As silly as it might seem, the IRS reports that the biggest mistake taxpayers make when they go to file their returns is forgetting to include their signature. Now, if something that obvious can be left off a tax return by accident, just imagine how many other common mistakes there are. Some of these mistakes can get you an audit and others might just end up making your return late and having you pay a fee for that. Some very simply income tax return help is all you need to make sure that you avoid at least some of these big errors. For instance, if you do not have the right ID information for you, any dependents you want to claim and your spouse, if you are married, then you will end up getting your return sent right back to you for this missing information. It is a $10 penalty for not having the right Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) on your return and this isn't a cost anyone would want to pay if they could avoid it. Confusion over filing status is another trip up for many and what you need to know is that if you were married after December 31st of the previous year then you need to file either jointly or separately as Married, not Single.
One massive problem that the American public has when it comes to tax issues is that many of us are not particularly gifted at math. This means that a lot of people seek income tax return help entirely based on the fear that they will mess up the numbers on their return. This is understandable and it is part of the reason why the efile tax system was put in place. Those who worry about math errors really should either seek out a tax preparer with genuine qualifications or use the efiling system to ensure that no serious problems arise. While the IRS can correct some errors, it is best to be on the safe side and avoid an audit. Paying either more or less than you really need to is not a good thing at all. Another big problem is that people often fail to report all of their income sources. This particular error will definitely send you towards an audit because the IRS views it as trying to cheat on your taxes - not a way that you want them to look at your tax return. If you can catch these problems and also make sure that you file earlier than the deadline to avoid the hassles of being late in case your return gets sent back for corrections, then you are off to a good start for this year's tax filings.