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4. How To Get Tax Help If you have questions about a tax issue, need help prepar- ing your tax return, or want to download free publications, forms, or instructions, go to IRS.gov and find resources that can help you right away. Tax reform. Major tax reform legislation impacting indi- viduals, businesses, and tax-exempt entities was enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. Go to IRS.gov/TaxReform for information and updates on how this legislation affects your taxes. Preparing and filing your tax return. Find free options to prepare and file your return on IRS.gov or in your local community if you qualify. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $55,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited-Eng- lish-speaking taxpayers who need help preparing their own tax returns. 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. TCE volunteers specialize in answering questions about pensions and re- tirement-related issues unique to seniors. You can go to IRS.gov to see your options for preparing and filing your return which include the following. • Free File. Go to IRS.gov/FreeFile to see if you qualify to use brand-name software to prepare and e-file your federal tax return for free. • VITA. Go to IRS.gov/VITA, download the free IRS2Go app, or call 800-906-9887 to find the nearest VITA lo- cation for free tax return preparation. • TCE. Go to IRS.gov/TCE, download the free IRS2Go app, or call 888-227-7669 to find the nearest TCE lo- cation for free tax return preparation. Getting answers to your tax questions. On IRS.gov, get answers to your tax questions any- time, anywhere. • Go to IRS.gov/Help for a variety of tools that will help you get answers to some of the most common tax questions. • Go to IRS.gov/ITA for the Interactive Tax Assistant, a tool that will ask you questions on a number of tax law topics and provide answers. You can print the entire interview and the final response for your records. • Go to IRS.gov/Pub17 to get Pub. 17, Your Federal In- come Tax for Individuals, which features details on tax-saving opportunities, 2018 tax changes, and thou- sands of interactive links to help you find answers to your questions. View it online in HTML, as a PDF, or download it to your mobile device as an eBook. • You may also be able to access tax law information in your electronic filing software. Getting tax forms and publications. Go to IRS.gov/ Forms to view, download, or print all of the forms and pub- lications you may need. You can also download and view popular tax publications and instructions (including the 1040 instructions) on mobile devices as an eBook at no charge. Or you can go to IRS.gov/OrderForms to place an order and have forms mailed to you within 10 business days. Access your online account (individual taxpayers only). Go to IRS.gov/Account to securely access infor- mation about your federal tax account. • View the amount you owe, pay online, or set up an on- line payment agreement. • Access your tax records online. • Review the past 24 months of your payment history. • Go to IRS.gov/SecureAccess to review the required identity authentication process. Using direct deposit. The fastest way to receive a tax refund is to combine direct deposit and IRS e-file. Direct deposit securely and electronically transfers your refund directly into your financial account. Eight in 10 taxpayers use direct deposit to receive their refund. The IRS issues more than 90% of refunds in less than 21 days. Refund timing for returns claiming certain credits. The IRS can’t issue refunds before mid-February 2019 for returns that claimed the earned income credit (EIC) or the additional child tax credit (ACTC). This applies to the en- tire refund, not just the portion associated with these cred- its. Getting a transcript or copy of a return. The quickest way to get a copy of your tax transcript is to go to IRS.gov/ Transcripts. Click on either "Get Transcript Online" or "Get Transcript by Mail" to order a copy of your transcript. If you prefer, you can: • Order your transcript by calling 800-908-9946, or • Mail Form 4506-T or Form 4506T-EZ (both available on IRS.gov). Using online tools to help prepare your return. Go to IRS.gov/Tools for the following. • The Earned Income Tax Credit Assistant (IRS.gov/ EITCAssistant) determines if you’re eligible for the EIC. • The Online EIN Application (IRS.gov/EIN) helps you get an employer identification number. • The IRS Withholding Calculator (IRS.gov/W4App) es- timates the amount you should have withheld from your paycheck for federal income tax purposes and can help you perform a “paycheck checkup.” Page 48 Chapter 4 How To Get Tax Help