Preparing for Tax Season with Intuit Credit Karma
Courtney is the Head of Tax at Intuit Credit Karma. She has more than a decade of experience in personal finance and is passionate about helping consumers manage their money and plan for their financial futures. Today she will provide useful tips on how to prepare for tax season and how to make the most out of your tax refund. For more information visit www.creditkarma.com
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00:00 - The following portion of the Arizona Daily Mix
00:02 is sponsored on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma
00:04 by Gorbets Communications.
00:06 - It's almost tax season,
00:09 and last week I talked with Courtney Aleve,
00:13 the head of tax at Intuit Credit Karma,
00:16 who's providing useful tips on how to prepare for tax season
00:19 and how to make the most out of your tax refund.
00:23 - Hi, Courtney, thanks for being here.
00:26 I'm Courtney Aleve,
00:28 and I'm here to talk to you about how to prepare for tax.
00:31 - Hi, Courtney, thanks for being here.
00:33 So it is that time of year.
00:35 Tax season is upon us, unfortunately.
00:38 What can consumers do to prepare?
00:41 - If you hear the words tax season and get nervous,
00:44 you are far from alone.
00:46 Nearly one in three Americans have told us
00:49 that they are dreading filing their taxes this tax season.
00:52 But if that's you, I'm here to tell you
00:54 it does not need to be scary.
00:56 If you're feeling nervous,
00:57 you're probably already getting tax-related documents
01:01 sent to you either through the mail or via email.
01:04 Put a shoebox on your desk
01:06 and put anything coming in the mail right there,
01:07 or create a folder on your computer for anything electronic.
01:11 That way, when it is time to file,
01:13 you'll already have everything ready to go.
01:16 And as hard as it can be, do try not to procrastinate.
01:20 I know I'm the queen of waiting until the last minute
01:22 when it comes to things like this,
01:24 but the earlier you file your taxes,
01:26 the earlier you're gonna get that tax refund
01:28 if you're owed one this year.
01:30 - Courtney, that's such a good point.
01:32 And I know for me that when I get things done,
01:34 I just kind of feel that weight lifted off of me.
01:36 So those tips are so great.
01:38 And there are so many options now to doing your taxes.
01:42 I mean, how do consumers decide what's best for them?
01:45 - There are a ton of options out there,
01:46 and it can be really overwhelming,
01:48 especially if you're a first-time tax filer.
01:51 It's really helpful to spend a few minutes online
01:53 and do some research to figure out
01:55 what option might be best for you.
01:57 But the good news is that online tools
01:59 have gotten really smart.
02:01 They're fast, easy, intuitive,
02:03 and they really hold your hand
02:05 all the way through the process.
02:07 But if you're still feeling nervous
02:08 and you just really want that human touch
02:10 and a little bit of reassurance
02:12 to make sure that everything is looking good,
02:14 a lot of online options like TurboTax
02:16 also offer expert assistance.
02:19 - Oh, that's so nice.
02:20 So you can still go with the online option,
02:22 but you have someone there, like you said,
02:24 with the human touch to really personalize it.
02:26 So I love that option.
02:28 And you already mentioned refunds.
02:30 Everyone is thinking about refunds and excited for them.
02:34 What should consumers really be looking forward to
02:36 or thinking about in terms of that?
02:38 - We know that three in four Americans
02:41 are expecting to receive a refund this year,
02:43 and one in four are actually expecting
02:45 to receive a larger one than last year.
02:47 But if you're hearing this and thinking,
02:49 "I don't know if I'm gonna get a refund
02:50 "or how big it's going to be,"
02:52 there are free online tools like Uncredit Karma
02:54 that can help you estimate either the size of the refund
02:56 you're going to get or the tax bill that you might owe
03:00 in just a couple of minutes.
03:01 And it's really helpful to do that in advance.
03:04 Not only can it help you avoid some surprises
03:06 when it comes to actually filing your taxes,
03:08 but you can start making a plan
03:10 either for how you're gonna use that tax refund
03:13 or how you're gonna pay that tax bill.
03:15 - You know, I have owed in the past,
03:17 so I know that feeling when you're surprised
03:19 and it's like that sinking feeling in your stomach.
03:20 That's such a great tool.
03:22 But what if people can't quite make
03:24 that April 15th deadline?
03:27 I mean, talk a little bit about extensions.
03:29 - Yeah, you know, tax day has been in mid-April
03:31 for a long time, but it has this funny habit
03:34 every year of sneaking up on a lot of us.
03:36 But the most important thing is that
03:37 whether you're gonna file your taxes or file an extension,
03:40 you wanna make sure to take action by April 15th.
03:44 And if your reason for wanting to file an extension
03:46 is because you owe a tax bill
03:48 and you're feeling nervous about paying it,
03:50 which is really understandable,
03:52 the good news is that the IRS offers payment plans
03:55 that can really break down that bill
03:56 into more manageable chunks.
03:58 But whatever it is you wanna do,
03:59 whether file immediately or file an extension,
04:02 make sure to take action by April 15th.
04:05 - Those are some great tips.
04:06 Thank you so much, Courtney.
04:07 So where can viewers go for more information?
04:09 - Viewers can go to creditkarma.com or turbotax.com
04:12 to get the answers to all of their tax questions
04:15 and get ready to file for the season.
04:16 - All right, well, I feel prepared for that April 15th.
04:19 Thank you so much.
04:21 - Thank you.
04:22 - Okay, stick around because after the break,
04:27 AZ Painting Company is here to talk about
04:29 how they can help you refresh your space
04:31 when the Arizona Daily Mix returns on the station.
04:34 That's all good with CW7.
04:36 - The preceding portion of the Arizona Daily Mix
04:42 was sponsored on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma
04:45 by Gorvitz Communications.
04:46 (silence)
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