Last Week to File Your Tax Return, Here Some Tips for Avoiding Last-Minute Mistakes

This is the last full week to get your taxes prepared before the April 17th deadline, and
many taxpayers may be rushing to finish their tax returns or are trying to find that extra time they need to get them done.

Mistakes can happen when hurrying to file a tax return by the due date, and that can mean longer processing times and possible tax refund delays.

Bill Standard is the manager of the Toccoa H&R Block office.

Standard says one of the biggest mistakes tax filers make this last week is putting in the wrong social security number.

“The most common mistake is with Social Security numbers,” Standard said. “Numbers gets transferred and once that happens, the entire return is rejected by the IRS. Using a tax professional is one way to avoid that.”

Standard says another thing that happens when people are rushing to get their return in on time is forgetting to make sure you have all your documentation in place, such as all sources of income and number of dependents.

He says the IRS has changed the rules this year for listing dependents and you may be asked to provide proof your dependents really are dependents.

“Make sure that the dependents you claim on your tax return are in fact valid dependents. Just because they live in your house and you pay their living expenses doesn’t necessarily mean they are legal dependents,” Standard explained. “And the IRS is being very, very strict with that this year. People who have claimed dependents for years are getting letters from the IRS asking for verification of that.”

Now if you find you owe the IRS money and can’t pay it all with your return, Standard says you make arrangements with them to pay it off.

“The IRS is not nearly the ogres that people think they are,” he said. “They do have ways of arranging payments. The best thing to do is to pay as much as you can when you file your return and then make arrangements to make up the difference later. They’re very willing to work with people.”

Standard noted electronic filing is the best way to avoid common mistakes; it is also the most accurate way to file a tax return and H&R Block will file your returns electronically for you.

If you do send in a paper return, the IRS advises taxpayers to make sure they’re sending their returns to the correct address which can be found on IRS.gov.

Also, attach all required forms, including all W-2s and other forms to the front of the return that reflect tax withholding.

And don’t forget to sign and date your return before mailing it in.

Taxpayers may find additional help and resources on IRS.gov, including the IRS Services Guide.