There are a wide range of backyard storage sheds to choose from, but which are the best outdoor sheds worth investing in? Which will continue to look great in 5-10 years?
Choosing the best outdoor storage shed for your needs may seem difficult at first. They are made from all sorts of materials and some are better than others.
If you’re tired of cluttering your yard, garage, or basement with supplies or tools that you only use outside, a storage shed could be the ideal addition to your backyard. I have broken down a few of the best options to meet your backyard storage needs. Lets take a look at the best Best Outdoor Storage Options.
Shed: Suncast Tremont Shed
These are large outdoor sheds, and the 8 X 10 foot version provides a lot of storage. One thing about having such a large structure in your back yard is that you don’t want an unsightly shed. Here, the Suncast BMS range rises to the occasion. It has a classic look and won’t look out of place in any yard. While looks may be important, practicality and durability are equally, if not more important. In this regard, I’m solidly in favor of this outdoor shed range.
The Suncast has a steel reinforced double wall resin construction. This makes it incredibly sturdy and highly durable. If you’re concerned about rain and snow, this shed will hold its own in all weather. The shingle style metal reinforced roof panels are excellent and are going to stand the test of time. This is an important thing to look at. You want your shed to last and remain looking good for years to come. This design will most certainly do just that.
Storage Tent: The YardStash IV Storage Shed Tent
Part shed, part tent, this one requires little commitment. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, it’s also easy to set up (10 minutes or less, no tools required), move and store. Made of tough vinyl tarpaulin with a patented snow-shedding roof design, it’s tough enough to withstand weather of all sorts, but it’s also lightweight and extremely versatile compared to other metal or wooden sheds.
It’s great for storing bikes, tools, lawnmowers, toys and more, and it also includes a carrying bag, so you can take it on the go or store it easily when it’s not in use. It’s big enough to hold a considerable amount of stuff (74″ x 32″ x 68″), but it can also fit in small spaces. If you’re looking for temporary storage from time to time or don’t want the commitment of a more permanent shed, this one may just be right for you
Life Time Storage Sheds
Lifetime’s 12.5′ x 8′ Polyethylene Outdoor Storage Shed in Sand is an attractive and durable storage option. This Shed comes with two shelves, a tool pouch, a storage pouch, and six wall hooks. This will allow you to customize the storage to your specific needs. Built with steel reinforced walls, shelves, and roof provide durability for many weather conditions. Lifetime Storage Sheds allow you sturdy storage solutions for your outdoor storage needs, and a padlockable latch on the doors offers security
Steel Sheds: Arlington Steel Outdoor Storage Shed
Arlington Steel Shed has an attractive, high gable-style roof and a 62 in. wall height makes the Arlington a perfect place to store lawn tools, garden equipment and other seasonal items. A baked-on enamel finish assures a quality storage solution year after year.
Portable Units : PODS
Portable On Demand Storage, more commonly known as PODS, is one of the most well-known companies in the moving container and storage industry. Prominence aside, PODS has the most variety in its container options—allowing you to choose the container that best fits your yard best. While these are designed for movine and temporary use, there are options for permanent placements.
Garden Sheds: Horizon Structures
Garden sheds and tool sheds make excellent potting and storage sheds for the avid gardener. In addition to its attractive appearance, these garden potting sheds offer many practical elements such as a built-in workbench and lots of windows. A garden shed is the ideal place for starting tender seedlings and nurturing plants with ample space left over for storing your gardening tools and equipment.
Garden storage sheds and tool sheds are available in many different exterior and roof/trim color combinations. Vinyl and wood siding are both available. There are options to match your new garden shed to your home, or other buildings on your property.
Do You Get Enough Vitamins? Try These Vitamin Subscription Services
Everything has a subscription these days. You subscribe to a video streaming service like Netflix. You could have a shave club subscription, or maybe a makeup subscription. Maybe you get meal boxes in the mail, or something more fun like a Loot Crate-style grab bag. But do you get your vitamins delivered to your door?
Most people don’t get nearly enough vitamins, and it shows in their overall health. After all, it’s hard getting enough vitamins in a normal diet. Don’t worry: today we’re going over the best vitamin subscriptions for those trying to get healthy.
Vitamin Subscription Services
Why Get a Subscription?
Personalized vitamin subscriptions are an important service when you compare them with a normal multivitamin. Mass-market vitamins have to appeal to the widest number of people, but that means that they could be full of stuff you’re already getting enough of.
Subscription services are wonderful because they’re personalized. You get exactly the vitamins that your diet is missing, so you’re that much healthier! Not to mention, it’s nice to get them delivered right to your door. You don’t need to remember to go out and get them, or be bothered with a trip to the supermarket.
The Best Subscription Services
Generally speaking, you want to go with a service that fits your budget and offers you the best value. Some of the more well-regarded vitamin subscription services are HUM Nutrition and Persona Nutrition, both of which offer you access to professional nutritionists. These two services are a bit on the pricier side, however.
If you don’t care about having contact with a dietician or nutritionist, Rootine offers a subscription service of personalized vitamins for $60 per month. Similarly, Vitafive offers less expensive prices for vitamins in gummy form, and even offers support for Amazon Prime users.
Other services that get good reviews and offer personalized services are Care/of and Ritual. Care/of sends you multiple pills or powders for your vitamin regiment, whereas Ritual just sends you one pill that has all the stuff you need in it.
Accounting Software: Which One is Right for Your Business?
When it comes to running your business, nothing is quite as important as your accounting software. Whether you’re selling ice cream or life insurance, you’ve got to have accurate bookkeeping.
The question remains, however, which accounting software is right for you business? Today we’re going to help you narrow it down.
Which Accounting Software is Right For You?
Sage50 Cloud
Designed primarily to help mid-to-small sized businesses, Sage50 Cloud is a great accounting software suite. It helps businesses to stay up on their taxes, keep their bookkeeping clear and concise, and generally stay compliant. Payroll, budgeting, inventory and more can all be tracked through the software.
As the name suggests, Sage 50 utilizes the cloud to keep your information all backed up. This allows you to have the peace of mind that comes with knowing all of your important accounting information is saved and backed up. You can even track purchases and pay vendors all through this software!
Sage50 Cloud has a variety of pricing options, which start around $45 per month. Depending on your needs, you can opt for more complex packages at higher rates.
Freshbooks
The streamlined, seamless and easy-to-use Freshbooks software is one of the top picks for accounting software. Whether you’re running a large business or a small one, Freshbooks as an accounting suite is a strong choice. You can easily set up recurring invoices to pay out to various contractors, record your expenses easily and import to other software in a flash.
The dashboard makes it easy to find what you’re looking for, while the easy-to-navigate menus and options make it impossible to get lost. Accounting can be quite difficult, but Freshbooks takes a lot of the difficulty out of the equation! Pricing for this software starts at $15 per month.
NetSuite ERP
Another user-friendly and well-presented suite, NetSuite ERP is great for businesses of all sizes. Including integration for marketing, sales and customer relations, NetSuite is a rather robust accounting software. You can even handle your stocks through the excellently-designed suite!
NetSuite ERP offers integration through inventory management tools, as well as a shipping module to keep track of all of your orders. The easy-to-use interface is available even on mobile devices! You don’t need to be an accounting expert to use the software, and it’s easy to find what you’re looking for through the simple dashboard.
Best Trucking Companies
The open road can be a great workplace, as long as you’re working for the right company. If you’re interested in a career as a truck driver, you’re likely wondering which the best trucking companies are to work for. Lucky for you, we’ve got a list of the highest-paying trucking companies right here for you!
Best Trucking Companies to Work For
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart trucking has a reputation for being really great to work for. The company reportedly pays very competitively. Truckers working for them make, on average, around $80,000 per year. That translates to around $40 per hour. They offer training pay, which is great, as well as mileage and activity pay. Wal-Mart even offers a safe driving bonus every three months.
Drivers for Wal-Mart don’t load or unload freight. They also get one guaranteed day at home per week! Drivers are also given reset hours on the road. The best part, though, is the benefits. Drivers get benefits starting their very first day, and it covers things like dental, medical, life and more.
Acme
While they only operate in seven states, Acme is a prolific trucking company. They’ve got a ton of trucks on the road, although they technically don’t own their own fleet. They actually lease all of their trucks. Acme drivers make an average of around $83,000 per year, or roughly $40 per hour. That’s more than just competitive, it’s nearly the highest in the industry.
They’ve got work for drivers of all experience levels, and they pay rather promptly. Drivers for Acme have noted that they are typically paid just a week after they haul freight. The upsides to working for them are numerous, such as benefits and tons of work available.
