These days, everything is online. From our bank statements to our resumes to our high school photos–its all there out in the open. A lot of times, this just makes things easier and more automated for all of us, especially when it comes to taxes. Being able to lodge a tax return online is one of the biggest conveniences ever created. No more stumbling over maths or taking forever to deal with your tax pack.
But does having a tax return online mean your information is safe?
Yes. And no. Like any information on the internet, a tax return online is vulnerable to hacking and phishing and all sorts of nastiness. The trick is to be cautious, be secure, and be careful about who you’re trusting. Never assume that information is secure and always make sure you know what to do in case of an attack.
Here are a few tips for making sure that if the worst happens, you’re prepared:
- Only give your tax return online to a trusted source. The government is, of course, theoretically the gold standard of trusted sources. Unfortunately, in reality one still needs to be careful around them. A lot of time they’re the last people to update their sites and not always in the best way. Before filing with any site make sure they are using secure encryption (usually signified by an https:// in front of the address). The more established the company, the more likely they are to be good about security. And never be afraid to email them and ask!
- Wait a day or two after you sign up. When you do a tax return online, you don’t have to do it right away. It’s a good idea to wait a few days and see what sort of emails a service sends you. If you get a lot of scammy sounding emails–or if your spam goes up as a result of giving your address to them–then you definitely shouldn’t trust them with your tax information.
- Make sure to back-up. As useful as a tax return online can be, it’s always good to make sure you have a copy in the real world. Printing out that return and saving it someone secure in your flat is always a good idea. Even as safe as a tax return online is (with the right company) it’s always good idea to have a paper copy–and it’s useful for getting proving your financial record too!
Securing online data is extremely important, and it’s especially important when it involves putting a tax return online. Never be afraid to interrogate any company you’re going to use about their privacy practices and always trust you gut–if something seems fishy, it probably is. Your financial information is more important than returns cheaply.