Deadline to file taxes is three weeks away

JACKSON, Tenn. — The clock is ticking. Taxes are due by April 18.

“Definitely need to go ahead and start that now,” Morgan Tax Services office manager Kimberly Bills said. “We’re constantly waiting on people or working on drop-offs all the time.”

If you have not filed yet, Bills says to not panic. She said gather your income information, plus donations, mortgage, insurance and childcare spending. “If you’re able to itemize, definitely all of that can definitely add up.”

The United Way of West Tennessee Marketing Director Lanie Sewell said they process taxes free of charge for families who make less than $56,000 a year. Sewell said they have 17 volunteers certified to process returns.

“Had about 200 appointments again this year and those were all booked by Feb. 1,” Sewell said.

Sewell said it is first come, first serve. If you cannot get in, she recommended myfreetaxes.com. “It’ll walk you through the process step by step, and it’s really simple,” she said. “There are a number of ways you can get those done without paying for it.”

Bills said she sees a lot of identify theft and encourages people to protect their information when filing. “Make sure that you can trust the people that you’re dealing with cause they have your social and all your private information,” she said.

If you cannot make the deadline, tax experts say you can always file for an extension. If you cannot pay your taxes all at once, you can set up a payment plan with the Internal Revenue Service.