You may know whether you are eligible for the Earned Income Credit based on whether you were eligible last year. If your situation has not changed substantially, you will probably be eligible again this year.
Your estimated refund can be an approximation, and you may also be able to use last year’s return as a basis for estimating. If you are aware of changes this past year that will directly affect your refund, take them into consideration.
After answering the questions under “Guide Me To A Service,” you will be taken to a screen showing the companies for which you are eligible to free file.
Preparing your return
The last step is to select a company, go to its website by clicking on its name, and proceed to prepare and e-file your federal income tax return. The company’s tax preparation and filing software will guide you through the process. You should have all the necessary information on hand, just as if you were preparing your return on paper. Normally the software allows you to save your progress if you are not able to complete your return in one session.
Submitting your return
Once you have entered all your information, the software will do a check for accuracy and consistency, will let you know of any discrepancies or missing information. Once the return is complete and passes the software’s checks, you will be asked if you are ready to submit the return. You will need to enter your PIN (see below) as your electronic signature. On a joint return, both spouses need to sign using their PIN’s. You will be given the chance to print out the return or save it for your records.
The company's software will then transmit your return to the IRS using the established e-file system. An acknowledgement file will be sent by e-mail, notifying you when your return has been received and accepted.