Why You Can Trust CNET 5 ways Alexa can help with your taxes
You're not alone this tax season.
April 15 -- the deadline for filing your taxes in the US -- is coming up quick. If you haven't filed yet, there's no need to stress. Alexa has the help you need, from tax tips for this year to help for getting your return ready for next year.
Here are five ways Alexa can make taxes a little easier.
Tax tips
If you don't know a deduction from a dependent, don't worry. Alexa has several tax tips skills that can get you up-to-date on how to file your taxes the right way.
One of the better skills is Tax Assistant. You can ask it any tax question you may have and receive a helpful answer. A lot of other skills tend to feed you random facts, which isn't really helpful if you have a specific question.
Have Alexa do the math
Alexa has a built-in calculator, so you can ask her to work the numbers as you fill out your tax return. She can subtract, multiply, add and divide (though fractions tend to confuse her).
For example, if you are subtracting expenses from your income you can say, "Alexa, what is 95,000 minus 5,000?" Just remember to say the numbers clearly, or you may get a wrong answer.
Track your expenses
You need to track your business expenses if you are going to use them as a write-off. This can be a pain if you tend to just write things in a notebook or stuff receipts in a shoebox. There's a much easier solution.
Alexa can keep track of your expenses for you using the Daily Expense skill. The skill will keep a running list of your expenses and email you a report daily, weekly and monthly. You can file your reports away until tax season. You'll still need to keep your receipts, but at least all of the information will be recorded neatly and you won't need to go digging.
Check your refund
If you file your taxes with TurboTax, you can check its status and when you'll get your refund with the TurboTax skill.
Just ask, "Alexa, what is the status of my refund," or "Alexa, where is my refund" when you're curious.
Get self-employment help
For those of us who are self employed, doing taxes can be tricky. The Tax Tips With Tyler McBroom skill was created by a CPA to offer tips specifically for those who work for themselves through flash briefings.
These tips can help you manage your taxes better throughout the year, which is especially helpful if you pay taxes quarterly.