GP Transco
GP Transco is a lesser-known company, but they’re notable for a few reasons. For one thing, they have the lowest turnover rate of any company in the business. Their average salary is around $75,000 per year, which is highly competitive with other companies. GP Transco offers what is described as a “fantastic” benefits package, which is a huge part of their low turnover rate.
If you’re going to spend a ton of time away from home on the open road, you’re going to want pay and benefits that match your time. After all, the biggest thing you’re offering as a truck driver is your time.
Could a Job as a Truck Driver be Right for You?
Maybe you’ve been looking into a job as a semi-truck driver and thinking about what it would mean for you. What kind of money do truck drivers make? What kind of hours do they work?
In short, you’re wondering if a job as a truck driver would be right for you. Let’s look into that very question.
Truck Driver Jobs
Requirements
First, before you can even be a professional truck driver, you need to get licensed to drive a semi-truck. The license you need is called a CDL, and usually, you want a Class A. Sometimes you have to get your license yourself, but some companies will sponsor you while you get your license.
Aside from having the right license, there aren’t really any other requirements for becoming a truck driver. Companies usually prefer people with high school diplomas, though even that isn’t set in stone. A GED would work just as well as a diploma for most prospective drivers.
Job Responsibilities
Depending on the company and type of work you’re getting into, your job responsibilities could vary. However, generally, the responsibilities of a truck driver include hauling cargo from one place to another. Some drivers will work in smaller areas and could even go home every night after their route.
Other drivers do “long-hauls,” staying on the road for days at a time to carry cargo cross-country. These drivers tend to get several days in a row off when they return home. On some occasions, these drivers will pick up hauls at their own discretion.
Generally speaking, truck drivers don’t sweat the loading and unloading of cargo into their vehicle. The hard part of their job is all the time spent out on the road.
Average Salaries
Truck driving pays relatively well for what could be considered a blue-collar job. On average, student drivers make $41,000 per year. CDL drivers, who are licensed and more experienced, make an average of $66,000 per year.
OTR CDL drivers, who have a ton of experience and complex licenses, make an average of $82,000 per year, making their job position a desirable one for drivers.
Bottom Line
A job as a truck driver could be right for you if you don’t mind being alone, on the road and far from home more often than not. If you can handle that, then there’s quite a bit of money to be made for an experienced driver with good endurance.
The Top 3 Applicant Tracking Systems
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. An ATS can be implemented or accessed online on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company and there is also free and open source ATS software available.
When you apply for a job online, your resume isn’t typically going directly to a recruiter or hiring manager. It’s first being processed by an ATS. Whether that human recruiter ever sees your resume could depend on how well your resume is optimized for ATS algorithms.
Why employers use applicant tracking systems
Top employers hire for several jobs at a time and receive hundreds of resumes for any given opening. Because applying for a job online is easier than ever, many of these applicants are unqualified and figured “it was worth a try.”
Applicant tracking systems keep all these resumes in one place, helping recruiters and hiring managers stay organized as well as EEOC compliant. In theory, these systems also save time by automatically surfacing and highlighting top candidates. In reality, ATS do help hiring professionals narrow their applicant pool, but top candidates slip through the cracks.
Most large corporations utilize applicant tracking systems. Jobscan research found that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS while a Kelly OCG survey estimated 66% of large companies and 35% of small organizations rely on recruitment software. If you’re applying to a large organization, chances are you’ll face an ATS. If you’re applying through any online form, you’re applying through an ATS. Even job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have their own built in ATS.
Viewing Applications
Some recruiters still choose to glance at every job application that comes through their applicant tracking system. In this case, most take a quick glance at the applicant’s past highlights, job titles, and companies. They can make a determination about whether they want to learn more in about 6 seconds. It’s important to make sure your top skills and qualifications are easily identifiable.
Automatic Rankings
Some applicant tracking systems can automatically compare your resume to the job description. For example, Taleo calls this feature “Req Rank,” which ranks each applicant based on how well their resume scores based on the job description. A common way recruiters filter resumes in an applicant tracking system is by searching for key skills and titles. For example, if a recruiter is hiring for an Administrative Assistant position out of 400 resumes, their first step will probably be a search for “Administrative Assistant.” This will isolate candidates that have done the exact job before. Anyone that doesn’t have that exact term in their resume is out of luck. A search can contain multiple terms. For example, they might perform a complex search that contains a combination of titles and skills important for the job:
Administrative Assistant AND data entry AND payroll …
Candidates who can predict the correct resume keywords will have the greatest chance of being included in recruiter search results. The best way figure out which skills and keywords to include is by analyzing the job description. Jobs can automates this process by analyzing your resume against the job description to show the top skills and keywords missing from your resume.
