In addition to the various in-person and online tools provided by the IRS, there are a number of ways to get tax tips this year as you prepare your tax return. Check out these helpful social media tools from the IRS:
With the April 17 tax deadline approaching, procrastinators may be in a rush to find the tax information they need. Businesses, media, web masters and others may also be looking for creative ways to help their own website's visitors find official IRS tax information and tools.
Let these social media tools from IRS help you or your website visitors navigate last-minute tax-time tasks.
1. IRS2Go The IRS's smartphone application can help you get your refund status and tax updates. IRS2Go is available for the iPhone or iTouch and the Android.
2. YouTube The IRS offers video tax tips on a variety of topics in English, Spanish and American Sign Language at www.youtube.com/irsvideos.
3. Twitter IRS tweets from @IRSnews include tax-related announcements and daily tax tips. Other IRS Twitter accounts tailor information for tax professionals and Spanish speaking taxpayers - @IRStaxpros tweets IRS news and guidance for tax professionals and @IRSenEspanol tweets IRS news and information in Spanish.
4. Podcasts These short audio recordings offer one tax-related topic per podcast. They are available on iTunes or through the Multimedia Center on this website (along with transcripts).
5. Widgets These tools, which others can place on websites, blogs or social media networks, direct users to the relevant page on the IRS website. The 2012 widgets feature often overlooked tax credits, Free File services, common tax transactions and the popular deadline countdown widget. Marketing Express hosts the IRS widgets.
So far this tax season, more than 1 million taxpayers have viewed the IRS's popular YouTube video tax tips, about 500,000 have downloaded the IRS phone app and more than 188,000 have viewed the IRS widgets. More than 23,000 Twitter followers get daily tax tips and IRS news at their fingertips. You can too.
Remember: The IRS uses these tools to share information with you. Do not post confidential information on any website or through social media channels, especially your Social Security number. The IRS will not be able to answer personal tax or account questions through any of these services.
To find links to all of IRS’s social media tools, vist the IRS.gov.
Erika Gudmundson is New Media Specialist at the Department of the Treasury.