Are you still waiting to file your taxes? Traditionally, in the US, you are supposed to file your federal income taxes by April 15. And that's the rule again this year because the 15th doesn't fall on a weekend. It's a Wednesday.

Occasionally, some holidays create exceptions, but not this year. Patriots' Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy, and Emancipation Day, which commemorates the end of slavery in D.C. in 1862, don't fall on April 15.

You might also qualify for an extension if you live in an area that experienced a recent natural disaster. In particular, areas of Alaska, Montana, and Washington State have until May 1; Tennesseans affected by Winter Storm Fern get until May 22. Citizens living outside the US (or Puerto Rico) might be able to wait until June 15.

Some states give a little extra time for their taxes, though you still must file your federal taxes by the deadlines above, even if you live in one of the states that extends its tax deadlines. States where you can file after April 15 include:

• April 20: Oklahoma
• April 21: Hawaii
• April 30: Delaware, Iowa, and New Mexico
• May 1: Virginia and South Carolina
• May 15: Louisiana

If you live in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, or Wyoming, you don't have to worry about state income tax at all.

With all those dates coming up quickly, here are eight tips for completing your taxes on time:

1. Gather Your Documents

You should have received most tax documents, such as 1099s and W-2s, in the mail with a postmark of January 31, 2026, though there might be a few exceptions, including 1099-B (Proceeds from Broker and Barter Exchange Transactions) and 1099-S (Proceeds from Real Estate Transactions) forms.

Don't file until you have all the required forms. Lacking paperwork can make you a bigger target for an audit. It also means more work later to file an amendment (Form 1040-X). You have three years from the original filing date to file an amendment to get a refund. The 1040-X can be filed electronically through your favorite tax software, but only if you e-filed your original return. Rather than file without the right papers, it's better to file an extension (see below).

Worried about a missing 1099 or W-2? Take a look at your full IRS transcript—that's a list of all the income and wage information that the IRS reported for you over the year. You can find it on the IRS page about how to get your tax records and transcripts. You need to provide your Social Security number or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN), date of birth, filing status, and street address for an online transcript suitable for printing.

(Photo: RomanR/Shutterstock)

2. Use Tax Prep Software

Filing your taxes doesn't need to be a hassle. Modern tax preparation software painlessly takes you through the steps to file a clean, correct return. The software saves your work as you go, meaning you can start before you have all your tax documents and go back in later.

E-filing—using software on your PC or phone—is the way to go. Even the IRS prefers it. It won't take long to get your refund. The College Investor created this chart to show how long the wait should be, depending on when you file and if you want a direct deposit or a paper check.

Both big and small names exist in the online tax preparation space (including free services and mobile apps). This year, Intuit TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA are our Editors' Choice winners. Costs vary among the services we tested. Many provide free versions that handle simple tax scenarios, though you typically pay extra for coverage of advanced topics and to file a state return. Each offers a variety of ways to claim refunds, recommendations to avoid an audit, and some form of accuracy guarantee.

3. Find Out About Extensions, Penalties, and When to Pay

When you know the IRS owes you a federal refund, you are "allowed" to file late, even after April 15. In fact, the government would appreciate it if citizens who are getting a refund filed late. It likes to hold onto money. If you wait too long—three years—your refund becomes government property.

This does not apply to states, however. You must file state taxes on time, whether you're paying or getting a refund.

If you fear electronic filing, some USPS offices will likely be open until midnight on Wednesday, April 15—and your snail-mailed return must have a postmark of 11:59:59 p.m. or earlier, or you're late. Use the USPS.com Locations tool to find the nearest office that will be open; call to confirm. Even if you file on time, if the return gets lost, the IRS considers you late and will penalize you. Use certified or registered mail to track the mailing and give yourself some backup. (And maybe file for an extension online, just in case.)

If you don't file by midnight on April 15 (not even an extension) and you owe money, the penalty is 5% of any unpaid taxes for each month you don't file, up to 25% of the total owed. On top of that, you have to deal with the IRS, which is punishment enough. That's just for filing late.

Strangely, the penalty for Failure to File is worse than that for Failure to Pay, which is 5% per month. If you owe $1,000 and fail to file, you will have to pay $1,150 after three months. But if you file and don't pay, you owe only $1,015 after three months. If you go over 60 days, the minimum you pay is now $525 or 100% of the return, whichever is less. (The IRS also charges interest on penalties, naturally.)

There's no statute of limitations on lateness—the IRS will come after you for what you owe, even 80 years later, if you live that long. The lesson here is to file even if you can't pay what you owe.

