The year goes by so quickly. The last three years of isolation and limited personal contact have changed things forever. Now it is 2023 and we are back close to where things were. It is filing season. The calls and written correspondence have increased. Also, it is time for all of us to file our taxes.
If you file with an outside preparer, use the IRS VITA site located in the Gateway building, self-prepare, mail-in, or electronically file your return, you ultimately are responsible for what is on that return that gets processed.
Be sure to keep a copy of the return for your reference. If you have the return prepared by someone else, review it. If you file electronically, copy the page that tells you it was received by the IRS.
If you mail it in, mail it with a return receipt. I know all this seems a little over the top, but if your return is never accepted, this could result in disciplinary action up to termination.
I get a refund almost every year, but there are things I do so that I will get a refund. I claim zero on my Form W-4 for my exemptions. This year, I am going to have extra tax taken out of my paychecks to offset additional income. I don’t say everyone should do this, however, the last company I would want to owe is the company I work for.
If you do owe taxes, as a taxpayer, you do have the right to an installment agreement. We have always been held to a higher standard because we are the employees who collect tax money. Report the situation if you owe taxes or if you had an error on your return to your manager. In the long run, it will turn out better if you report it before they hear it through the management chain.
I leave you with this little story from when I worked in the 90s in the Adjustment Branch. Some taxpayers would file returns for each Form W-2 they received if they changed jobs or whatever the case was. Also, we would have taxpayers change their filing status before the April 15th deadline. In my area, we would say,” file timely and file often”. I don’t know if that happens very much anymore, but we were always extra busy during filing season.
Janet Colwell