MOBILE, Ala (WALA) – Taxes can be onerous for some people in normal years, but 2022 mixed with the pandemic and the IRS warns that frustration could come.
At EZ Tax Refunds on Hillcrest Road, Beth Korzun says there are a lot of changes this year, but she says they’re ready.
“This is the most tax changes we have had in any given year for a very long time,” she said.
Some of these changes relate to the child tax credit and the deductions for charitable donations.
Korzun says taxpayers can start filing on January 24, but have until April 18 to be on time. She recommends doing this as soon as you have all of your documents and filing them electronically, as the IRS faces staff shortages and a backlog of millions of tax returns from last year.
“A lot of times people want to go ahead and file early, and then they get a form in February and they have to change their tax returns,” Korzun said. : It’s going to be problematic this year because of all the delays.
While you can file yourself online, tax preparers recommend that you bring in a professional.
“Say you pay TurboTax $ 75, for free or $ 100 online, but you’re missing $ 1,000, shouldn’t you hire a professional to do it for $ 300 and get that $ 1,000? Korzoun said.
There are agencies that will help you for free.
The IRS has free service for those who qualify, and United Way of Southwest Alabama says if your household income is less than $ 58,000, they have volunteers who can help.
“What we’re doing is critical because for people who don’t have the money to pay their taxes, they can spend that money on rent, on groceries,” said Brad Martin of United Way of Southwest Alabama. “We don’t take any of your refunds. “
When filing your return, you’ll want to pay special attention to the child tax credit, especially if you received an early payment. The IRS is sending letters about this right now.
Overall, while the IRS says it expects delays, most taxpayers should get their refunds within three weeks if they file online with direct deposit.
If you want details on United Way of Southwest Alabama’s free tax preparation program, go to https://uwswa.org/our-work/our-programs/free-tax-preparation/.
