Mistakes to avoid while doing your taxes

It’s that dreaded time of year…tax season. Doing your taxes can be confusing. You want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your return and not do anything wrong.

When it comes to doing your taxes, the biggest thing to avoid is rushing through the process.

“Go slow through your tax return,” Dayton Robison, a CPA and partner with Taylor, Robison & Company PLLC, said. “Take some time, double check, triple check everything. You know, the biggest thing that you wanna do is not forget that W-2 or that 1099.”

Another tip? Get started now and don’t procrastinate.

“People tend to put it off until April 15th,” said Robison. “And, you know, not double checking what they’re doing. They just input it and they say okay, it’s done, I just want it out of the way.”

As for saving some extra money, look at all your possible deductions. One is with education credits.

“If you’re a college student or have kids in college, that American Opportunity tax credit is a good credit to get,” said Robison. “And there are ways that you can get your education expenses, you know, laptops, books, those types of things. So just double check all the expenses that you have for school.”

Robison also suggested talking to whoever does your taxes before taking money out of your retirement account. This could have an impact on your taxes. When doing your taxes, don’t try to hide anything from the IRS. They will find it eventually and then you’ll have to pay even more. It’s also a good idea to keep detailed records for the future. Start doing so now for next year.