If you’re like me, it drives me nuts when I get a letter from the IRS stating there was something wrong on my tax return.
I use a professional preparer, so I don’t have trouble most years, but there are things to know to avoid trouble, according to the IRS;
- Wait to file until you receive all of your proper tax documents, or you risk making a mistake that could cause delays.
- Review your income documents carefully. If any of the information is inaccurate or missing, taxpayers should contact the payer right away for a correction or to ensure the issuer has their current mailing or email address.
- Creating an IRS Online Account can help you securely access information about your federal tax account, including payments, tax records and more.
- Organized tax records make preparing a complete and accurate tax return easier and may help taxpayers find overlooked deductions or credits.
- Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN may need to renew it if it’s expired and is needed on a U.S. federal tax return. If they don’t renew an expiring or expired ITIN, the IRS can still accept their return, but it may delay processing or credits owed.
- The IRS Interactive Tax Assistant helps taxpayers find answers tax questions based on their specific circumstances. Taxpayers can use it to determine if they must file a tax return, their filing status, if they can claim a dependent, if the type of income they have is taxable, if they’re eligible to claim a credit or if they can deduct expenses.
- IRS Tax Topics contain general individual and business tax information. If taxpayers don’t find the answers to their question, they can check Frequently Asked Questions.
When it comes to dealing with the IRS, keep in mind the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.” This advice works most of the time.
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