KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
—
Tuesday, April 15, is the deadline to file your taxes to avoid a penalty. If you owe the IRS money and you can’t file now, you must file for an extension. The IRS has payment plans you can use, too.
Julie Riddle spent Tax Day answering last-minute questions at the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council. She’s with the Kansas City Metro Tax Coalition.
“A lot of people think that they have to file an extension no matter what, but if they're expecting a refund, then an extension actually isn't necessary for this year,” Riddle said.
Tax professional Paris Winchester and her team at Numbers Don’t Lie Tax Prep and Financial Services in Kansas City will stay open until midnight on Tuesday.
“If you're just filing a simple 1040 (tax form), all we need is your Social Security card, your driver's license, and your W-2s. And if you have dependents, just bring those documents for your dependents as well,” Winchester said.
Winchester said there’s a lot to consider beyond the April 15 deadline, like how to best invest money you might be refunded.
“Find a way to have your money make more money. That's how I always see it,” she said.
Winchester said opening a Roth IRA or just a standard savings account is a smart use of that money.
“Especially if you come into hard times and you have the ability to access that money,” Winchester said.
Jordan Smith raced against the clock this Tax Day. He filed his taxes with Numbers Don’t Lie.
“I was able to walk out with a refund, so that's good news, especially with everything that's going on,” Smith said. “So, it's a little bit of a silver lining.”
Smith said he’ll use what he learned this tax season for the next.
“Continue saving, investing and then some of it will go through some other years that had to get taken care of today,” he said.
