If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do to adhere to the tax changes this year?” you’re in the right place. For an annual requirement of everyone who receives income, taxes often prove complicated, even for the single filer working a first-time job. However, they become more complicated if you have a lot of assets or any special circumstances. To make matters worse, tax rules change from year-to-year (and sometimes in the middle of the year), so you can’t always rely on what you did last year to remain compliant this year. Below, we’ll go over some steps you can take to ensure you file correctly and reduce the risk of having to submit an amendment or incurring a penalty.

What Can I Do to Adhere to the Tax Changes This Year?

Follow Reliable Sources

In the age of information overload, it’s easy to get false information about what to expect when it comes to taxes. And if you struggle to understand legal jargon, you’re in good company!

To avoid getting false or unnecessarily confusing information, go right to the source. The IRS offers e-newsletters that keep you up-to-date on all the most recent tax changes. Likewise, tax authorities in other countries also send out newsletters! So, whether you’re living in your own country or abroad, make sure you stay up-to-date with this ever-changing world.

Work with a Professional

Working with a tax expert helps you take the guesswork out of filing your taxes. When you work with a tax pro from H&R Block, you’ll have assistance for every step of the way.

With H&R Block, you can choose to file online or in-person. If you want to work with a tax pro, you can either choose to do your taxes online with live, expert help or allow one of H&R Block’s tax pros do your filing for you.

Even better, H&R Block has a deal running on their DIY tax services! You can get 15% off their online filing option and gain access to free human assistance!

If you’re choosing to hire someone to file your taxes for you, you’ll want to get on their schedule early on. After all, many tax professionals have their schedules fill up closer to the tax deadline. So, the earlier you book your time with them, the better!

Research and Organize Your Documents in Advance

In some cases, the documents you need to claim certain tax credits or complete parts of your tax forms change from year-to-year. Depending on your tax situation, you may need to have different documents this year than you did last year.  So, research what you’re going to need and start getting everything together well before your tax deadline so you won’t be in a rush when the deadline comes.

Keeping accurate and organized records throughout the year helps with this process. We recommend having digital and physical copies of relevant tax details, such as invoices, W-2s, or, if you’re divorced and claiming the Child Tax Credit, your custody agreement and divorce decree.

Check for Errors Before Filing

Errors are common on tax forms, especially when the rules change all the time. But they can also be costly. If you make an error, you’ll need to correct it, or you’ll run the risk of incurring penalties if you get audited. However, submitting an amendment to your tax filing also incurs a penalty.

So, review your documents before you send them off and make sure you’ve followed the instructions and done your calculations correctly.

Maximizing Your Tax Return

Now that you know the answer to the question “What can I do to adhere to the tax changes this year?” you have the opportunity to get a tax return. While we can’t guarantee you’ll qualify for one, we can give you some tips for saving it if you do!