The Final Push

We are almost there.  We are so almost there that it is difficult to put thoughts together in a coherent way and bring them to you this week.  So forgive me if this feels a little bit all over the place.

So yes, the biggest point to make is that we are almost there – to the end of tax season. Monday marks the day (for almost everyone) that your taxes are due to be filed and any taxes owed to be paid. So sure you may have a few days on the calendar to get there, but if you do not already have an appointment with us to file your taxes, we cannot promise that you can get one.

If you procrastinated too much and still want an appointment, still feel free to reach out (just also please understand if it takes a little longer for us to get back to you than normal). We will at least be able to assist you with applying for an extension, which could be the best way to go in this final days.

As always, remember that an extension gives you more time to file your taxes, but it does not give you more time to pay any taxes owed. Granted, you may not even yet know that you owe taxes, but when you do find out that you do and it’s after April 15th, then there will likely be penalties and interest involved on top of what you owe.

Still, though, an extension is better than rushing your taxes out there and making errors. If you’re afraid that you will owe taxes, yes, try not to further procrastinate through your six-month window to finish your filing and let that interest build. You do still, however, want to make sure that you take the time needed to make sure that you are submitting a complete and legitimate tax return.

Heck, even if you know that you are expecting a refund, you shouldn’t wait another six months to file your return. Why let someone else hold onto your money when you’re not earning any interest on it?

So making an appointment as soon after April 15th as you can is a benefit in either of those situations. And there are still some other situations where another meeting could benefit you, too.

Were you surprised by a tax bill this year? Well then you don’t want to also face it next year, so let’s get together and discuss some changes you can make to hold it off.

Were you surprised by the size of your refund this year? Well then is it your best decision to let the government hold onto your money until next year? Granted, it’s a pleasant surprise to get that big deposit all at once, but maybe you’d like to get that money throughout the year. It comes in smaller chunks, sure, but you can have that portion put into an account that you never touch and let it grow on your terms and have it available for potential emergencies.

No matter what, putting things off rarely improves anyone’s situation. So don’t breathe too much as tax season ends if there are things you still need to do to make next year better.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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