5 reasons you should file your taxes early

You’ll get your money as soon as possible

This one may seem obvious. The sooner your file for a refund, the sooner you’ll get it back. The closer you wait until Tax Day, the busier the IRS is, and the longer it’s going to take to get your money back. I don’t know about you, but that’s a good enough reason for me.

You can prevent your return from being stolen

Criminals would love to have your tax return, so filing quickly will give them less opportunities to commit fraud and steal your money. I don’t know how you feel about it, but someone else getting my money doesn’t sound ideal to me.

You’ll be less stressed

The 2017 tax deadline is April 18th. If you find out your taxes are going to be more difficult than past years, you may find yourself scrounging around for paperwork and the process may take a lot longer than you planned. By filing early, this date shouldn’t be a source of stress for you.

You’ll have more time if you have to pay

Hopefully you’re looking at a refund this year, but if not, you’ll have to be paid in full by April 18th. If this is the case, you’ll give yourself more time to pay by filing early. Think about that if you know you owe money this year.

Tax pros are less busy

Not only is the IRS less busy at the beginning of the year, but tax professionals are as well. Keep this in mind if you’re not filing on your own. For those of you who file online, this won’t be a big deal, but if you need a pro to help sort you out, you’ll be glad you made an early appointment.

 

John Pettit

John Pettit

John Pettit is the Managing Editor for CUInsight.com. Through news, community, press, jobs and events, he keeps credit unions digitally informed throughout the day. Web: www.cuinsight.com Details