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tax return, choose that preparer wisely. A paid tax pre- parer is: • Primarily responsible for the overall substantive accu- racy of your return, • Required to sign the return, and • Required to include their preparer tax identification number (PTIN). Although the tax preparer always signs the return, you're ultimately responsible for providing all the informa- tion required for the preparer to accurately prepare your return. Anyone paid to prepare tax returns for others should have a thorough understanding of tax matters. For more information on how to choose a tax preparer, go to Tips for Choosing a Tax Preparer on IRS.gov. Advance child tax credit payments. From July through December 2021, advance payments were sent automati- cally to taxpayers with qualifying children who met certain criteria. The advance child tax credit payments were early payments of up to 50% of the estimated child tax credit that taxpayers may properly claim on their 2021 returns. Go to IRS.gov/AdvCTC for more information about these payments and how they can affect your taxes. Coronavirus. Go to IRS.gov/Coronavirus for links to in- formation on the impact of the coronavirus, as well as tax relief available for individuals and families, small and large businesses, and tax-exempt organizations. Employers can register to use Business Services On- line. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers on- line service at SSA.gov/employer for fast, free, and secure online W-2 filing options to CPAs, accountants, enrolled agents, and individuals who process Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and Form W-2c, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement. IRS social media. Go to IRS.gov/SocialMedia to see the various social media tools the IRS uses to share the latest information on tax changes, scam alerts, initiatives, prod- ucts, and services. At the IRS, privacy and security are our highest priority. We use these tools to share public in- formation with you. Don’t post your social security number (SSN) or other confidential information on social media sites. Always protect your identity when using any social networking site. The following IRS YouTube channels provide short, in- formative videos on various tax-related topics in English, Spanish, and ASL. • Youtube.com/irsvideos. • Youtube.com/irsvideosmultilingua. • Youtube.com/irsvideosASL. Watching IRS videos. The IRS Video portal (IRSVideos.gov) contains video and audio presentations for individuals, small businesses, and tax professionals. Online tax information in other languages. You can find information on IRS.gov/MyLanguage if English isn’t your native language. Free Over-the-Phone Interpreter (OPI) Service. The IRS is committed to serving our multilingual customers by offering OPI services. The OPI service is a federally fun- ded program and is available at Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs), other IRS offices, and every VITA/TCE return site. OPI service is accessible in more than 350 lan- guages. Accessibility Helpline available for taxpayers with disabilities. Taxpayers who need information about ac- cessibility services can call 833-690-0598. The Accessi- bility Helpline can answer questions related to current and future accessibility products and services available in al- ternative media formats (for example, braille, large print, audio, etc.). Getting tax forms and publications. Go to IRS.gov/ Forms to view, download, or print all of the forms, instruc- tions, and publications you may need. Or, you can go to IRS.gov/OrderForms to place an order. Getting tax publications and instructions in eBook format. You can also download and view popular tax publications and instructions (including the Instructions for Form 1040) on mobile devices as eBooks at IRS.gov/ eBooks. Note. IRS eBooks have been tested using Apple's iBooks for iPad. Our eBooks haven’t been tested on other dedicated eBook readers, and eBook functionality may not operate as intended. 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 and a breakdown by tax year. • See payment plan details or apply for a new payment plan. • Make a payment or view 5 years of payment history and any pending or scheduled payments. • Access your tax records, including key data from your most recent tax return, your EIP amounts, and tran- scripts. • View digital copies of select notices from the IRS. • Approve or reject authorization requests from tax pro- fessionals. • View your address on file or manage your communi- cation preferences. Tax Pro Account. This tool lets your tax professional submit an authorization request to access your individual taxpayer IRS online account. For more information, go to IRS.gov/TaxProAccount. Using direct deposit. The fastest way to receive a tax refund is to file electronically and choose direct deposit, which securely and electronically transfers your refund di- rectly into your financial account. Direct deposit also avoids the possibility that your check could be lost, stolen, Publication 596 (2021) Page 29