There’s an App for That: Taxes from Your Phone

We do pretty much everything from our phones these days, turns out, taxes are no different. Accountants and techies are combining forces as new ways develop for those who choose to file from their phone. From an easier way to track and report expenses to hand-held glossaries and customer service, exploring ways to file from your phone will change the way taxes get done.

Tracking Expenses

Deducting expenses is essential for businesses owners or the self-employed. Keeping track of those expenses however can be incredibly cumbersome. Travel, meals, supplies, and mileage really add up and the ability to immediately input related data and transfer that information to taxes can keep things clear and easy when the time comes to report.

  • iXpenseIt offers password protected expense tracking which can be programmed and stored in customizable categories.
  • ShoeBoxed integrates snap technology and expense reporting into one package. The app allows users to snap photos of receipts and upload them into an organizationally customizable online platform.
  • TripCubby provides the ability to track and record mileage and other travel data. The data collected can be exported into Excel using email or automatically added into deduction categories in the app itself.

Estimates

Mobile devices are especially handy for retrieving pertinent information for those who need an estimated income tax return but lack the actual W-2. Tax Caster by TurboTax doesn’t require exact figures to calculate return estimates which enable users to fulfill tax-based qualifications or anticipate amounts of returns without having to retrieve the actual tax information this includes more in-depth tax issues such as deductions related to family size, properties, alimony, and vehicles.

Much like expense reporting for businesses, keeping track of personal donations and other charitable activities is essential. A group of accountants created the iDonatedIt app which generates an itemized list of donated items, values and the date and location at which they were dropped off. Additionally, the app supports snapped photos of the donations which can be uploaded via email.

Questions and Support

Taxes can get confusing, particularly for those with more tax materials than the basic W-2. H&R Block has created the Tax Answers app which allows for a chat-based Q&A with their representatives. The app also provides FAQ categories and checklists as well as a handy glossary.

  • Internal Revenue Code (IRC) app by LawToGo.net is aimed at professionals or filers with complex returns and contains a searchable database of the various codes determined by the IRS.
  • TaxMama is an app which generates a costume tax calendar to suit various filing needs for those with different tax forms which carry different deadlines.
  • IRS2Go, produced by the IRS allows users to check the status of their filed tax return and refund while also providing information on pertinent updates.
  • MyTaxRefund by TurboTax can also track tax refund status, determine whether the return was accepted or rejected by the IRS and produce the expected date of refund arrival.

Filing

Phones have turned actual filing into a snap. Particularly with SnapTax which fills out the 1040EZ form using a snapped photo of a W-2. The information is filled automatically and can be filed after review. However, SnapTax is currently available only for Californian 1040EZ filers.

Katei Cranford is a freelance writer and tech lover who insists on filing taxes properly and helping others do the same.

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