All About Taxes

You are so lucky I'm here to help because when I turned 18, I didn't know SHIT about taxes. The point of them? Anyones guess. How to file them? Beyond me. When to file them? Who's to say? Thankfully, I have figured it out so I'm here to pass that knowledge (albeit limited) on to you.

*An amendment has been made to this post, I had previously listed TurboTax as the resource to use but that is no longer recommended. Those bitches tried to charge me $80 for my taxes. They also advertise giving you the "highest refund possible" which literally makes no sense. It's taxes, your refund will be the same no matter where you do your taxes because it's based on the information you provide. I recommend doing your taxes directly through the IRS, they have free resources for it, that's how I did mine this year.*

Do I need to file my taxes?

Depends. If you made less than $12,500 in a year, no, you aren't required to file taxes. If you make over that amount then, of course, you are legally required to file taxes.

When do I file taxes?

Right after you get your W2, which is usually done early in the year. Your taxes should be done by April at the latest. Don't wait that long to do them, do them as soon as possible.

What is a W2?

A W2 is a legal document that you receive from your job. It usually comes in the mail at the beginning of the year and it has all of the information you need in order to file your taxes. It tells you how much you made, how much you paid in taxes, and a bunch of other mumbo jumbo.

How do I file my taxes?

As a young, single, childless adult it's pretty easy. You don't need to pay anyone to do them for you. You can use the IRS website. It's free and it walks you through the process. You just fill in the information it asks for using your W2. Then it lets you know how much of a tax return you're getting. You'll still want to have someone around to answer questions, like mom, when doing your taxes though. But generally, if it asks you a question and you have no idea what it's talking about, the answer is most likely no.