10 Tax Return Mistakes To Avoid Before You Hit Submit

Tax mistakes are usually boring. Boring is expensive.

The easiest way to make tax season harder is to rush the final review.

The IRS says taxpayers should review their return for correctness and completeness before filing, even if someone else prepared it, because the taxpayer is still responsible for what is on the return. That matters because most filing mistakes are not dramatic. They are small details people rush past.

The IRS highlights a few of the most common problems:

• filing before all tax documents arrive
• incorrect filing status
• misspelled names or missing Social Security numbers
• math errors
• incorrect credits or deductions
• unsigned returns
• wrong bank account or routing numbers for direct deposit

The name-and-number part matters more than people think. The IRS says names and taxpayer identification numbers should be entered exactly as they appear on Social Security cards, and even one wrong digit in an SSN can cause delays. It also says bank account and routing numbers should be double-checked before signing and submitting the return.

The safest move is simple: stop before you submit and check the boring details. Names. Numbers. Dates of birth. Direct deposit info. All forms received. All credits supported. Being done fast is not the same thing as being done right.