What you need to know about tax returns

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The tax filing season has officially begun, and a lot of people are now rushing to find out if they are eligible for tax returns.

As of January 30th, the Internal Revenue Service began processing tax returns, giving many western Massachusetts residents something to add to their to-do lists.

Bob Stewart of Longmeadow told 22News “I haven't gotten all my forms together, but I'll probably file next month.”

Tax preparers suggest filing your taxes online. But if you have more complex tax returns like home energy credits or education credits, you may not be able to file your taxes until mid-February or early-March.

However, that only applies to 10% of taxpayers. Most people should be able to file their taxes as soon as they receive their W-2 forms.

And this year, experts say pay a little more attention to details. Spending a few more minutes now may pay off in the long run.

Ray Maagero at Liberty Tax West Springfield said “Take a good hard look at your situation because most people had the 2% increase in their withholding, so they are saying, how am I going to recover that? So spend some extra time with tax professional and see if you can recover some money.”

Ihsan Salmal of Northampton “I had some amount in my mind, and the agent just told me whatever I was expecting. I'm really happy with it.”

Whether you have energy or education credits or not, the deadline is April 15th. And most tax professionals have extended hours to help people with their forms.