Let's say it again: It's better to file for an extension. Form 4868 (Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return) is part of your e-filing tax software. You must file an extension by April 15, just like you would for a standard tax return. Doing so provides an additional six months to complete the federal paperwork, until October 15. For states, the extension date varies for when you can file and how long the reprieve lasts.

There's one problem. If you owe money, an extension doesn't mean you get to pay later. If you don't file your taxes until October, you might already owe six months' worth of penalties. In extreme cases and if you meet many legal requirements, you may apply for an Extension of Time for Payment of Tax due to hardship. We have great advice on what to do if you can't pay your income taxes.

Remember, you have the right to appeal to the IRS before you pay a single dime. It's all part of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

(Image: eamesBot/Shutterstock.com)

4. Figure Out All the Deductions You Can Claim

There's a chance you're among the hundreds of thousands of US citizens this year who don't bother itemizing any deductions. That's because the standard deduction for most people rose significantly over the last decade, making itemizing deductions seem like too much of a hassle. You're just as likely, if not more, to get a federal refund without doing the extra work. The standard deduction will be higher for about 90% of people, depending on their filing status.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2019 eliminated many itemized deductions. Deductions for moving expenses, personal exemptions, SALT deductions, tax preparation fees, and unreimbursed work expenses (they were supposed to be back this year, but aren't unless you're a teacher, reservist, or other qualified individual; that doesn't apply to business owners, contractors, or freelancers) no longer exist.

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If you were counting on that $300 cash donation deduction this year, forget it: That expired. Tax year 2025 is in limbo unless you itemize all your charitable giving. Throughout 2026, however, you should give and give: When you file in 2027, you'll be able to get a $1,000 deduction for individuals, $2,000 if filing jointly. This applies only to direct donations of money, not to items like cars, clothes, or stocks. (Does that mean you should not have donated cash in 2025? Tax-wise...yes. Yes, it does.)

This year, you may see some benefit with deductions on your state return, though.

If you're still claiming deductions no matter what, here are a few you can sandwich in at the last minute, even if 2025 is long over. Until April 15, 2026, you can contribute to a traditional IRA and deduct the amount from your income for 2025. Contribute up to $7,500 or $8,600 if you're over 50.

You can still contribute to a Simplified Employee Pension IRA (SEP-IRA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA) for the 2025 tax year. For the SEP-IRA, the limit is $72,000 or 25% of your compensation, whichever comes first. For the HSA, don't exceed the maximum contribution of $4,300 for individuals or $8,550 for families.

Need to find more deductions? Try these:

• Are you a volunteer? You can't deduct your time or personal expenses (say, lunch while you're helping), but you can claim up to 14 cents per mile you drive in a personal vehicle while traveling for voluntary acts for a nonprofit. Parking and tolls, too. (That's right: You can claim mileage for volunteering but not for actual commuting. This mileage rate hasn't changed since 1998!)
• If you're in the armed forces or work in the intelligence community for the feds and have to relocate due to a change of station (under orders), you can claim 20.5 cents per mile you drive for moving purposes.
• If you paid directly for ambulance bills, co-pays at the office, examinations at any doctor, glasses or contacts, hospital visits, teeth cleanings, and so on in the calendar year 2025, and those medical expenses add up to more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI), you might be eligible for some deductions. It might take a lot to get to 7.5%, but one year with a serious illness can add up quickly. Recent changes, however, mean you can deduct only the amount paid above that 7.5%, not the full amount.
• If you make any home improvement for medical reasons—like installing a wheelchair ramp—that's deductible, but again, it must be above that 7.5% threshold mentioned above, along with all the other medical expenses.
• Medical-based mileage is eligible for a 21-cent-per-mile deduction on your personal vehicle. That's down 1 cent from last year; in tax year 2026, it will drop to 20.5 cents. You can also claim public transport, taxis, or even an Uber to the doc.
• Are you paying tuition? The American Opportunity Tax Credit is $2,500 per student (give or take), but it can cover books, supplies, and equipment in addition to tuition. If it actually reduces a tax bill to $0, you can get the rest of the credit back as a refund.

5. Know Your IP PIN

For a select group of citizens—mainly those with a compromised Social Security number—the IRS assigns a six-digit Identity Protection personal identification number (IP PIN). It's another extra-governmental identifier that might make privacy advocates apoplectic, but it helps the IRS in its constant battle against fraud.

