With tax season underway, pros offer tips
Taxpayers will have a little extra time to get their returns in to the IRS. This year, the tax-filing deadline is April 18. Normally, it falls on April 15, but due to the 15th falling on a weekend and Monday, April 17, being Emancipation Day, a Washington, D.C., holiday, filers get a little more time to submit their taxes.
The IRS began accepting tax returns Jan. 23.
People already are making appointments to get their taxes done, said Kenny Bonus, a CPA whose Bonus Accounting has offices in Chicora and Mount Chestnut. He is bringing in seasonal help as well as interns from Slippery Rock University and Butler County Community College who will prepare taxes for college credit.
Kelly Bender, owner of Total Business Solutions, 235 New Castle Road, Butler Township, a tax and accounting service, said her company already has e-filed a return for a client and “People are starting to come in. February is when it really starts to get busy.”
Still, she said, “Remarkably, knock on wood, I think it might be the first non-crazy year in the last several years. 2022 stayed largely status quo, no COVID-related things, no stimulus checks. The 2022 filing season should be relatively calm.”
People won’t have as complex a return to file this year, Bonus said.
“The tax code changes are not that complicated,” he said. “The COVID stimulus economic impact payments ended in 2021. They didn’t happen in 2022.
“The mileage rate changed midway through 2022, and there is a slight increase to the standard individual deduction, but that happens every year,” he added.
Bonus said the best way to speed up a tax refund is to file electronically and have the refund direct-deposited into the taxpayer’s account. Typically, a taxpayer following those guidelines can expect a return in around two weeks.
Bender pointed out the IRS still hasn’t processed paper returns from 2021. Paper filers may wait a year or more to receive any refunds due them.
Another mistake Bonus pointed out is that filers with children in college fail to take advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which helps pay for education expenses for the first four years of education completed after high school.
“That’s one thing I like to point out to parents with a child in college,” he said. “That’s a great benefit.”
Bender said the biggest mistake people make is not planning ahead for major life changes that might affect their tax status.
“Our biggest thing is we help educate people who don’t plan for life changes and call us afterward to help minimize the impact,” she said. If you are getting married, starting a business or buying or selling a rental property, the time to contact them is before taking the action, she said.
Bonus said people need to realize that even though they can get an extension until Oct. 15 to file their taxes, the extension doesn’t exempt them from paying taxes.
“It’s tough to know how much tax you should be paying until you file a return,” he said.
Two no-cost tax preparation programs, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide can help Butler County residents make the April 18 filing deadline.
The VITA program provides free income tax preparation services to any person or family with an annual income under $50,000, according to Tim Kramer, who is taking over as coordinator of the program from longtime leader and founder Jean Bowen, who will be concentrating on filing and reviewing returns. Kramer said he has 50 IRS-certified volunteers who can prepare taxes for free with no fees or service charges.
VITA recently moved its tax preparation site from the Center for Community Resources on South Main Street to Clearview Mall off North Main Street Extension in Center Township.
People seeking tax preparation help should use the mall's Altmeyer's Western Wear entrance. The VITA site is across from Ace's Breakway and Play.
Kramer said other VITA sites include the Fowler Building, 165 Elm St., on the campus of Slippery Rock University; the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road; Harvest Community Church, 143 Reed Road, Kittanning, Armstrong County; and St. Luke's Lutheran School, 330 Hannahstown Road, Jefferson Township.
Kramer said VITA tax preparation is by appointment only. Taxpayers can make an appointment by calling 724-431-3767.
Gary Rauschenberger, district coordinator for the AARP program for the past 19 years, said the service is intended for low- to moderate-income taxpayers, with special attention given to people age 50 and older. Membership in AARP is not a requirement. Bowen said last tax season the 13 IRS-certified counselors added 576 clients.
“There’s no age requirement, but our concentration is on folks who are 50 or above,” Rauschenberger said.
Rauschenberger said the program does not take walk-ins. The four sites in Butler County, Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive; Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Ave., Lyndora: the Mars Public Library, 107 Grand Ave., Mars; and the Cranberry Township Public Library, 2525 Rochester Drive, all require an appointment in advance by calling 211. Taxpayers should bring a photo ID along with their prior year (2021) tax return.
Trinity Lutheran Church will take tax preparations appointments on Thursdays, the Tanglewood Center and the Mars Library on Tuesdays and the Cranberry Township Library on Mondays.
