The article “Obama: Scary detachment from reality” in the June 27, 2013, edition provides emotional incentive to become angry. It omits a dose of reality available in the June 15, 2013, issue of Science News, which may be found at the Troy Public Library. On Page 4, a CO2 milestone is revealed and on Page 13 information concerning conditions at one, but not the only, time when earth’s atmospheric CO2 presence matched the milestone. Of themselves, neither Science News article provides emotional incentive to become angry.

Edward Kantor

Troy

IRS website here to help

during the summer

The IRS.gov website is a great resource for free tax help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Here are twelve good reasons to visit IRS.gov this summer.

Use the Interactive Tax Assistant. This tool is a tax law resource that covers a number of topics.

Check your withholding. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator tool to check if you’re on target with the amount withheld from your pay. This tool can help you decide if you need to give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate.

Check your refund status. The Where’s My Refund? tool is a fast and easy way to check the status of your tax refund. Use the IRS2Go mobile app or click on the ‘Refund’ tab on IRS.gov.

Order a transcript. Order your tax return transcript or tax account transcript online. You’ll receive it within 5 to 10 days.

Pay your taxes electronically. Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to pay your taxes online or by phone. EFTPS is a free service.

Apply for a payment agreement. The Online Payment Agreement tool allows you to apply for a payment agreement online if you owe $50,000 or less in taxes, interest and penalties.

Check out a charity. Search for qualified charities using Exempt Organizations’ Select Check.

Check your homebuyer credit repayments. Use the First Time Homebuyer Credit Lookup tool to get account information such as the total amount of your credit or your repayment amount.

Get forms and publications. View, download and order federal tax forms and publications anytime, day or night.

Check your eligibility for an offer in compromise. An OIC allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It’s an option if you can’t fully pay your taxes, or doing so creates a financial hardship.

Get up-to-date tax news. Get the latest tax information in the IRS Newsroom.

Explore career opportunities. Learn about careers at the IRS. The IRS is seeking students, recent college graduates and experienced professionals for full-time career and seasonal positions.

The official IRS website address is IRS.gov. Don’t be fooled by sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations other than .gov.

Dan Boone

IRS Media Office