Business News
Staples Provides Free Copies of Tax Returns on April 15
Tuesday 26. February 2008 - Company Offers Six Easy Steps to Help Customers Stay Organized and Secure
While electronic filing tax returns can save time and money, it is still important to keep a hard copy of tax documents. To make it easy, on April 15, Staples Copy & Print Centers (NASDAQ: SPLS) nationwide will provide free copies, up to 20 pages, of 2007 tax returns.
“We have all become so comfortable storing and sending data electronically, that many people are not keeping hard copies of important documents,” said John Burke, Senior Vice President of Business Services at Staples. “Nothing is easier to access and more reliable than a paper copy of your taxes, which is why Staples is offering free copies of tax returns.”
In addition, Staples is offering six easy steps that will help clear the clutter and provide simple security measures, to make April 15, as well as the rest of the year, much less taxing.
Step # 1 – SHRED IT
A shredder is one of the easiest ways to protect against identity theft. It is a vital investment to safeguard any home or business, especially during the tax season. With the right machine, tax filers can turn confidential papers into unreadable scraps. The Staples(R) MailMate(TM) M3 Junk Mail Shredder, Staples(R) 10-Sheet Microcut Shredder or the Staples(R) 15-Sheet Microcut Shredder shred small or large amounts of confidential tax information.
Step # 2 – PROTECT IT
There are at least 10,000 known computer viruses and more security threats being developed every day. Investing in Internet security software is the best defense against the expanding list of online threats such as hackers, viruses, spyware and Internet phishing scams. Staples experts say that when filing taxes electronically, it is essential that security software be installed on the computer. Staples recommends Norton 360(TM) or Norton Internet Security(TM) Software to help protect computers, assets and identities.
Step # 3 – FILE IT
According to the Internal Revenue Service, nearly 80 million tax returns were e-filed in 2007. Americans can do their own taxes with step-by-step instructions on e-filing from several software programs available for personal, at-home assistance. The TurboTax Deluxe Plus State offers guidance through federal and state returns with extra help for deductions, as well as double-checking returns for errors. H&R Block TaxCut Premium offers Schedule C features, advice on donations, rentals, dividends, capital gains and more. TaxCut Premium also comes with audit support.
Step # 4 – STORE IT
U.S. businesses lose more than $12 billion annually due to data loss. In the event of a computer crash, valuable tax documents could be lost. Staples experts recommend that taxpayers invest in an external storage device to protect vital digital tax information. External hard drives, portable drives or USB flash drives to store tax data (depending on the size of the files) are recommended by Staples experts. Suggested models include the Maxtor(R) 500GB OneTouch(TM) 4 Plus, the Maxtor(R) 120GB OneTouch(TM) 4 Mini Hard Drive or the SanDisk(R) 2GB Cruzer(R) Professional USB Flash Drive.
Step # 5 – PLAY IT SAFE
From locking-file cabinets to surge protectors to battery backup, keep computer systems and confidential information well protected. Invest in security envelopes such as #10 Self-Sealing Security-Tint Envelopes to keep tax materials confidential. Staples experts also recommend safes/filing boxes such as Sentry(R)Safe Fire-Safe(R) Data Storage Security File to protect tax papers from fire or theft.
Step # 6 – KEEP IT TOGETHER
Keeping organized is especially important during the tax season when confidential papers are essential for tax filing. Adding office decor that makes the workspace more pleasant will make customers more likely to keep organized. M by Staples file folders and expandable files keep organization intact with a variety of tools in rich, classic, timeless designs and patterns with hounds tooth, striped and plaid patterns.