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Common Last Moment Errors While Filing Taxes

  Sanjiv Gupta CPA  Published 
Common Last Moment Errors While Filing Taxes

It is not uncommon for people to delay filing up their W2 forms for the tax return, till the eleventh hour and thus, end up making last moment errors. Even though this makes the entire process a lot more inconvenient and unpleasant, it is a fact that several residents do this every time. Thus, thanks to the last-minute rushing, there are often a number of small errors that if made, can potentially delay a person’s tax returns. Some, of these common and usual last moment errors, are listed here so as to remind people that they need to avoid making these, in order to assure that their return is deposited on time.

Common Last Moment Errors While Filing Taxes:

  • The most common of all the mistakes is perhaps the most obvious one. People, in their hurry to finish filing their taxes and tax returns, often end up writing an incorrect spelling of their name. It should be remembered that the spelling written on the form should match the one that is provided on the ‘Social Security Card’. Also, another point to be kept in mind is that the ‘Social Security number’ must be correctly written.
  • The next problem that many encounters are a mistake in writing the filing status. Now, as it often happens, people who are married file their taxes together or jointly. However, people may file the same separately, in spite of their married status. This is more logical or better option in several cases. The only thing that must be kept in mind is that care should be taken while putting the status down on the form.
  • The next common last moment mistake on the list is perhaps the hardest one to avoid. This is, the mistakes made during calculating the returns. If a person is trying to file the taxes at the eleventh hour, it is quite sure that he or she will not be able to devote too much time to check if the calculation and mathematics are correct. However, these mistakes can sometimes be avoided by using special software hat is designed to calculate taxes.
  • Signing the returns is very important. Many couples who decide to file their taxes together (jointly) often forget that both of their signatures are required on the form. People who are filing online can ask for a unique identification number from the site (irs.gov).
  • Another very common but absolutely terrible mistake is writing the wrong address for the place were the tax form has to be sent! Now, needless to say, unless the address is written correctly, the form won’t reach on time. So, people should check the list that the IRS decides to help people understand which address they must send their returns to.
  • People should also remember to include all the forms that need to send. It is a very common last moment mistake to just send in the w2 or 1040 form and nothing else. But people often require another form too, e.g., the people who have requested a ‘payment agreement’, need to make sure that they also attach a 9645 along with the standard W2.
  • If a person feels that he or she requires some amount of extra time then that has to be separately requested for using the 4868 form.

So, these are the most common problems or last moment mistakes that people make while they are trying to file their taxes in a hurry.