It provides government accountants with additional assurance that you are who you claim to be. If you ever got one of these numbers, even as part of a pilot program, you must include it with all future tax returns. If you can't find your IP PIN (it comes on a CP01A notice; you get a new one every year), go to the Get An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) page to retrieve it. If you've never received an IP PIN and don't mind the government having another number to ID you, you can opt in. This system uses the ID.me system.

6. Don't Sweat the Audits

A lot of people stress about an audit. That's when the IRS comes in and goes over your records to make sure you're not a big ol' tax liar. Tax prep software like TurboTax will explain why it believes you're at risk of an audit (or not). Audits have declined almost yearly since 2010; there was a small upturn in 2019, but it was still fewer than 1% of returns. With the IRS budget slashed and its workforce reduced by 25% since January 2025, including in enforcement, there's barely enough people power to cover audits.

(Image: SergioVas/Shutterstock.com)

Some random audits still happen, but if you've never been audited before, it's unlikely to happen now. Just don't show any red flags when you file. The IRS, like everyone else, uses algorithms to identify who in your income bracket is unique. The IRS uses a screening system called Discriminant Inventory Function to flag anything that isn't "normal." Unique gets noticed. Noticed gets checked. Don't stand out.

Among the red flags you should avoid:

• Filing W-2 numbers that don't match what your employer sent to the IRS
• Not claiming cryptocurrency as a digital asset when you have reportable transactions
• Owning offshore accounts
• Amending your taxes a lot
• Filing for a lot less than what was reported on your W-2 (don't use your final paycheck to calculate your income for taxes; that's an automatic audit)
• Having a business that's always reporting losses (you should have a profit every three out of five years, or it will be re-classified as a hobby)
• Making a lot of math errors in your returns
• Publicly protesting paying taxes (then not paying) can be a quick way to a $5,000 penalty
• Unusually large deductions (such as claiming you gave half your income away to charity)

Most audits don't require a big meeting with the IRS in dark meeting rooms in grungy offices, as if you're in the cast of Everything, Everywhere, All At Once; 77% of audits happen via mail when the IRS requests extra records. The average amount you owe on such an audit is around $7,000, according to H&R Block. If auditors come to your office or home, or if you go to the IRS office, the average jumps to $65,000.

According to a Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) IRS report at Syracuse University, the IRS audits the poor (those who qualify for the Anti-Poverty Earned Income Tax Credit) far more than it audits the wealthy. It claims it's trying to improve in that regard.

At least one accountant claims a good way to avoid audits is to always file for an extension and submit tax paperwork in the height of summer, because auditors like to vacation, too. The AI checking all our returns in the coming years probably won't fall for that, but you can try.

7. Learn How the IRS Might Contact You

The IRS has rules about contacting citizens, starting with this prime directive: The IRS will never call you to demand immediate payment. It certainly won't ask for a credit or debit card number over the phone, and it would never ask for a gift card or wire transfer.

With the IRS, the first point of contact is snail mail.

If you get an email from the IRS, it is 100% a scam, especially if it has an attachment. Forward those emails to phishing@irs.gov or call the numbers below.

Sometimes, rarely, the IRS might call you. If you get a suspicious call, report it on the Treasury Inspector General's Report a Crime form or call 800-366-4484. (You can also use that number to report IRS employees who mistreat you.)

Curious about what a scam call sounds like? Listen to a sample IRS phone scam call recording.

8. Avoid Tax Scams

In 2015, there was a huge spike in refund theft—1.2 million fraudulent returns were filed, totaling $7.2 billion. The IRS and states began delaying refunds to verify IDs in response. That's become the norm, especially if you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit. Fraudsters love these refundable tax credits because even low-income filers qualify.

The IRS will accept only one return per Social Security number, so filing early means beating fraudsters to the punch. Getting rejected on an e-filed return this late in the season is the first sign you might be the victim of identity theft. Fixing that issue can be a true hassle. You have to start with a fraud report. (To stay safe, use tax filing software, log in with a unique username and a strong password, then activate multi-factor authentication to lock it all down.) We also have advice on avoiding tax scams, including AI ones.

The IRS fraud filters are stringent, catching even legit filers in their claws. In 2015, 40% of the 4.8 million returns the IRS flagged as fraudulent were not. But by the end of 2018, fraud was down 72%, according to the IRS. It issues an annual criminal investigation report; here are the reports for tax years 2024 and 2025. Take a look at the list of the IRS's "Dirty Dozen" top tax scams, going back over a decade. It changes a bit every year.

All this means that if it takes a while to get your refund, it might be for a good reason.

If you think you've been the victim of a scam, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 for individuals or 800-829-4933 for businesses and explain what happened.