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Health & Fitness

File Your 2013 Tax Return ASAP!

Why am I highlighting this issue? An obvious reason to file early is if you are receiving a refund. The sooner you file, the sooner you get your refund.

 I want to address another reason you might not be aware of, and that is identity theft. Usually, an identity thief uses a legitimate taxpayer’s identity to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund. The identity thief will use a stolen social security number to file a forged tax return and attempt to get a fraudulent refund early in the filing season. You may not be aware that this has happened until you file your tax return at a later date.  Your valid return will be rejected by the IRS with a message that “your tax return has already been filed”!

 The IRS has specific procedures when identity theft occurs. The taxpayer has to mail the return to the IRS and verify his or her identity. It’s a time consuming process and it can delay a refund by several months. You can avoid this problem by filing as soon as you can – thereby making it less likely that a fraudulent return can be filed ahead of your return.

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 What should you do if there is a balance due on your return and you cannot pay it at this time? You can still file early, and arrange for payment on any day on or before April 15th. You do not have to make a payment when you file your return. So I encourage you to file early. Start gathering and organizing your records now, so you will be ready to go when you get the final tax form you might be waiting for.

 Please post a comment if you have any general questions and I will be happy to respond. I can also be reached at lencarusi@gmail.com or (203) 807-3263 if you have any specific issues you would like to discuss. 

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