Have a Stress-Free Tax Season

Tax season is officially underway, and thus begins the mad rush to meet the April 15 deadline. Everyone wants to make certain that their taxes are done correctly and that they get every dollar that should be coming to them. Whether you decide to use a tax professional or take on the task yourself, the earlier you file the better. Sure there are reasons to procrastinate: You know you owe and want to wait until the last minute to pay, or you know there is no rush because you are getting a refund.
Well, there are some advantages of filing your taxes early. First, gathering all of the documents needed in order to file at the last minute is stressful. Filing early will eliminate the stress and allow time to make certain that you have everything you need to get your taxes done ahead of schedule. Also, filing early will put you at an advantage if you use tax preparers. Waiting until the 11th hour will limit the tax preparers that are available and appointment times will be scarce as well.

Finally, when you delay there is a possibility that fraudulent activity or mistakes will compromise your tax return. It is not uncommon for tax returns to be rejected because the IRS or state has already accepted a tax return with the same social security number. This could be due to the wrong social security number being mistakenly written on a return, or because someone has deliberately used the social security number for fraudulent purposes. Prepare and electronically file your taxes early. Once your tax return is submitted to the federal and state agencies no one can reuse your information.

Don’t delay the inevitable and take care of business. You will be so glad that you did when you are on the other side of the tax deadline with no more worries about taxes at least until next year.

Submitted by Selina Johnson, Wylam Branch Library

Related Link:
Free Tax Prep Assistance and Forms