Taxes for Beginners
Your first W-2, 1099 and free tax filing options.
The forms in your mailbox
W-2: If you worked a regular job where taxes were withheld from your paycheck, your employer sends you a W-2 by January 31. It summarizes what you earned and what has already been withheld.
1099: If you did freelance work, drove for a rideshare or sold things online, you may receive a 1099 instead. No taxes were withheld from that income, so you owe them now.
Free ways to file
You don’t need to pay someone or buy software to file your taxes. Both options are legitimate, IRS-backed and used by millions of people every year.
IRS Free File offers free federal filing through brand-name software if your income is under $84,000. Most first-time filers qualify. Visit freefile.irs.gov.
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is an IRS-sponsored program staffed by trained, certified volunteers who prepare your return for free, in person. Find a location at irs.gov/vita.
Mistakes first-time filers make
Not filing. Even if you think you don’t owe anything, you may actually be owed a refund.
Missing the deadline. Federal taxes are due April 15. (Note: Filing an extension gives you more time to send in the forms — but not more time to pay what you owe!)
Forgetting 1099 income. The IRS receives a copy of every 1099 sent to you. Omitting it triggers a notice, sometimes a penalty.
Doing your taxes gets easier every year. The first return is the hardest simply because it’s unfamiliar, not because it’s complicated. If you use the same filing software each time, you may be able to auto-populate most of the forms.
Remember: Florida has no state income tax, so you only need to file a federal return.
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