When tax season comes, many people wait until the absolute last second to file their tax returns — and when they rush to file before the deadline, they make mistakes, said Jim Dupree, Maryland’s Internal Revenue Service spokesman.
Some of the most common mistakes people make are as simple as forgetting to sign and date the return or transposing parts of their Social Security numbers.
One of the easiest ways to avoid those types of mistakes, Dupree said, is to file online.
“The software’s really neat because it’s not like really filing a tax form, it’s like sitting across from a preparer,” he said. “It’s a lot more accurate, it’s a lot faster, you get confirmation from the IRS that they got it.”
Michael J. Agetstein, an accountant at Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman, P.A., said the majority of people who make mistakes on their returns are truly making honest mistakes.
“Believe it or not, the vast majority of the people out there want to do the right thing. They want their tax returns to be correct,” he said.
With most mistakes, Dupree said, there is no penalty.
“You’re going to get a notification that we can’t process your return and it’s going to delay your refund,” he said.
The penalties for not filing taxes or not paying taxes can be severe — but how can the recently laid off find the money to pay taxes?
“If you have the choice to pay your taxes or feed your kids, you’re going to feed your kids É there are going to be a lot of people who aren’t going to be able to pay this year,” Agetstein said.
Dupree said filers who can’t afford their taxes should pay as much as they can and ask the IRS to work with them on a payment plan.
