XENIA — The IRS will start accepting tax returns today, January 24 and they are urging people to file as early as possible and to file electronically to avoid delays.
The deadline to file 2021 tax returns is April 18th.
This year, consumers can begin to file taxes two weeks earlier than normal. However, despite the extra time, if you expect a refund, it could still be delayed.
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News Center 7′s Gabrielle Enright talked to Lance Bradstreet of Bradstreet and Company, CPA, in Xenia. He said taxes are more complicated this year because of additional documents that are linked to COVID-19 relief.
Advanced child tax credits can be especially tricky with blended families because they have to be reported properly.
“I Don’t even think Congress has even worked through the nuances of someone who took a child on a tax return last year. Received the Advanced Child Tax Credits and now that child isn’t on their tax return for 2021. There are going to be a lot of items like that to work through,” Bradstreet said.
He continued by saying if you are expecting a refund, you should expect a little delay. But your best shot of avoiding a delay is to do the following:
· Track down all your tax-related items now – this includes W2′s, IRS statements, school loan documents and receipts.
· Plan to file you taxes or meet up with your tax professional by Valentine’s Day.
And, if you plan to file your own taxes, you need to do one thing, “For those taxpayers who are utilizing a software, really look at the outputs before you send those tax returns you are self-preparing. Make sure that it matches and aligns with the tax documents. Make sure you hit a form view or PDF and just make sure that it’s matching your W2′s or 1099′s,” Bradstreet said.
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If you do file your own taxes and you make a mistake, you will have to contact the IRS to file an amendment, and Bradstreet said that could delay any possible refunds by months.