AP

Haven’t filed taxes yet? Don’t panic. Here’s what to know

NEW YORK (AP) — The deadline to file your taxes is Tuesday, which is just around the corner. Filing U.S. tax returns — especially for the first time — can seem like a daunting task, but there are steps you can take to make it less stressful.

Whether you do your taxes yourself, go to a tax clinic or hire a professional, navigating the tax system can be complicated and stressful. Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate for Credit Karma, recommends you go easy on yourself.

“Take a breath. Take some time, set out an hour, or go through it over the weekend. You’ll hopefully see that it’s a lot simpler than you think,” Alev said.

If you find the process too confusing, there are plenty of free resources to help you get through it.

If you are worried that you might not have enough time to file your taxes before the deadline, you can file for an extension, though it’s not ideal (more on that below.)

Here’s what you need to know:

WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO FILE TAXES?

Taxpayers have until Tuesday to submit their returns from 2022.

WHAT DO I NEED TO FILE MY TAX RETURN?

While the required documents might depend on your individual case, here is a general list of what everyone needs:

— Social Security number

— W-2 forms, if you are employed

— 1099-G, if you are unemployed

— 1099 forms, if you are self-employed

— Savings and investment records

— Any eligible deduction, such as educational expenses, medical bills, charitable donations, etc.

— Tax credits, such as child tax credit, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-filing-step-1-gather-all-year-end-income-documents

https://apnews.com/article/taxes-deadline-refund-irs-extension-penalties-563500015ec236b55a75798c3138ba60

Montana close to becoming 1st state to completely ban TikTok

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana lawmakers moved one step closer Thursday to passing a bill to ban TikTok from operating in the state, a move that’s bound to face legal challenges but also serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned.

Montana’s proposal, which has backing from the state’s GOP-controlled legislature, is more sweeping than bans in place in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government that prohibit TikTok on government devices.

The House endorsed the bill 60-39 on Thursday. A final House vote will likely take place Friday before the bill goes to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. He has banned TikTok on government devices in Montana. The Senate passed the bill 30-20 in March.

TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over concerns it could hand over user data to the Chinese government or push pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation on the platform. Leaders at the FBI, CIA and numerous lawmakers of both parties have raised those concerns but haven’t presented any evidence to prove it has happened.

Supporters of a ban point to two Chinese laws that compel companies in the country to cooperate with the government on state intelligence work. They also point out other troubling episodes, such as a disclosure by ByteDance in December that it fired four employees who accessed the IP addresses and other data of two journalists while attempting to uncover the source of a leaked report about the company.

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https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-montana-biden-a867974eb2171d498dac94171e7be830