Today is Tax Day—the last day to file your taxes. Whether you’ve already filed or you’re still working on your taxes, there are several resources at your disposal from the White House and the Internal Revenue Service.
The White House’s 2011 Federal Taxpayer Receipt allows taxpayers to see a breakdown of how their tax dollars are spent after entering their own information about this year's tax returns. There is also an option to estimate the breakdown based on income level for those who don’t have their tax payment information handy. The Federal Taxpayer Receipt will tell you approximately how an individual’s tax dollars are distributed across areas of national defense, health care, job and family security, education and job training, veteran’s benefits, international affairs, and more. The Taxpayer Receipt is an easy-to-use and highly informational tool for those who are curious to see what happens to their tax dollars after April 17.
For those who haven’t filed their taxes yet, the Internal Revenue Service has been using creative forms of social media to get the word out and provide last minute information about the tax payment process. You can follow the IRS on Twitter, under the handles @IRSnews and @IRSenEspanol. Tweets from the IRS provide valuable information about tax tips, tax law changes, filing extensions, and popular IRS programs such as free efiling and “Where’s My Refund?” The IRS has also developed a free smartphone application called IRS2Go, which allows individuals to follow the IRS Twitter feeds on the go. In addition to these resources, the IRS operates several YouTube channels which are popular among last-minute filers, including: “Last-Minute Tax Tips,” “Owe Taxes But Can’t Pay?” and “When Will I Get My Refund?” Videos on these channels are available in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
Erika Gudmundson is New Media Specialist at the Department of the Treasury.