Website Reviews: IRS.gov

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service website (IRS) is a website designed to assist the public in becoming informed about the tax filing process and rules associated with that process. The IRS website has navigation and search options that help visitors locate the information they are looking for. The IRS also provides explanations of rules derived from the Internal Revenue Code via online publications. While some of the underlying tax codes and tax preparation service providers are linked out to other websites, a great majority of information is contained within the website. This article will discuss some of key aspects of the IRS website.

Key features of the IRS website

There are several key features of the IRS website that make it quite useful and potentially beneficial. The website is quite full of useful information that can help make the tax filing process easier, more informed and potentially more accurate. A few of the key features of the website are listed as follows:

• Refund status lookup on the home page
• Ample access to forms and publications needed in the filing process
• English and Spanish navigation options
• Guides to efiling, freefiling and other online filing methods
• Search features that
• Category tabs to distinguish between types of filers ex, individual or business

IRS forms and publications

Whether one is navigating on behalf of oneself, a client, business, government agency or other relevant tax concern, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service home page has the choice of two languages English or Spanish and quickly enables one to access the table of forms and/or publications needed for tax preparation. The forms and publications can be downloaded or viewed online as either pdf files or html. What's more, the forms and publications table allows browsers to match the form numbers with the form name making the search for the correct form quicker.

Navigating the IRS website

In terms of navigation the IRS website is functional as most if not all the links are operational and the forms makes use of standardized formatting. Additionally, tabs on the home page quickly allow the website user to become orientated and finds one's way around the website without becoming too lost. The search feature is a useful way to type in keywords that may help one find a more specific piece of information cataloged within the vast website. The colors of the website are easy on the eyes, i.e. mostly white and different shades of blue with contrasting links. Help links and search tips further aid the ease of navigation on the website.

Quality of tax information

The quality of the information on the IRS website is good. While it does not give tax advice it does provide a great deal of information about the regulations and forms that one might obtain tax advice for. Thus, the website is a useful resource for tax preparation information.

The IRS website also includes contact information, legal information, tax preparation links, a site map and frequently asked questions links. The IRS website can be a useful resource to tax filers, tax preparers or persons researching tax information for other reasons. For the most, part, almost all the information one needs to file taxes is on the website and it seems though of the few things that are missing is actual advice on how to file taxes to avoid overpaying the Government.

Overall, the IRS Website,  is a functional, and useful website to persons interested in the federal tax process. The site has some useful key features that allow one to check on one's status or find contact information for the large organization. Additionally, the site is relatively easy to navigate and contains a lot of standardized tax information and sources that can be quite beneficial in becoming familiar with the tax related information. While the IRS website does not replace the advice of a tax attorney or tax accountant, there is ample information contained within the website that one may be able to forgo the use of such services in some cases.

Source: http://www.irs.gov (U.S. Internal Revenue Service)