What You Need to File Your Taxes
January 29, 2018 marked the first day to submit a tax return for 2017. Let’s talk about what you need to file your taxes this year!
What documents do you need to file your taxes?
- Personal Information You will need to social security numbers and birthdates of everyone included on your tax return. If you want your return to be direct deposited in your account, you will need to have your bank account number and routing number available. Don’t forget to bring your state-issued ID card or driver’s license if you would like to file electronically!
- Last Year’s Tax Return Forms If you want to submit your tax return electronically, you need to have last year’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or PIN. One way to make sure you have that information is by bringing your 2016 1040 form. The State or Federal 1040 form will have your 2016 AGI on it, so you can easily file electronically.
- Income Documents This can include any Earned Income statements like W-2 forms, Retirement Distribitions like 1099-R SSA-1099 and other 1099 forms, Business Records of payments, Miscellaneous Income documents like 1009-G and alimony payment forms and many other income forms.
- Healthcare Coverage Documents Forms 1095-A,
1095-B and 1095-C show your healthcare coverage status through the Marketplace or employer. - Expense Records Bring your records for child and dependent care, medical and dentla, Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions, post-secondary education expenses (1098-T Forms) and other applicable expenses.
For more information about documents you may need to bring, click here!
Who can file with SC Thrive?
Anyone with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $65,000 and filing individually or $95,000 and married filing jointly can use The Benefit Bank of South Carolina to file their taxes. There are some limits to filing with us (We can’t help with Schedule C-EZ, filing amended returns and other specific situations), but most tax filers have no problems. If you want to see a full list of limitations, you can click here!
Why should I file a tax return?
You must file a federal income tax return if your income is above a certain level; which varies depending on your filing status, age and the type of income you receive.
There are some instances when you may want to file a tax return even though you are not required to do so. Even if you don’t have to file, here are a few reasons why you may want to:
- You might get a refund You should file to get money back if Federal Income Tax was withheld from your pay, you made estimated tax payments, or had a prior year overpayment applied to this year’s tax.
- You may qualify for tax credits There are a number of tax credits for which you may qualify. Credits such as the Making Work Pay Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, The Additional Child Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Credit can drastically increase your refund.
- You can set yourself up for financial freedom If you receive a tax refund, you can use monies received to start a rainy day fund, pay off debt, begin a college fund, establish a retirement fund or start saving for a home. Achieving your financial goals for your family can start with something as simple as your tax return!
How can I file with SC Thrive?
You can file your taxes with SC Thrive two ways:
- File Your Own Taxes You can file your own taxes from the comfort of your own home, or wherever you have access to a computer and the internet. Using The Benefit Bank’s Self-Serve option, you can file any time of day on your own. Our system is safe, easy to use and intuitive, so filing your taxes is a breeze.
- File with an SC Thrive Tax Counselor If you don’t want to file your own taxes, you can find a trained SC Thrive Tax Counselor in your community through our Site Locator. Our Tax Counselors are knowledgeable individuals who can help you submit an accurate return to the IRS. You can CLICK HERE to find a list of tax events across the state!
You can start your tax return or find an SC Thrive Tax Site today at scthrive.org/filetaxes