ATLANTA — For many people filing taxes is something they put off doing.
“When you think about taxes and tax season it is always at the bottom of the list,” said Alex Shammas.
Shammas files his taxes with Buffie Purselle, a tax expert who says people who wait until the last minute will often make mistakes.
“They are rushed and are panicking and they don’t have all of their documentation,” Purselle said.
Purselle thinks late filers should consider filing an extension.
“As long as you understand that extensions are an extension of time to file. They are not get out of jail free cards,” said Purselle.
Ladona McDaniels didn’t file an extension, but she did cut it close to the deadline. She says she always has a professional look over her paperwork and file for her.
“I’d rather have someone else do it since I’m running late instead of just going in. I might miss something if I do it myself,” said McDaniels.
Purselle agrees and said besides making mistakes there are other reasons to use a real person instead of home software.
“Tax law is complex, it changes every year and software can’t figure out your tax situation,” said Purselle.
Since filing is tax deductible Purselle says its guilt-free shopping that will give you peace of mind that everything is filed correctly.
The most import thing is that if you can’t afford to pay your taxes, you still need to file.
There are two penalty systems. One is for failure to pay and the other is for failure to file. The failure to file penalty is much bigger than the penalty for failure to pay.
Consumer Advisor Clark Howard advises you to file your return and send in the money when you can.