Tax Season 2023: Steps to take to make tax filing easier

Asher Notheis

March 07, 01:30 PM March 07, 01:30 PM

Tax season is often considered one of the most stressful times of the year, but there are some steps taxpayers can take to help minimize stress when filing taxes this year.

Taxes are due this year on April 18 for a majority of taxpayers, leaving most taxpayers with only six weeks left to finish their tax filing. For any taxpayers who are in the middle of filing their 2022 taxes or for those who have yet to start, taking these steps can help alleviate the stress that comes with filing taxes, according to Barron's.

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"If taxpayers can improve efficiencies on their end, it will help the timeliness in not only submitting a return but in having it processed and getting a refund," said Brooke May, a managing partner at the financial planner Evans May Wealth.

File for an extension

If a taxpayer has an extension to file their taxes but still files them before the April 18 deadline, the taxpayer can simply refile their taxes if they realize information on their returns needs correction.

Taxpayers filing for an extension on their tax returns will be given until Oct. 15 this year to file their taxes; taxpayers should know, however, that receiving an extension to file taxes does not delay the due date of when they need to pay their taxes.

Open an IRS account

Taxpayers who have their own IRS account can have access to all of their personal tax records needed when filing taxes, such as their adjusted gross income and digital copies of notices from the IRS. This information can also save taxpayers time from having to call the IRS to answer any questions they might have, as they may be able to find the answers to their questions via the information in their accounts.

Call the IRS early in the morning

The early bird tends to get the worm, and the early riser has a better chance of contacting someone at the IRS.

In 2022, only 13% of people calling the IRS were able to make contact with someone at the agency, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an office within the IRS.

Though the IRS has its call hours of availability from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the hold times for callers who call between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. "seem to be shorter," said Angela Anderson, an accountant in Atlanta.

Check what forms can be e-filed

Though not all tax forms can be accepted by the IRS electronically, the agency is working to expand the range of documents that can be filed electronically. In March, the IRS announced that nine notices regarding child tax credits and earned tax income credits can finally be shared with the IRS electronically.

Additionally, amended tax returns can also be filed electronically so long as the original tax return was filed electronically as well. In cases where the original tax return was filed via the mail, the amended return must also be filed in the same way.

Establish a paper trail

Taxpayers who wish to avoid a worst-case scenario this tax season, such as their tax return getting lost in the mail, ought to keep copies of all of their mailings regarding tax returns. Additionally, taxpayers should send their returns via certified mail and also specify on their check what the payment is for, as recommended by Michael Kramarz, a director at Kaufman Rossin Tax Services Advisory Group.

"You have to maintain documentation to establish your original filing date," Kramarz said.