State, federal tax resources
Advertiser Staff
Here are some resources to tap when preparing your 2002 federal and state income tax returns:
FEDERAL INCOME TAX INFORMATION
• Filing deadline: April 15, 2003
• Web: www.irs.gov
The first place to download federal tax forms and publications, learn about rule changes and online filing, and track your refund's status.
• Phone (for assistance via recordings): (800) 829-4477
Tele-Tax covers about 140 topics of common confusion, with many recorded in Spanish.
• Phone (to speak to a helper): (800) 829-1040
IRS helpers can help you handle questions that are too technical or specific for Tele-Tax and that pertain to your own account.
OTHER PHONE SERVICES
• Tax forms and publications: (800) 829-3676
• Refunds (assistance via recordings): (800) 829-1954
• Help with business returns (talk to a helper): (800) 829-4933
FINDING FORMS
• Web: www.irs.gov
• Address: 300 Ala Moana Blvd.
• Phone: (800) 829-3676
• Fax: (703) 368-9694
VOLUNTEER TAX COUNSELING
Federal and state tax officials train volunteers to provide free help preparing returns for low-income, disabled, elderly or non-English-speaking taxpayers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.
Taxpayers with incomes under $60,000 may take advantage of the service, provided that their returns are "simple." Volunteers are trained to prepare basic forms and forms claiming credits such as the earned-income credit and the child credit.
To find a TCE site near you, call:
• Internal Revenue Service: (800) 829-1040
• Tax Aide: (888) 227-7669
• Your local senior center
TAXPAYER ADVOCATES
Contact a taxpayer advocate if you are suffering — or are about to suffer — a significant hardship, or to handle a tax problem you can't resolve through normal channels.
(See IRS Publication 1546.)
• IRS (national): (877) 777-4778
STATE INCOME TAX INFORMATION
• Filing deadline: April 21, 2003
• Web: state.hi.us/tax/tax.html
• Phone: 587-4242, 587-6515
FINDING FORMS
• Web: state.hi.us/tax/tax.html
• Phone: Taxpayer Services Forms Request Line at (800) 222-7572 or 587-7572.
• Forms by Fax Service (24-hour service): 587-7572 if calling from O'ahu or at (808) 678-0522 if calling from outside O'ahu.
OTHER SERVICES
• Free tax preparation available for eligible taxpayers from the state Tax Department and AARP-TaxAide. For site locations, call (877) 227-7844.
• The Hawaii Asset Building Coalition also offers free tax help to low-income working taxpayers who qualify to claim the Earned Income Credit. For information, call 528-7050 or Tom Matsuda at 521-4531.
Correction: Previous information on this page included a wrong date for the deadline for submitting state tax returns.