Our Top 3
#3. Homebase
Homebase makes hourly work easier for the whole team. With free online tools and mobile apps for managers and employees, Homebase eliminates the paperwork and headaches of scheduling, payroll, hiring and team communication. Start saving 4+ hours every week by visiting joinhomebase.com. Used by over 100,000 businesses of all sizes across the US.
#2. BambooHR
BambooHR offers easy, integrated applicant tracking (ATS) as part of our award-winning cloud-based HR platform. Onboarding tools, e-signatures, time-off tracking, performance management, plus easy reporting and a convenient mobile app set you free to do great work. Released from the data management spiral, HR professionals become more effective, more efficient, and more human. Visit bamboohr.com or give us a call to see a demo and start a free trial.
#1. Breezy HR
The most highly rated ATS on Capterra, Breezy streamlines your entire hiring process; giving you more time to connect with candidates by automating tasks like advertising on 40+ job boards, screening, interview scheduling & follow-ups. We include all the tools your team needs to hire more efficiently, from referrals & sourcing tools for LinkedIn and dozens of others to custom scorecards & interview guides. With Breezy, you’ll be making better, hiring decisions in less time. It’s GDPR compliant.
If you own a business and found this article helpful, you might like our article about the top cloud services of 2018.
No Degree? Great Jobs that are Right for You
Not everyone gets to, or wants to, go to college. After all, it’s expensive and time consuming, and you’ve got bills to pay and a life to live. That’s not a problem! College isn’t for everyone. However, now you’re looking for a good job to make ends meet. What kind of good jobs are available for someone without a degree? Let’s find out.
Great Jobs for People without a College Degree
Truck Driver
If you don’t mind the open road and long trips across country, there’s a lot of money to be made as a trucker. Once you have a commercial trucking license, you’re a hot commodity. This kind of job isn’t for everyone, but it will ensure a great deal of financial security.
Staying up for long hours, driving to new places and having a flexible schedule are all part of the job. If you don’t have a problem being away from home for days at a time, you could make a great trucker. Companies are always hiring, and the average pay is around $50,000 per year. That’s not bad for a job that doesn’t require a degree.
Hotel Management
Getting in on the ground floor of a hotel isn’t terribly difficult, and doesn’t require a degree. However, it might require you work some pretty crazy hours. Most hotels tend to start people, especially front desk staff, as overnight workers.
If you go in with an open mind, work hard and keep your nose to the grindstone, you could find yourself promoted rapidly. Hotels are always looking for good people, so the cream will rise to the top. Management could provide some great opportunities, including benefits like medical insurance and paid time off.
Web Development
People with a knack for coding and design are naturally drawn to computer-based professions. As it turns out, you don’t need a college degree to be a contractor in the field. Contractors can set their own hours and their own rates. Staying competitive isn’t a matter of education, just a matter of skill.
If you’re good with computers and can design great websites, you could have a future as a web developer. Keep in mind, however, that most developers work as contractors, not employees. This means you’ll have to cover your own health insurance and pay your own half of Social Security come tax time.
However, this is a great opportunity for those with the right skills.
Lawn Care: Taking Care of Your Grass
Everyone wants the best-looking yard on the block. However, it can be quite difficult to maintain a healthy and plush lawn through the harsh summer months. If you’re looking to keep up a good lawn care regiment and keep your grass looking verdant and perfect, you’re going to want to take some of our summer lawn care tips to heart. Here’s what you need to know.
Summer Lawn Care Tips
Know What to Expect
When the hot summer temperatures show up, it’s time to adjust your expectations of your grass. It’ll grow thick and plush in the Springtime, as even cool-climate grasses love temperatures in the 60’s. That includes grasses like bluegrass and rye. Meanwhile, hot-temperature grasses, like Bermuda and St. Augustine, prefer to grow in the 70’s. Once the temperature jumps above 80 degrees, however, it’s time to expect your grass’s growth to slow and stop.
