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Life happens: Tax tips for the busiest Americans
(BPT) - - As tax season pushes on on on mil- lions of Americans
have yet to to file their taxes While reasons for waiting to to to do so so range from a a a a a a a a a a fear of owing money to to not having the the proper paperwork take solace in in the the fact that if you you you still haven’t filed your taxes you’re not alone In fact previous research from H&R Block shows that 57 percent of Americans
say they’ve lost sleep or sacrificed free time on on the the the weekends just so they they could deal with tax preparation Regardless of individual reasons for waiting to to file there are ways to to ensure the the the process goes smoothly whether you choose to go go it alone or seek out expert help And because 2019
represents the first tax season under reform it pays to be be especially diligent this year So what are the the the options for the the the busy Americans
who want help with their taxes but don’t have the the time or flexibility to to get into a a a a a tax tax office?
The nation’s tax tax professionals often begin with a a a a a a a seemingly simple piece of o of advice which can pay dividends over time: Get organized now Organizing the the necessary information is going to to make tax time so much smoother no matter how you you choose to to undertake
it Get all your important tax documents together in in in one place as they come in in in Missing tax tax documents can lead to to to missing out on tax tax benefits you’re entitled to to claim If you you need a a a a little extra help with docu- ments hop online The internet is is full of free resources like the tax prep checklist on hrblock com For those who don’t want want to see the the inside of o of a a a a a a a a tax office but want want the the comfort of o of expert help technology again stands as a a strong option Karen Orosco is a a a a senior vice president at at H&R Block and she said technology can can be one of the greatest helps for time- crunched Americans
this tax season “H&R Block Tax Pro Go is is designed for clients who want want help from a a a a a a tax expert but also want want the convenience of not having to visit a a a a a a a tax tax office ” Orosco said “If you you you or or your tax tax pro have a a a a a a a a a a a a question you you you can connect and share additional informa- tion tion using our secure online portal email or or even talk on on on on the phone if you you prefer There’s no no office visit no no preparing your your own return just upload your your documents sit back and we’ll take care of o the the rest ” Another concern often raised by time-conscious Americans
regards the the the size of of their tax refund especially under reform The biggest piece of of of advice being given by the the nation’s tax professionals this year is in reference to the the W-4 If you you you don’t like what happened with your refund this year year you you you can take steps to help see it it doesn’t happen next year year - one way is by updating your your withholding with with your your employer Tax season presents a a a a a a a a a a a great time to make that update because it requires a a a a a a a a a a a lot of the same information that goes on on your W-4 It’s also good to make these updates at at at the the the the start of the the the the year so the the the the changes are stretched out over your paychecks for a a a a a a longer period Orosco also presented another point for for seeing a a a a a a change in in in in one’s refund: Individu- als may see see refund refund benefits by contributing
to a a a a a traditional IRA “Individuals may potentially increase
their refund or decrease the the the amount they owe by contributing
to a a a a a a a traditional IRA ” Orosco said “You have up until the the April 15 deadline to contribute and reap the the po- tential benefits H&R Block tax profession- als can provide expert guidance for clients when they file their 2018 tax returns ” The final piece of important advice may seem obvious or or even simple but bears re- peating year year over year year Americans
need to keep their life in in in in in mind especially as as large changes like having a a a a a a a a a a a a child purchasing a a a a a a a a a a a a home or starting a a a a a a a a a a a new job can truly alter one’s tax situation Life changes changes changes typically mean tax tax changes changes changes so so when something significant changes changes changes it may be a a a a a good idea to consider getting expert help If you you want to be matched up with your own tax professional this year it’s easy it’ll save you you time and it it it just might make your refund even better You can go go to to hrblock com/taxprogo to to get matched with an an an expert tax tax pro pro and see your price 8 | TRENDING