How to Avoid Common Tax Filing Mistakes
Most tax returns that cause stress share the same problem: small, avoidable mistakes. Here are some of the most common issues and how to prevent them.
1. Choosing the wrong filing status
Your filing status affects your tax brackets, standard deduction amount, and many credits. Review eligibility for head of household, married filing jointly, or other statuses before you submit.
2. Leaving out side income
Small freelance jobs, marketplace sales, or investment payouts are easy to forget. The IRS, however, receives copies of many of these forms and can see the mismatch.
3. Misunderstanding credits and deductions
Mixing up deductions (which reduce taxable income) and credits (which reduce tax owed) can cause confusion and miscalculations, especially if you manually change software suggestions.
4. Using last year's numbers as a template
Copying last year's return without considering life changes, income shifts, or rule updates is a recipe for errors.
5. Rushing the final review
Taking five extra minutes at the end to scan through every page, confirm totals, and verify routing numbers can prevent weeks of delay later.