Filing a tax return can be a confusing matter. For example, you may want to find out whether you need to file taxes or not. And if you do, you may also want to know whether you qualify for certain tax write-offs. On top of that, some states do not have income tax. So you need to know where the reliable sources of information are, so that you can clear up the confusion.

The IRS official website.

The IRS website is the first source of information that you should turn to. This is the authority site and surely, you can trust the information published on this website. But beware of information from websites that look like the IRS website, but they are actually not. The best way to tell whether a website is legitimate or not is by looking at the URL. The official IRS website has a .gov extension, and the official URL is irs.gov. Anything that differs from this URL means that the site is not official. For example, .com, .net, .us are not valid official extensions. These sites may resemble the official site, but they are not. So learn how to tell the difference.

IRS authorized websites.

Sometimes, information published by the official IRS website may be confusing. Most people do not know much about taxes. So they may not understand some of the terms that the website uses to describe certain rules or policies. In addition, some people may have problem with calculations. This may lead to errors, and IRS is never fond of errors. If you file your taxes and your filing contains errors, certain penalties may be served to you. For instance, you may be barred from a refund credit for a couple of years if you submit false figures. Sometimes, you don't even know that you made a mistake. Be careful as this does happen to a few people.

So to avoid committing such mistakes, you can always go to an IRS authorized website to source for information. There will be a logo that is prominently displayed on the website, stating that it's an IRS authorized website. If there is something that you want to know, and the answers are not published on the website, you can always send an email.

In addition, you may also be able to download federal forms for filing tax returns. If you prefer, you can choose to e-file via an electronic filing system.

Other legal or tax related websites.

There are many law firms and accounting firms that setup websites to help their clients. Usually, they publish updated and useful information on their websites. They do this to establish credibility and to cut down on support. But bear in mind that whatever information that is publicly published is usually general knowledge. If you need specialized knowledge, you may need to consult a professional tax advisor.