7 Great Tips To Help Protect Your Online Privacy And Data

Taxes are not fun but have to be done anyhow. There are plenty of benefits to filing taxes online. For example- filling online can be less expensive than hiring a tax consultant or engaging a tax service, and you may also get your tax refund quicker.

The key question here is "how to file US income tax return online" In this informative post, we are going to provide you some tips to help protect your online privacy and data when filing your US income tax return online.

1. Consider Security Software
   
   You can install and run good security software on your laptop or even on your smartphone. But, ensure that your device is protected by security software; if not than cybercriminals could take benefit of vulnerabilities and access your personal information like your Social Security number, your debit or credit card details or bank accounts. Apart from this, they can also scan your W-2 form, and could potentially file a tax return in your name. So, make sure you are using trusted security software for all your devices to help avoid this possibility.
   
   
2. Create Strong Passwords
   Make sure you use strong passwords on your device and use different passwords on different accounts.  You can use a unique combination of letters, numbers, signs and other characters. Here a  password manager can help you store and remember your passwords.
   
   
3. Update Your Software
   Always update your software and ensure that the device you’re using when filing taxes has the latest version of its OS (operating system). In addition to this, update all out-of-date software to stay current and protected against threats.
   
   
4. Check For Encryption
   You must verify that sites use SSL encryption and also look for the padlock icon in your browser. Ensure that the URL begins with “https,” not just “HTTP.”
   
   
5. Back Up Your Data 
   Do not forget to back up all the data you uploaded to an external drive and even delete all the tax-related information on the device you filed from after you’re completed filing taxes.
   
   
6. Be Careful Of “Free”
   
   You must do some research online before choosing free security software. Keep in mind that if the owner of the software doesn’t charge a fee, then they could be paying their costs through advertising or from mining users personal data contained on your user device and selling it to third parties. Do not forget to read out the privacy policy and terms and conditions.
   
   
7. Must Use A VPN On Public Wi-Fi
   
   Do not use public Wi-Fi when filling on your tax return. This is because but using a public Wi-Fi without a virtual private network (VPN) can carry the risk of somebody snooping on your online activity. So, use our personal internet.
   

Keep in mind that before you get started filling your axes online, you should have some documents at hand to pace up the process. These include Salary Income or salary slips, Interest Income proof, Rental income & expense records, Social Security Income, Stock Option Information, and Medical expenses. Remember hiring a professional tax preparer may make sense if you have a complicated tax situation,