In this day and age, almost everything can be done electronically. Tax filing is no different and today the majority of tax filers are now filing their returns electronically. The electronic filing process has turned an estimated six week waiting period to get a refund into a matter of days. More than that, the e-filing process also allows very basic checks of a tax return’s integrity to be verified before it gets officially submitted which can save additional weeks potentially from the time it takes to get a refund back. The IRS has made e-filing very easy by offering their “e-file with Free File Fillable Forms†package on the IRS website. It’s available to all taxpayers and provides a simple and easy to use template for filling out your tax return and any of the common schedules that go with it. If your income is under $57,000, you can do even better. Filers falling under this criteria are eligible to use Free File software to fill out their returns. Free File is a tax prep software package that is similar to some of the bigger names like TurboTax but is available for free through the IRS website to those with a lower income level. If you’re someone who uses an accountant or tax preparer or you’re someone who prefers using a program like TurboTax to do your taxes, you can still benefit from e-filing. The IRS allows taxpayers to prepare their tax returns in whichever method they choose and come back to the IRS website to electronically file all of their tax return forms. If you prepare your own return, simply return to the IRS website to file. Most tax preparers are already using the IRS e-file program to file tax returns but it may be worth asking to make sure yours does as well. E-file has proven to be a safe and efficient method of filing your tax return and allows you to receive your refund much faster than if you were to file through the mail.