When It Comes to this Tax Season, Filing Online Saves Time!

Dear Friend,

Tax filing season is upon us here in the First State and all across the country, which means that from now until April 18th, you can get a head start on filing your taxes. But just as the Covid-19 pandemic has affected so many other aspects of our lives, there are a few things that might look different this year when it comes to filing your taxes. And a minute now could save you an hour later!

So, what’s different this year? 

Maybe for you or someone you know, it took longer than usual to receive your tax refund after filing via mail last year. Maybe you’re even still awaiting your 2020 tax refund to be processed (in which case you do not need to, and should not, wait for last year’s return before filing this year’s). But as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) still works through a backlog of millions of unprocessed tax returns, folks filing their taxes by mail this year could see even more delays.

But, no matter how you filed last year, there’s good news: by acting now, we can all save ourselves time (and paperwork!) later.

What can I do to get ahead? 

The single easiest thing you can do to ease the tax filing process is to file your taxes online and to file early. The Department of the Treasury and the IRS strongly recommend filing tax returns electronically and providing direct deposit information for refunds.

And while it’s important to double check that your tax returns are filed accurately every year, it is especially important this year in order to avoid delays in processing your return and receiving your refund. The IRS recommends gathering all tax documents before preparing your tax return to more quickly and accurately file.

Additionally, make sure to file a return if you were eligible for a child tax credit payment, a stimulus payment, or the earned income tax credit, so you receive these payments and don’t leave free money on the table! The IRS has created a new tool to answer questions about the Child Tax Credit; go to childtaxcredit.gov to learn more.

How can I get help filing my return?

If you need support filing your taxes this year, or would just like to find a few resources on making the shift to electronic filing, check out some of the free tax filing resources provided by the IRS by clicking here to find a guide on my website.

If it can save you a few minutes, a few hours, or a few weeks this tax season, it’s worth learning how to file online to save time.

In the meantime, I’ll be focused on continuing to advocate for more federal support to the IRS in our Build Back Better legislation, so that come next year’s filing season, the agency has the resources and staff to more efficiently answer your questions and avoid processing delays.

Until then, none of us have to be a day a late and a dollar short this tax season. Go to https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free today.