Great Ideas

3 coverage tips to ready your readers to face the Taxman

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Reprinted from GateHouse Newsroom

To spin an old adage, two things in life are certain: Taxes and the fact that people will wait until deadline to do their taxes.

Think With Google reported in 2014 that how-to searches related to tax preparation were up 37 percent that year over 2012: "Searches for tools such as 'calculators' and 'estimators' are strong in January and February, whereas the terms 'extension' and 'refund' peak later in the season."

Readers need tax information now, and here's how to satisfy them:

  • Ask your local Better Business Bureau about any known tax scams in your area, and get tips for consumers on choosing a storefront tax preparation service. Not all are on the up and up.
  • Ask local tax professionals for their tips on filing in different situations: first-timers, newlyweds, new parents, kids in college, those who worked in two states last year. Set up a Q&A with one pro each week, asking for readers' questions. This can be a great column, or something more digital like a live-chat or Tout video series.
  • Each year there are tax-season changes: new codes, new deductions, even new deadlines. This year you have until April 18 to file. Those tips and more can be found on More Content Now's Tax Prep page series.
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