benefits.

If your state or locality was declared a disaster area by the US Government, then you may be eligible for certain tax relief provisions.

If you receive a notice or letter from the IRS requesting specific documents, then you can skip the mail and use the Document Upload Tool. The DUT enables you to speed up your response to the notice or letter (aka eligible correspondence) so you can solve your problem faster. But follow these important guidelines when using the DUT:

• Submit documents to support your income, deductions, credits, etc., but upload only the documents specifically requested in the notice or letter.
• Upload the requested documents in jpeg, jpg, png, or pdf format.
• DO NOT upload tax forms - they cannot be processed through the DUT.

Click the button below to find out more about the DUT and how to use it.

Get the details on requirements and check your eligibility with the IRS Earned Income Tax Credit guide and Qualification Assistant.

You can check your eligibility for certain education tax credits, such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Credit. Visit the Information Center to learn more.

If you owe federal tax debt or certain other federal or state debts from prior years, then your IRS tax refund could be applied to one or more of those debts to offset all or a portion of the balance. Find out more from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service.

Provide your SSN/ITIN, filing status, and exact refund amount to get the processing status of your income tax refund.

View important tax reminders and instructions for Small Business and the Self-Employed.