EASY mistakes can be made when filing your tax return that could slow down your refunds or even shrink it.
There are easy ways for taxpayers to get around this and ensure you receive everything you are owed.
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It’s often the easiest mistakes to make that catch you out when filling in important documents like a tax return.
One of the most frequent mistakes is submitting incorrect personal details.
This could look like inputting the wrong Social Security number or even misspelling a name.
It might sound too easy to be true, but if you accidentally give the wrong birthday, your form could be flagged by the IRS.
As a result, your refund could be delayed for an unknown amount of time while the agency looks into it.
Dawn Delia, Federal tax attorney at Delia Law, told USA Today: “It’s easy to mistype a digit or letter, especially when using tax software or filling out forms manually.
“Additionally, your name on the tax return must exactly match what’s on your Social Security card — adding or omitting a middle initial, for example, can lead to confusion.”
The second error you can make is getting the math wrong.
Tax software is the most common and fool-proof workaround here, because they handle the heavy-lifting for you.
It is still a good idea to review the numbers yourself, though.
For this, Delia had to say: “A misplaced decimal point or an extra zero can drastically affect your refund or result in you owing more taxes than necessary.”
KNOW HOW TO FILE
Another thing to get wrong would be your filing status, affecting your tax bracket and credits.
As an example, some individuals mistakenly file as “Single” when they qualify as “Head of Household,” a status which generally offers more favorable tax rates.
In the same way, married couples often struggle with whether to file jointly or separately.
There’s upsides and downsides to both, and will depend on your specific circumstances.
More online tools like the Interactive Tax Assistant to help you choose the most appropriate option.
It is not uncommon for people to overestimate on tax returns.
It generally comes from a lack of knowledge, but some might try to pull the wool over the eyes of the IRS, even though it never works.
For example, some deductions, like the student loan interest deduction, are income-restricted.
This means that you cannot claim it if you earn above a certain threshold.
2025 Tax Season
Tax season started on January 27 and folks must have theirs completed filed on April 15.
Those who fail to file by that time may face penalties.
However, taxpayers who need more time may file for an extension – this gives them until October 15.
The way to do this is by filling out Form 4868, the Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
This can be done by mail, online with an IRS e-filing partner, or through a tax professional.
While there’s no set schedule, the IRS revealed that taxpayers may receive refunds within 21 days of filing.
Just be sure to avoid making mistakes on any forms as that could tack on extra time.
Those filing through mail will likely get their returns within a month or could even face delays as the IRS processes millions.
As of January 31, the average refund amount totaled $1,928, per the IRS.
This is compared to the $1,395 for the same period in 2024.
The average direct deposit refund for 2025 was even higher, the IRS said, at $2,069.
To check the status of your refund, The IRS has an online tool called Where’s My Refund?
This works within 24 hours of e-filing and generally within four weeks of filing a paper return.
IT’S THE EASY THINGS
Just like inputting the wrong personal information, giving the wrong bank account information can be a sure fire way to mess up your return.
Delia is back, and she warns: “A single wrong digit can direct your refund to a different bank account, and trust me, recovering it will be a time-consuming ordeal.”
If the IRS suspects something is wrong with a digital transfer, it could revert to a much slower paper one.
This leaves you more time to wait before you get your refund.
And finally, the last step to remember is to sign the form before submitting it.
If you fail to do this, your return will be marked as invalid and you won’t be processed.
It is important to note that for joint filers, both spouses must sign the return.
This applies whether you file electronically or by mail.
All correct signatures must be in place before you send off your return.
If you’re filing jointly and one spouse is unavailable or unable to sign, you can use a power of attorney or other legal document to complete the process.
As one final piece of advice, Delia says: “E-filing systems generally prompt you to give a digital signature, but it’s easy to overlook this step if you’re filing manually.”
