It’s crunch time if you haven’t started your taxes yet. The deadline is a week away. But don’t rush through them TOO fast and make a mistake that might cost you money. Here are six last-minute tax mistakes people make every year . . .
1. Basic math errors. Use a calculator, don’t add anything in your head. And be careful about decimal places.
2. Filing under the wrong name. Like using your new MARRIED name even though you haven’t legally changed it yet. It sounds dumb, but a lot of people do it.
3. Mixing up your federal and state returns, and mailing them to the wrong places. Most people file online now. So that one only applies if you snail-mail your returns.
4. Typing in the wrong Social Security number. Your whole return depends on that number, so be extra careful about typos.
5. Completely forgetting to fill out a form. The IRS will probably catch it and let you know. But you might have to pay a fee, and wait longer to get your refund check.
6. Forgetting to list certain deductions or major life events. Like if you got married or bought a house. People forget stuff like that when they’re rushing, and it costs you.
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