There's Still Time to File Your 2017 Income Tax Return

Jackson Hewitt

Copywriter

Published on: April 02, 2018

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Tax Day is just a few weeks away, but you still have a little time left to get your return filed to Uncle Sam. Some people say they work best under pressure and choose to procrastinate; don’t ignore, avoid, or think you'll get back to it later. The IRS can come back to bite procrastinators in two ways: with a failure-to-file penalty and a failure-to-pay penalty.

By failing to file your taxes, you're putting off the inevitable and probably going to make things harder for yourself overall by exposing yourself to possible penalties and interest.

If you've been putting off filing your tax return, here are a few things you need to know to get started:

Know the tax-filing deadline

The deadline to file and pay your 2022 is April 17. 2023. This is also the last day to make a contribution to traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Health Savings Account, SEP-IRA, or solo 401(k) for the 2022 tax year.

Make sure you have all necessary documents

By now you should have received all necessary documents; statements from employers, banks, stockbrokers, other institutions that were involved in your finances last year, and Form 1095-A regarding your healthcare coverage. Haven’t received the documents, lost them? Contact the employer immediately to get a new one sent to you.

File your return electronically

If you were planning to fill out a paper tax return this year, think again. Filing your return electronically, with the help of a Tax Pro, is the smartest way to go. Plus, if you're due a refund this year, you'll get it faster if you file electronically and you can check on your refund status within 24 hours. File on paper, and you could easily wait a month just to find out where your refund stands.

Missing the deadline won't just subject you to a late-filing penalty. It will also needlessly drag out the already-stressful process of filing a return in the first place. At the end of the day, you're better off filing your tax return before the deadline. If you pay late, you will owe the late payment penalty no matter what but, you can ask for an installment agreement when you file, which may allow you to pay your tax debt over six years.

Have questions or need additional assistance to make filing a reality before Tax Day? Our Tax Pros are ready and waiting in over 5,200 locations to do the work so you don’t have to!

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