Avoid these mistakes to get your refund on time

That will likely trigger an IRS CP2000 Notice, a letter telling you the income you reported on your return doesn’t match what the IRS has on file. The notice will propose changes to your

return based on the agency’s files and ask you to pay additional taxes, or let you know that the IRS is reducing your refund. You’ll have to complete and sign a response form saying that

you either agree with the IRS’s changes or disagree, in which case you’ll need to provide documentation to support your case. While all this is going on, the IRS is sitting on your refund.

Even if you have all your 1099s and W-2s, carefully check them and other year-end statements (such as a 1099-INT 1099-R from your bank, brokerage or retirement plan provider) to ensure there

are no errors. If you do find a mistake, contact the employer, payer or issuing agency right away and request a corrected form. If an employer or financial institution doesn’t respond to

your request for a corrected form by the end of February, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and ask them to contact the employer or payer for you. If that doesn’t work, use Form 4852 to send

estimated W-2 or 1099-R amounts to the IRS. Again, all this takes time and ultimately delays your tax refund. 4. MAKING ERRORS ON YOUR 1040 If the IRS discovers a potential mistake when it’s

processing your return, it takes additional time to review the error and make adjustments if necessary. This delay in processing can push back your refund. The more complicated the error,

the longer the potential delay. However, even simple mistakes can slow your refund. That’s why it’s important to carefully review your return before submitting it. That goes for returns

prepared by a tax professional, too. What types of blunders can delay the processing of your return and stall your refund? The IRS provides a list of common errors that can slow things

down, including: * Name, address or other important information isn’t legible. * Social Security numbers are missing or incorrect. * Filing status is incorrect or more than one box is

checked. * Standard deduction amount doesn’t fit your filing status. * Information about dependents is absent or wrong. * Math is incorrect. * Bank routing and account numbers are missing

or incorrect. * Tax deductions or credits are claimed on the wrong line. * Necessary forms or schedules are missing. * Tax table isn’t used properly (for example, a wrong column is

used). * Signature or filing date are missing. 5. MAILING YOUR RETURN TO THE WRONG IRS PROCESSING CENTER Even if your tax return is perfect, you won’t get your refund as quickly as

possible if you mail your paper return to the wrong address. There are three different IRS processing centers that handle returns that show a refund. If you send a paper return to the wrong

one, it's going to cause processing delays. Not putting enough postage on the envelope can slow things down, too. Video: Understanding Your 2024 Income Tax _Need help with your tax

return? Try AARP's __tax calculator__, or visit __AARP Foundation Tax-Aide__ to learn about free tax prep services by 30,000 volunteers nationwide._​