Now, you can use techniques like fertilizer and sprinkler systems to make sure your grass gets plenty of coaxing and will want to grow taller. However, know you’re fighting nature when you try to encourage grass growth in the summertime. On top of this, you’re likely using your grass more in the summer time, having friends over, throwing barbecues and parties, and trampling all over your grass. This is a surefire way to see your grass turn brown, dry up and go dormant.
Proper Watering
As you might expect, proper watering is a huge aspect of good summer lawn maintenance. If your grass isn’t getting enough water from rainfall, you need to make up that difference yourself. Your grass needs about an inch of water per week, so use a rain gauge to keep up with how much your yard is getting. Make up the difference with your sprinkler system or just by hand-watering your lawn. Make sure you water in the morning to avoid fungal growth and evaporation.
When you get into watering your lawn for the summer, make sure you’re in a regular groove. Water the grass regularly and deeply to encourage drought-resistant roots. Also, if you’re not going to water the lawn regularly, don’t water it at all. If the grass goes brown and dormant, don’t try to water it back into being green. Your lawn will bounce back in the fall if it falls dormant, so just let it lie if it does.
Mowing Your Grass
Raise your mower blade in the summer to avoid damaging your grass. Taller grass is more drought-resistant, with deeper roots and hardier constitution. It also keeps the ground well-shaded, preventing the growth of low-lying weeds. Warm season grasses need to be about two or three inches in the summer, while cooler season grasses need to be between three and four inches.
Make sure you also mow regularly in the summertime. You don’t want to cut more than a third of the length of a blade of grass, to encourage your lawn’s health. Another important factor is the amount of grass clippings, which could smother your lawn if they fall too densely over your grass. Finally, you’ll want to make sure your mower blades are kept razor-sharp in the summer. If they aren’t, they won’t be cutting your grass, they’ll be tearing your grass. That’s terrible for your lawn’s health.
Fertilizer
Use fertilizer sparingly. You don’t need to use fertilizer on brown, flagging lawns. If you do, you’ll only burn the grass out and encourage fresh growths that will just die to the heat. Instead, wait until the fall when your grass is green again to fertilize. Yes, this does mean that your grass will just look bad throughout the summer, but it’ll save you money on dropping fertilizer for no reason.
Get Prepared for Tax Season with These Easy Steps
It can be a little daunting to start thinking about taxes but remember that it’s important to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. You’ve got until April to get your taxes in, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until then to start filing. The sooner you start thinking about tax season the sooner you can respond should unforeseen conditions arise. After all, you don’t want to get a nasty surprise and not have time to respond to it!
Easy Steps to Get Ready for Tax Season
Choose a Method of Filing
First, you’re going to want to choose a method of filing. Are you going to file your taxes yourself or are you going to use a tax preparer? Generally, we advise that you file your taxes yourself unless they are particularly complex. If you have a very complex tax return that you need to fill out, consider going with an inexpensive tax preparer.
When choosing a tax preparer, make sure they have a PTIN, or Preparer Tax Identification Number. If they do, it means they’re qualified to fill out a federal tax return. Before choosing this person, ask about any fees that they may charge to prepare taxes. The more complex your return, the higher the fee you can expect to pay. However, stay away from anyone who wants a percentage of your return: stick to flat fees only.
If you choose to use a tax preparer, make sure you set up an appointment with them as soon as possible to begin discussing your tax returns. This goes double if you expect a tax refund. The sooner you get the ball rolling on getting your return in, the sooner you can get your money!
Gather Your Files
Get ready to start gathering your personal files. By the end of January your employers should have provided you with various documents relating to your tax returns. Typically these documents are W-2’s, which employers provide to employees and indicate your income from your job. Self-employed individuals get a different form, however, and there are many other types of documents you may receive.
However, whatever your forms of income may be, you should have all of the documents related to your taxes in hand by the end of January. Make sure you carefully file these somewhere you won’t lose track of them! It’s very important to have these on hand while filing your taxes.
Other files you may need to gather could be receipts from various purchases or charitable contributions you made this year. If you think you’ll get a bigger deduction by itemizing, then you should opt to gather your relevant receipts. However, the standard deduction can often be larger than an itemized deduction, so keep that in mind when you set about filing your taxes.
