Few people actually look forward to tax season. But looking ahead at it can save you a headache later on, local accountants and tax professionals say.
"Our busiest time comes during the last week of January and the first two weeks of February," said Charles Parrish, owner of Fulton's H&R Block franchise. "It usually hits us when the E-File starts to open up, right around Jan. 23."
He said the sooner people start preparing, the better - especially for those who know they face a complicated filing process.
"Even if they don't have their W-2, we can get a jump-start," Parrish said.
Even if it's a while until someone plans on filing, he recommends starting to assemble necessary documents early on.
"A great reference point is just pull out last year's return," Parrish said. "It's usually a pretty good guide to what they need to do for this year."
He said there's one big change at the federal level this year that might affect Callaway County residents.
"The big story for this year relates to the tax act that passed last year," Parrish said. "One provision was delays of refunds for certain credits: the earned income tax credit and child tax credit. That hits a large percentage - better than half - of early filers."
He said these credits have been delayed until mid-February this year, which might cause a financial pinch for people who are waiting on the payouts to cover major expenses.
Also notable, the filing deadline has been extended to April 18, because April 15 falls on a weekend.
For people looking for advice, he recommends calling professionals like H&R Block, but there are online resources, too. IRS.gov has extensive information.
"There's also some good forums," Parrish said. "You're not getting legal advice but it can help point people in the right direction."
He cautions against deviating too far from IRS recommendations based on online advice, though.