The tax filing deadline is April 18 -- three days after the customary deadline and two days after Easter Sunday.(Photo: Susan Tompor)
Maybe you're waking up Sunday morning and enjoying some eggs or even munching on a chocolate bunny ear. Now we ask: Did you file your income taxes yet?
It's April 16 a day after the traditional April 15 tax filing deadline. But this year, tax filers have until Tuesday April 18 to submit that return.The IRS has a long-windedexplanation for why the deadline is extended, but if you like to drag your feet, you likely don't care.
The official reason: The April 15 deadline fell on Saturday, which would normally give taxpayers until Monday. However, Emancipation Day, a Washington, D.C., holiday, is observed on Monday. So the tax deadline moves to Tuesday. Taxpayers requesting an automatic extension of time to file viaForm 4868 there are no extensions of time to pay will have until Monday, Oct. 16, to file.
Roughly 30% of tax filers werestill no-shows when it comes to filing federal returns this year through early April. The latest data indicatedthat the Internal Revenue Service received 103.6 million tax returns from individuals, as of April 7. More than 153 million returns are expected to be filed this year.
So far, the IRS has received 3.6% fewer returns than last year for the same time frame.
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But Luis D. Garcia,an IRS spokesperson in Detroit, noted that it's important to keep in mind that last year's numbers technically included four additional processing days earlier in the season.The filing season officially began on Jan. 23 this year, compared with Jan. 19 last year.
The average refund issued so far this year: $2,851 up 1.9% from the same time a year ago. About 73% of tax filers received a refund last year.
If you waited this long to file your 2016 tax return, it's doubtful that you're expecting a mega-refund. But if you're just procrastinating, any size refund might offer motivation to knock off that 1040 and be done with it. And if you've got to pay, well, you've got to pay.
Here are a few more last-minute tax do's and don'ts to get through the next few days:
It's simple advice. But errors can cause you to miss an important tax break. Checking the right box if you or your spouse were born before Jan. 2, 1952, matters because you can be entitled to a higher standard deduction if you and/or your spouse are65 and older.Another additional standard deduction is available forthose who are blindat any age. (Line 39a on the federal 1040.)
Be careful and don't type in the wrong Social Security numbers. Triple check your bank account information if you want a direct deposit for a refund to correctly show up in your account and not someone else's.
The bad news is that many free offers involving tax preparation softwarehave ended. Andindustry experts note that some prices are higher now for online tax preparation services maybe by as much as 25% or 30% higher compared to earlier this year. It's called "surge pricing." So,if you wait until the last minute, you often do pay a higher price for online tax preparation services.
If you have a simple return, though, many free offers remain. H&R Block has a free online software program atwww.hrblock.comnow that can be used only by new filers or those with very simple returns. You'll need to pay for online tax services if you're a homeowner and taking deductions. If you're an investor or self-employed, the price goes up even higher for online tax services.
Taxpayers with simple tax returns a 1040A or 1040EZ can also prepare and file their federal tax return at no cost atwww.turbotax.com.
Some good news: Credit Karma which is popular with Millennials introduced a zero-cost tax prep program this year that applies to any income level, even if you itemize. Seewww.creditkarma.com/tax.You do have to sign up for free to be a Credit Karma member first.
Bethy Hardeman, chief consumer advocate for Credit Karma, said tax filers are given the option of agreeing toshare their tax filing data with Credit Karma or not. The tax data is not sold or shared with third parties.
Credit Karma offers many free services, such as free credit scores. But it gets paid by financial service companies to recommend credit cards, auto loansand other financial products to customers. By having income data, Credit Karma can better tailor offerings to consumers.
For tax filers, the free online tax preparation services could save filers $70 to $100 compared with some other online services. Credit Karma offers both free online filing for state and federal returns. But the system doesn't offer the ability to file returns for more than one state right now. So if you need to file in two states for 2016, you could still do the federal return for free at Credit Karma but use another service for state returns.
Remember, IRSFree Fileis available for anyone who earned $64,000 or less last year. Free File involves services from 12 leadingtax software companies.Filers can use the tax software to prepare and e-file their tax return at no cost. See http://www.irs.gov.
There's a weird last-minute twist involving a phishing email that appears to be from a legitimate taxpayer and urges a tax professional to change where the refund will be directly deposited. Maybe instead of depositing the money into a checking account, the tax filer suddenly wants the cash on a prepaid debit card.
Roughly one-third of tax filers had not filed a return through April 7, based on IRS data.(Photo: Susan Tompor)
Big Flashing Red Flags should go off there. Prepaid debit cards including iTunes cards are a tool of choice for scammers who can use the cards to get cashand avoid getting caught.
The IRSis warning tax preparers to take time to phone taxpayers who supposedly send such emails. More than 85% of tax refunds are issued these days via direct deposit.
The con artists who pretend to be from the IRS are increasingly targeting individuals who speak limited English. The scammer tries to rip off the consumer by speaking in the victim's native language.The calls includethreatsthat if you don't pay up soon, you could be deported, arrested by the police or see your driver's license revoked.
The public needs to know that regardless of the language being used, the IRS will never threaten them," said Garcia at the IRS office in Detroit.
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The fraudsters tell potential victims that they owe the IRS money and must pay it promptly through a prepaiddebit card, gift card or wire transfer. Part of the scamincludes "urgent" callback requests left on answering machines.
Con artists sound convincing by rattling off IRS identification numbers. They may even havethe victims real name, address and other personal information.
But here's the deal. It's possible to hang up and check if you really do owe the IRS money from earlier tax years. Now, taxpayers can check atwww.irs.gov/balancedue.
If the account balance says zero, that means nothing is due.
Beginning in 2017 and going forward, taxpayers using a tax filing software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross Income amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity.
Do-It-Yourself tax filers often must sign and validate e-filed tax returns by entering the prior-year amount.Generally, tax software automatically enters the information for returning customers. If you are using a software product for the first time, you may have to enter the information yourself.
Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and electronically sign tax returns atValidating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return. See http://www.irs.gov.
Contact Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com or 313-222-8876. Follow Susan on Twitter @Tompor.
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