Which Tax Forms Are Typically Used And For What Purposes?

It might be hard to know what to do with all the many tax forms available there. Five common tax forms will be covered in this section, along with their purposes.

Return of Employee Income Tax

This is an annual form that you use to provide details about your income and outgoings for the calendar year. Most employers must submit it with the IRS, but you can also do so. You’ll have to give details about your pay, deductions, and other sources of revenue.

1040EZ

The 1040EZ form serves the needs of taxpayers who don’t have too many deductions for a 10-page form. It provides some information about deductions, but it mostly serves to report the same data as the 1040EZ. This form is used to file business self-employment income if you have a W-2 as income. You can also check this 1099 vs W-2 to find the key differences.

Statement of Pay and Taxes

When you file your return, your withholding will be determined using this extension of the W-4. This is the simplest of the five forms since all you have to do is input the number of exemptions you now have, and the form will figure out your adjusted gross income and the total amount of taxes due.

941

This is utilised while working for yourself and contains many of the same details as the W-4. Businesses who don’t withhold employee taxes also utilise it. 

Plans for retirement and profit sharing

A fantastic approach to save for retirement is through pension plans. You are normally required to contribute a percentage of your salary, and they are often set up with an employer. Profit-sharing plans are comparable, except instead of contributing a portion of your income, you contribute a portion of your earnings. 

401K

A 401K plan is available to those who are saving for retirement. All of your earnings are invested in a 401K plan that is managed by your employer. You can set aside a particular portion of your pay, and you can also raise your contributions every year. 

Form 1099

The small business income tax return is a form that has to be submitted if you are self-employed.

What sorts of tax returns are there?

Finally, tax time has here. It’s crucial to file your taxes correctly the first time, whether you’re an employee or a self-employed business owner.

But what kinds of tax returns are there? Which should you file, then? This manual will demonstrate. 

Filing a tax return

The most typical kind of tax return is this one. When you obtain revenue from your job, this kind of return is utilised. Both federal and state income tax returns fall under this category. It’s crucial to be aware that you must submit a W2 form together with your income tax return.

Company tax return

If you own a business, you should file this kind of tax return. This return type is also appropriate for people who operate a side company. When you submit a business tax return, you will get a Schedule C form. 

This form lists all of the costs related to your company. This form could already have been created for you if you have a CPA. Don’t worry, though, if you don’t. This is simple to make for yourself.

Tax withholding on income

The third kind of tax return is this one. You can have back taxes withheld from your paycheck using this return type. To report the amount of withholding deducted from your paycheck, you can submit a W4 form. You may only see this return if you submitted an income tax return.

Individual tax return

If you got a refund during the tax year, you must submit a personal tax return. If your income is under $10,000, you can submit a 1040EZ form. You would need to file a 1040 form if your income exceeded $10,000.

Your income, deductions, and other pertinent data will be on the 1040 form. Return of individual income taxes You wouldn’t be required to submit an income tax return if you had no income.

However, if you have income, you must submit a personal income tax return. If your income was greater than $600, you could submit a 1040 form.

Return on corporate income taxes

This kind of return is something you should file if you manage a corporation. If your corporation earns more than $1 million in yearly income, you can submit a Form 1120S. A corporation with annual income under $1 million may submit a 1040 schedule C form.

Who May Use Form 1040EZ?

A streamlined version of the 1040 form is the 1040EZ. People who seek a straightforward return utilise it. If your annual income is under $50,000, you are legally compelled to utilise one of the forms. One of the IRS forms that you may complete online is this one. 

However, utilising the 1040EZ has additional advantages as well. 

How Does the 1040EZ Work?

The 1040EZ can be used by many people. These are a few instances: 

Students 

Self-employed individuals 

Self-employed individuals with unpaid employers 

Those who are not required to pay federal income tax 

Senior citizens 

If you fit these requirements, you might choose to use the 1040EZ form. There are several uses for the 1040EZ form.

It’s ideal to utilise the 1040EZ form for tax purposes since it allows you to keep your return as straightforward as possible. Additionally, there are other justifications for using the 1040EZ. 

Free 1040EZ use is available.

You receive free returns when you use the 1040EZ, which is one advantage. To use this form, you are not required to pay anything.

Keep Your Taxes Simple You will only need to complete one return as opposed to three because the 1040EZ is a straightforward form. Additionally, since the 1040EZ may only be utilised once per four years, you won’t need to submit any extra returns.

Keep your tax filings current

Utilizing the 1040EZ will enable you to keep your taxes current. Additionally, filing the 1040EZ won’t be too difficult because it’s done online.

Feel Right

The fact that you may utilise the 1040EZ for every tax year is the final reason it makes sense. It doesn’t matter if you were an employee or a sole proprietor last year. 

Remove a few forms 

You can get rid with several more complex forms because the 1040EZ is such a simple form. You won’t need to fill out any further forms as a result. 

Should I itemise or use the basic deduction?

If you’re a taxpayer who has previously filed taxes, you might recall that there were many choices for itemising deductions. However, the IRS has made things simpler by eliminating the majority of those categories. Because of what they’ve done, I’m not sure if we should keep taking advantage of itemising deductions or if we should just go for the standard deduction. 

For those who are unfamiliar, a standard deduction is simply the amount that the IRS estimates people may anticipate to owe in taxes on an annual basis without having to worry about doing the math. Finding out if you have any deductions is frequently simpler than figuring out the right amount.

The question is if you should use itemizing your deductions now if you haven’t done so before? The answer is unquestionably yes, but before we go into the specifics, let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Benefits Of Using The Standard Deduction

The main benefit of using the standard deduction is that it is many folds easier than itemizing every deduction. We can easily grasp the standard deduction thanks to the IRS.

You could encounter a prompt asking if you wish to claim the standard deduction on the first page of your 1040. Below it, there is a sentence that reads, “see instructions.” A box that reads “Standard deduction” and another that says “See Instructions” may be found below the line. You may get a full page-long explanation of the standard deduction by selecting the latter box.

One primary justification for using the standard deduction is that it is simpler. It’s frequently easier to just accept the standard deduction than to compute it yourself if you are certain of your annual income.

Try using the standard deduction if you’re unsure of your yearly income. The amount you would have owing if you had used the standard deduction can then be compared to your actual income.

Pros And Cons Of Standard Deduction

There are certain disadvantages to accepting the standard deduction, despite the fact that it might be simple to ensure you don’t owe any further taxes.

One of the largest is that you receive no rewards from it. I advised you to compare your actual income to the amount you would have owed if you had used the standard deduction because of this. You will still owe more taxes if your actual income is less than what you would have owing if you had used the standard deduction.

The standard deduction’s lack of exclusions is yet another drawback. You won’t be able to deduct any medical costs or mortgage interest from your taxable income if you don’t itemise. 

Last but not least, it’s crucial to remember that you may only use the standard deduction once each year. If you earn a raise the following year, you’ll need to recalculate everything. 

Bottomline

The 1040EZ tax return is the most popular. It benefits those who don’t submit a Schedule C for their company. You may also utilise Form 1120S if you own a business. For S Corporation alone. There are Forms 1040A and 1040B as well. Their filing dates are what distinguish them from one another. When a single individual earns $100,000 or more, they must file a 1040A. When a married couple files a combined tax return, Form 1040B must be completed. If this is too much information for you, just download FlyFin – an A.I.-enabled tax application that keeps track of all your tax forms, all your income and deductions automatically from your bank account.