How can I File My Income Tax Return?

The very last step, and also the most significant step, to filing your tax returns each year is turning in your forms.There are two ways to send your forms in to the federal government. The first is by postal mail, and the other is online or e-filing.

If you decide to send your forms in by mail, just go to your neighborhood Post Office and send your forms there. If you would rather send your forms through a private delivery service, you will need to use one approved by the IRS to take care of tax returns and payments. These organizations include DHL Express, Federal Express (FedEx), and the United Parcel Service (UPS). If you are filing your taxes by postal mail, you must make sure to get your tax packet postmarked by the deadline. It makes no difference what your tax brackets 2011 were if you don't file your tax returns on time. 

Traditionally, the personal filing deadline is April 15; however, April 15, 2011 falls on a Sunday. In this case the IRS ordinarily postpones the date to the following day or Monday, April 16. Nevertheless this creates another problem. Washington D.C. commemorates Emancipation Day that is April 16 in 2011. The IRS has made a decision to move the filing due date back a further day, so your actual due date to mail in your 2011 1040 is April 17, 2011. Here is some more information on how to paper file your 2011 income taxes.

The state that you live, and whether you owe money or are receiving a refund check, will impact where you are to file your taxes (see below). Make sure you make duplicates of all of your finalized forms, for your own records, before you mail them.

If you live in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0014. If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 105017 Atlanta, GA 30348-5017.

If you live in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service .Austin, TX 73301-0014. If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 1214 Charlotte, NC 28201-1214.

If you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Fresno, CA 93888-0014. If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 7704 San Francisco, CA 94120-7704.

If you live in Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, or Wyoming and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Fresno, CA 93888-0014.  If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 802501 Cincinnati, OH 45280-2501.

If you live in Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury,
Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0014. If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 970011 St. Louis, MO 63197-0011.

If you live in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York,  Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Vermont and are not enclosing a check or money order, send your returns to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Kansas City, MO 64999-0014. If you are enclosing a check or money order from these states, send your returns to Internal Revenue Service P.O. Box 37008 Hartford, CT 06176-0008.

Electronic submitting is, somewhat, easier than submitting by means of mail. If you choose to file your income tax returns electronically, you can use the IRS' e-file software or, if eligible, its "Free File" software. Of course, the same exac tdue dates pertain to e-filing that apply to paper filing. You must file your 2011 electronic return no later than April 17, 2011.

E-file involves preparing taxes electronically, using pre-approved tax filling software, and filing taxes electronically. You can even e-file while using IRS' Fillable Forms. Fillable Forms are online versions of the IRS' paper forms. With such Fillable Forms, it is possible to prepare your tax return by typing in the numbers on your computer. Clicking on "submit" will then file your return.

If eligible, it is possible to electronically submit your returns via the IRS' "Free File" software. If you have an adjusted gross income of under $57,000, you can allow the Free File brand-name software perform the work of filing income taxes, absolutely free.

These are the two ways to file your 2011 income tax returns. Be sure to file them by the deadline. It is not important which one of the tax brackets 2011 you fall in if you can't file your taxes by the due date.

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/taxes-articles/how-do-i-file-my-income-tax-return-5771203.html