Get Personal Info Together
Make sure you have information like your social security number and the numbers of all dependents you’re claiming this year. If you own any vacation homes or rental properties, make sure you have the documents relating to them together and ready to go in time for tax time. Addresses and deeds will be helpful to have on hand! Additionally, the amount you paid, the amount you’ve made on them if they are rental properties and the dates you purchased them will all be needed.
Get a Copy of Last Year’s Return
You’re going to want a copy of your prior year’s return on hand. If you need information you may have forgotten, you’re going to need the previous year’s return. While the information held within might not be the most critical, it’s still good to have things like charitable donations from last year and payors of interest and dividends on hand to refresh your memory.
Decide What to do With a Refund
If you expect to get a tax refund, be thinking about what you’re going to do with it once you get it. Many people prefer to simply have the funds deposited straight into their checking accounts, and while this is straightforward, it might not be the best plan. Consider saving the money, instead, or applying it to next year’s tax bill!
For instance, you could have the funds allocated to your retirement account or invest it in stocks after it’s deposited into your checking. Whichever route you choose, just keep in mind that the sum you get may be better served being saved than being used to get a new tattoo or game console! Just don’t spend it all in one place.
Get Tax Help for Seniors
There’s a reason most people get help filing their taxes: taxes are really, really complicated. Between social security, tax credit, exemptions, deductions, property taxes, there are a ton of complex things to keep up with. It’s no surprise that a number of seniors get intimidated when it comes to filing their taxes. There are changing technologies, changing tax rules, and fixed incomes can all make tax season difficult for seniors. Here are some of the best ways to get tax help for seniors.
Get Tax Help for Seniors
AARP Tax-Aide
Whether or not you already have an AARP membership, or know someone who does, this is a great way to go. The AARP Foundation has tax aide services that can be a lifesaver for seniors. The best part is that you don’t even need to be an AARP member to take advantage of this great service! It’s available for anyone over 50, free of charge. You can meet with these tax professionals free of charge online or in person, whichever you prefer! That way, if you would rather talk face-to-face, or if you prefer to file form the comfort of your home, you’re set either way!
The volunteers who work for the AARP Tax-Aide program are also IRS-certified tax professionals. These aren’t amateurs who are going to mess up your taxes, these are people who are certified and know what they’re doing! That way, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting the help you need with your taxes and the peace of mind that includes.
If you go for an in-person session, you’ll be glad to hear that they’re available all throughout tax season, from January to April 15th. Generally, these visits occur in convenient and public locations. Community centers, public libraries, banks and shopping malls are all common locations for these visits, so you need not worry about meeting in person. These locations are in public, well-lit and easy to access, so you don’t have to worry about getting to the meeting location.
Best of all, the online side of this tax service is available year-round to answer your questions about taxes. If you have any burning questions you need answered and want to be ahead of the curve, this is a great way to go! That’s what happens when you go through an organization as helpful as the AARP.
Federal Government Tax Assistance
There are two tax services offered by the IRS. There’s the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program. If you go through the IRS website, you can find in-depth information on both of these programs. Both the VITA and TCE programs have physical locations throughout the country you can visit to receive direct, in-person help with your taxes.
Firstly, the VITA is a good program for those seniors who still earn some income, such as through a part-time job or perhaps through owned property. The VITA program typically helps those who do not speak English fluently, disabled people, people under a certain income level and the elderly. These services are primarily geared at seniors who make an amount of money under a certain threshold. Generally, those seniors who make more money than this threshold should consider going with professional paid tax services.
The TCE, for its part, is geared more for seniors who aren’t sure where to turn for tax help. The service is specifically for seniors of age 60 or older who are on a fixed-income. These types of people are the exact ones that the TCE was created to help. If you or someone you love lives on a fixed income and needs income tax help, the TCE is the right call to help. They help seniors with things like retirement income and pensions, as opposed to traditional income methods. The free service is also volunteer-based and offers help during tax season. The volunteers are all IRS-certified professionals.
State Taxes
Both the VITA and TCE programs offer help with state taxes as well as federal taxes, so this usually shouldn’t be a huge concern for seniors. However, beyond this, some states do offer a state-specific tax program to help seniors if they have state-specific tax questions. While such situations would be rare, if a senior needs help with complex aspects of their state taxes in particular then they should look into whether their state offers a tax program.
In the event it doesn’t, don’t panic! The bar association of your state may provide pro-bono legal help to seniors seeking tax advice. Local CPAs or other professionals may also offer help for seniors at no cost, so consider looking into these avenues!