Why you should file your tax return early

Tax filing season officially began on Monday, Jan. 23. Not many people file that early, but for some taxpayers it makes sense to do so. Here are common reasons to consider trying to be at the head of the line:

• You want to avoid identity theft. One of the more popular scams by identity thieves is to impersonate someone, file a tax return on their behalf and swipe their refund check. But once you’ve filed your tax return, the window of opportunity for identity thieves closes. If you’ve had problems with your identity being stolen in the past, or your information has been compromised, consider filing as early as you can.

• You want to avoid a dependent dispute. One of the most common reasons a tax return is rejected by the IRS is when you try to claim a dependent who has already been claimed by someone else. This often occurs when there is shared custody of a child.

• Someone needs a completed tax return from you. Completing certain transactions require your most recent tax return as evidence of your income, for example when you buy a house. Consider filing your tax return early so you can provide current tax information. This is especially important if you are self-employed and don’t have regular salaried pay stubs to use as proof of income.

• You need the refund ASAP. Of course everyone would like their refund as soon as possible. One thing to remember, though, is that while the IRS started accepting returns in January, they won’t begin processing them until mid-February. Returns that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit will see processing of their returns start some time after Feb. 15. But otherwise, the sooner your tax return is in the queue, the sooner you should receive your refund.

• You just want to get it out of the way. Nothing reduces the stress of filing your tax return better than just getting it done. Instead of thinking about your return for several months and potentially running into a time crunch as the April filing deadlines gets closer and closer, you may want to just get it over with and file your return as soon as you are able.

One of my primary objectives is to help you achieve your financial goals through a holistic approach that is tax-efficient in my wealth management and tax resolution practice. For more information, visit www.fredtfoxiii.com.

Fred T. Fox III is a Lawton native who owns his own business.