It’s That Taxing Time of Year Again
According to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, one-third of Americans still have not filed their income taxes with only two weeks to go.
But the statistic doesn’t surprise Central Oregon tax professionals.
With the tax deadline fast approaching, you can bet H&R Block is busy.
“It’s standard to have a rush in February and a rush at the end of the year,” LeMarcia Nelson, a master tax advsior for the tax preparation firm, said Wednesday.
Over the last decade, Nelson has helped more than 3,000 people file their taxes.
“I’ve done a lot of second looks for people and found mistakes, good and bad,” Nelson said.
The good: “It’s always fun to give somebody a pleasant surprise of a master refund they didn’t know about,” Nelson said.
The bad: “I’ve seen people take too many deductions, unfortunately. “
Nelson says analyzing tax returns is like a puzzle she enjoys, but for others not so much.
Because a lot of mistakes cause a lot of frustration.
For many, it’s simple math errors.
“People forget income, retirement income — unemployment is missed often,” Nelson said.
Other pitfalls include not being aware of changing laws, misinterpreting the tax laws or vocabulary, or filing the wrong status.
But the biggest mistake: people misunderstanding what the term “head of household” means:
“Head of household doesn’t mean that you are the head of your household,” Nelson said. “it means that you are a single parent or (for tax purposes) a single parent and raising at least one child.”
It’s an easy correction to make. But its those type of mistakes that literally can cost you.
Nelson said the difference between going online to files taxes or going into a business is that the computer can’t see things another set of eyes often can.
She says she believes there are more mistakes made online.
With tax season comes tax scams, and state Attorney General John Kroger hopes Oregonians will be vigilant as they file their returns.
A few tips:
*Be sure your preparer is properly licensed with the Oregon Board of Tax Practioners (http://www.oregon.gov/OBTP/index.shtml)
*Be wary of preparers who promise larger than normal refunds
*Avoid preparers who base their fees on a percentage of your income or percentage of your refund
*And do not sign your return unless it contains a personal tax i-d number.
Filing taxes is already difficult for some people, but it’s even harder for those who don’t have a Social Security number.
A service offered here in Central Oregon helps those, many of whom are immigrants.
The IRS has certified preparers here in Central Oregon to help people get individual taxpayer ID numbers, or ITINs.
The service is important because it’s the first step toward getting your immigration status approved.
Many Central Oregonians might not know about a special service offered to those who don’t have a Social Security number.
“I’ve helped a lot of families to be able to get their taxes done and help them along the way to get their immigration status approved,” said Dorothy Burgess, office manager for the Madras H&R Block.
Burgess has been helping people get taxpayer ID numbers at the Madras office for seven years. She even helped Central Oregon’s first application go through.
“This is an opportunity for those who need some help to get this done,” Burgess said.
Residents come into the office and bring in their tax income documentation, birth certificate (even if it’s foreign), and a picture ID.
After filling out the paperwork and getting a supervisor’s approval, you’re one step closer to citizenship.
“You have to have all your taxes filed before you can apply,” Burgess said.
Many of those who come through her office are from Central and South America, but some have been from Australia and India.
Asked whether people know about the service, she said: “I hope so — we have signs out in the front window.”
For those interested, you can make an appointment with the H&R Block in Madras, which offers Spanish-speaking translators. It’s also available in Prineville, La Pine and Redmond.
