KTKA

How much did you make in wages, salaries, tips, interest, dividends, social security, pensions and other income last year?

To calculate your income accurately, you should have received a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from each employer you worked for in 2008, and Form 1099s for income from interest and dividends, by Jan. 31, 2009. If you did not receive the forms, you should ask for them.

If you don't have your W-2s by Feb. 15 or the copy you received was incorrect and your attempts to get it corrected by your employer were unsuccessful, you can contact the IRS at (800) 829-1040 for help.

What happens if you forget a form or receive one after you file? You should file an amended return if you:

* did not report some income;

* claimed deductions or credits you should not have claimed;

* failed to claim some deductions or credits you are entitled to; or

* used an incorrect filing status.

If you did not do any of the above, keep the form with your copy of the tax return until the IRS contacts you. That will be after the original return is processed, normally six to eight weeks.

When filing electronically, taxpayers must provide Forms W-2, W-2G, and 1099-R to the authorized IRS e-file provider before they send the electronic return to the IRS. Taxpayers e-filing using a personal computer enter the data from the forms into the electronic filing software themselves. This is similar to attaching the forms to a paper tax return.

Even if you had no income tax withheld from your wages, you may be able to claim a refund up to $4,800 because of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

For more information, news, forms and publications, go to the official IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations