Feb 03, 2021

Tax filing season is here again

Posted Feb 03, 2021 2:00 PM

By WHITNEE ICE

St. Joseph Post

It's tax season again.

Taxes are due with filing season just around the corner. This year, the IRS is dealing with a tax year like no other, a year that will complicate filing just a bit.

The IRS has delayed the tax filing start date to February 12th, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, IRS spokesperson Michael Devine says the tax deadline remains the same: April 15th:

"If people are having problems and they do have a need to wait past April 15th, because they don't have a critically important tax document, then it's very easy to get a six month extension of time to file that tax return. Again, that's an extension of time to file not an extension of time to pay, so any taxes that you owe are going to be due on April 15th," says Michael Devine to St. Joseph Post.

Devine says the IRS website is a great source of information.

"We think that irs.gov is just a really great source of information, for anyone who has questions or just an interest in taxes, because all the things that are available are there from individual taxes to exempt organizations, to businesses," says Devine.

Devine says the number of visits to the website increased significantly.

"The number of visits to our website irs.gov, went up by about 160%.," says Devine. "To more than 1.6 billion visits, so anyone who had a tax question or needed tax help found that going to our website was a good thing to do."

Devine recommends using tax software this year.

"Filing electronically is going to lead you through a series of questions and answers, so that you won't miss a tax credit or deduction that you're eligible for, especially the recovery rebate credit," says Devine.

This year's tax season looks a little different due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Devine says there are steps to take if you did not receive any or all of your economic impact payment you were eligible for.

"You can claim that on your 2020 tax return as the recovery rebate credit. It's really pretty simple to do," says Devine. "You will need the notice 1444 that you received, if you received a payment, that will tell you exactly how much you got."

Devine reminds tax payers unemployment compensation and unemployment benefits are both taxable income.

"It must be included as income on your tax return and that's on schedule one and you will know how much that is because you would have received a form 1099-G, for government. You would get that if also you received a federal or state tax refund," says Devine.

Devine says he expects 2.8 Million returns from Missouri and 1.3 Million from Kansas.