The tax guide directory
Find the right next step.
Eight practical guides for individuals and families in the Triangle. Choose a task, see what to gather, and follow the official sources.
Before you file
Gather the records, choose help, and make a plan for unfinished paperwork.
A W-2, a side gig, and a few more moving parts
Build a useful income inventory before you hand over a stack of tax forms.
Find the right tax preparer. Bring the right questions.
What to ask about experience, fees, records, and the work beyond filing day.
Not ready to file? Separate the extension from the payment.
What North Carolina households should organize when tax documents are missing but filing and payment deadlines still matter.
Life & income changes
A new state, a different paycheck, or a change at home can change the questions.
Moving to or from North Carolina: residency and tax records
Build a residency and work-location timeline, match income to the move, and prepare the records for a North Carolina part-year return.
Withholding or estimated payments? A Triangle household check-in.
A new job, a second income, or an investment sale is a reason to revisit federal and North Carolina tax payments.
Marriage, a new child, a changing household: your tax checklist.
Organize filing-status and dependent questions for your Raleigh household before choosing boxes on a return.
Past returns & notices
Work out what happened, which year is involved, and what needs a response.
Unfiled or amended tax return? A federal and NC filing map
Separate an unfiled year, a correction, and a notice response. Build a year-by-year federal and North Carolina record map before choosing the next step.
IRS or NCDOR notice: identify the action, deadline, and records
Verify a tax notice independently, compare it with your records, and use the agency’s response route without assuming you need an amended return.