Tips for preparing returns as tax season approaches

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Tax season is approaching.

The first day you can file your taxes is January 27.

In less than two weeks, the rush begins as people across the country head to their preparers or go at it alone to file their returns.

Preparing your tax returns can be a real hassle for most people, but here are a few tips to make it easier and less hectic.

“They need a form of ID, a driver’s license, or a Mississippi photo ID or whatever state they may be from along with their social security card and if they have children they need to bring the information on all their children,” said tax preparer Billy Gene McNeel.

McNeel said to make a list of the jobs you held in 2019.

Leading up to tax season, you should get those W2 forms in the mail.

“They need to make sure they’ve got all their documents including all their W2’s. Sometimes they may forget about a W-2 and when that happens you wind up having to amend the tax return,” said McNeel.

One of the easiest mistakes is forgetting winnings, such as the lottery. Which just started a short time ago in Mississippi. So this is something new you’ll have to look out for when filing.

McNeel said if you don’t report it, you will face the consequences.

“When you get something like that they send one to the Internal Revenue Services. You may not hear from the IRS for quite some time but they do have a matching program and they match what’s reported to the IRS to your return. So it’s important that you try to get everything on your tax return that’s been reported to the Internal Revenue Services,” said McNeel.

He urged taxpayers to protect all their information by only trusting tax preparers and online services they’ve used before.

“I would be skeptical of doing business online with websites that you’re not familiar with because you don’t need to be divulging that personal information like your social security number and bank account or anything like that that could be out there for the wrong people to get their hands on,” said McNeel.

For more information about forms or about tax returns, click here.