>> YOU CAN SAVE MONEY BY GETTING
RETURNS PREPARED FOR FREE.
EDDIE ARRUZA IS HERE
WITH
INFORMATION ON ALL OF
THAT.
EDDIE.
>> THERE MAY BE ANY
NUMBER OF
RONES WHY FOLKS
PROCRASTINATE
UNTIL THE LAST MANHUNT TO DO
THEIR
TAXES
BUT CERTAINLY
THROUGH GOING
CALCULATIONS ARE
THINGS THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF
THE
OFTHE
ACCOUNTING
WORLD DON'T
RELISH BUT IF YOU'RE A
LOW
INCOME CHICAGO RENT
YOU CAN HAVE
RETURNS PREPARED FOR
FREE.
FOR 20 YEARS THE ORGANIZATIONS
LADDER UP HAS
SET UP SHOP ALL
AROUND THE
CHICAGO AREA AND
THEY'RE AT IT THIS YEAR.
THEY HAVE EXPANDED
HOURS.
IF YOU ARE A
FAMILY THAT EARNS
UP TO $50,000
A YEAR OR AN
INDIVIDUAL
MAKING
UP TO $25,000
A YEAR,
LADDER UP WILL
DO YOUR
TAX RETURNS FOR FREE AND
HERE
ARE A COUPLE OF TIPS
THEY OFFER
TO ANYONE WHO HAS YET TO DO
THEIR
RETURNS.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN CREDITS OUT
THERE FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF
EXPENSES, CHILD AND INDEPENDENT
CARE, WE KNOW A LOT OF OUR
FAMILIES
MAY HAVE TO
PAY SOMEONE
TO WATCH THEIR CHILDREN AND YOU
MAY BE ABLE TO GET A CREDIT FOR
THE MONEY
YOU SPEND ON
BEHINDCARE.
ANOTHER IS COLLEGE SPENDS.
IF YOU'RE PAYING
TO PUT
YOURSELF
OR
A RELATIVE THROUGH
COLLEGE,
BRING US THE
RESETS SO WE CAN
SEE IF
YOU'RE
ELIGIBLE.
ANOTHER THING THAT
WAS
A
CONVENIENT CHANGE WAS AN INCOME
TAX CREDIT.
ONE OF
THE BIGGEST PROPERTY
TAXES IN MERGE BEING A CHANGE
THAT IF YOU HAVE THREE OR
MORE
QUALIFYING CHILDREN
YOU'RE
ELIGIBLE FOR A HIGHER
CREDIT
AMOUNT.
YOU DIDN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
TWO OR MORE OR
GREATER AND
THAT'S A SLIGHT
CHANGE AND THAT
MAKES A DIFFERENCE
MONETARILY.
>> I UNDERSTAND LADDER UP IS NOT
THE ONLY ORGANIZATION
OFFERING
FREE HELP AND THERE'S ANOTHER
ORGANIZATION CALLED THE
CENTER
FOR COMMISSION PROGRESS.
THEY'RE ARE
NON--FOR-PROFIT AS
WELL AND THEY
OFFER FREE
TAX
HELP ALSO THROUGHOUT THE CHICAGO
AREA AND WE HAVE POSTED
THAT
INFORMATION ON OUR
WEBSITE.
A
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE
CENTER
FOR
OF
COMMISSION PROGRESS HAD
SOMETHING TO
SAY.
>> IF YOU
APPLIED AND GOT A
TAX
CREDIT, YOU WILL GET A
FORM IN
THE MAIL, A TAX
FORM,
SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT TAX
CREDIT, KEEP IT.
BRING IT TO YOUR
TAX
PREPARER
IN
2015.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IT WILL BE A LITTLE
CONFUSING
BECAUSE IT'S A BRAND NEW FORM,
SOMETHING YOU WON'T
EXPECT BUT
IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING YOU
HAVE TO FILE.
YOU WILL ALSO SEE THAT AFFECTED
FOR THE FOLKS WHO DIDN'T
SIGN UP
FOR INSURANCE.
YOU WILL GET
A PENALTY FEE TO
SHOW UP IN YOUR TAX
RETURN OR IN
YOUR TAX FORMS NEXT
YEAR, 2015.
>> ANY OF OTHER TIPS TO
OFFER?
>> AS YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT A
TAX
PROFESSIONAL BUT
YOU
DON'T --
>> YOU DON'T EVEN PLAY ONE ON
TV.
>> EXCEPT FOR TONIGHT BUT WHEN
YOU SEARCH ONLINE THERE ARE MANY
PAGES THAT COME UP WITH A
LOT
OF
TIPS BUT SOME THAT HAVE THE SAME
TIP OVER AND OVER.
HERE
ARE A
FEW.
CHECK EVERYTHING TWICE.
THE THREE COMMON MISTAKES ARE
MATH ERRORS WITH A
CALCULATOR OR
TAX SOFTWARE.
INCORRECTLY WRITTEN SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBERS AND
FAILURE TO
SIGN OR DATE THE FORM.
IF YOU HAVE A
REFORM HAVE IT
DIRECTLY DEPOSITED TO YOUR
BANK.
BY DOING THAT YOU CAN
EXPECT
YOUR CHECK IN LESS THAN THREE
WEEKS VERSUS THE SIX TO
EIGHT
WEEKS BY WAITING FOR IT TO COME
IN THE MAIL.
FINALLY, MAXIMIZE
YOUR
DEDUCTIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DEDUCTIONS
OUT THERE BUT SOME OF THE MORE
COMMON ONES ARE
MOVING
EXPENSE
DEDUCTIONS, IF YOU MOVED AND
PAID, CHARITABLE
CONTRIBUTIONS
ARE DEDUCTIBLE BUT YOU NEED
RECEIPTS FROM THE ORGANIZATION
YOU
DONATED.
A LOT OF
PEOPLE FORGET AUTOMATIC
TO DEDUCTIONS FOR
CHARITABLE
DEDUCTIONS MAY BE DEDUCTIBLE.
AND IF YOU
BOUGHT IS
NEW
HOME
AND PAID POINTS
OR
LOAN ORIGINAL
NATION
ORGANIZENATION
ORIGINALNATION
FREEZES WITH CAN
DEDUCT
THAT AND WE'LL GUIDE YOU
THROUGH
THAT AND
THERE
IS TAX
PREPARATION
WEBSITES.
>> I IMAGINE THEIR BUSY.
>> ON OUR
WEBSITE YOU
CAN FIND
A
LINK FOR TAX
ASSISTANCE FOR LOW
INCOME FAMILIES.
RIGHT BA