If you haven't filed your 2015 taxes yet - don't worry, you're not the only one. The IRS expects to get upwards of 5 million tax returns on April 18 alone.
"We are pushing right up on the deadline when people are in a rush for time, so people make mistakes," said Andy Phillips with H&R Block. "Some common ones when people are rushing are basic transcription errors or overlooking items, maybe failing to include a tax document."
Another common mistake - major life changes, like getting married, having a child or buying a home.
"Take your time, review everything you have entered, and if you do make a mistake, make sure you file an amendment to correct that, because if you don't, the IRS will catch it," he explained.
But perhaps the biggest tax season mistake people can make is not filing at all. H&R Block advises against doing that no matter your circumstance.
"You may be sitting there, you may owe some tax and you can't pay it right away, so you are thinking about not filing. The penalty for failing to file on time is 10 times just the penalty for failing to pay on time. The lesson there is to file something even if it's just an extension request," said the tax expert.
Four H&R Block locations will stay open until the midnight deadline:
- One H&R Block Way, Kansas City, Missouri
- 5941 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, Missouri
- 7642 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas
- 15254 W. 119th St., Olathe, Kansas
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.
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