EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The open sign is turned on outside the H&R Block in East Stroudsburg. With the first filing day of the 2024 tax season nearly here, tax preparers have been helping taxpayers get their paperwork ready to file.
"There is always the delay of people waiting for their W-2s and Social Security, unemployment, all of that. That, for the most part, was released last week. So now this week, things are increasing, and of course, we expect the kickoff of peak to be next week with the center opening up," said Paul Davidson, the H&R Block franchise owner.
Davidson says there are some changes this year, including the energy-efficient home improvement credit, student loan interest credit, and electronic vehicle tax breaks.
But by far, the most talked about topic is the potential child tax credit increase.
"Some people are kind of thinking, maybe I'll sit back a little bit and wait until that gets decided. But I think that what would happen is that people who did file with a child tax credit, the information is with the IRS, they would just cut an additional refund. They already have the information, so there's no need to amend the return," said Davidson.
Whether you do your taxes online or in person, accountants say the best advice is not to wait until the last minute to file.
"We always like to get things in early so we're not pushed against the deadline," Davidson said. "People procrastinate, as we well know, and we discourage that because a lot of times not all the information's there, and we run out of time, and then that's a problem."
Davidson says people claiming refundable credits like the additional child care tax credit, earned income credit, and college credit should expect delays.
"They delay those refunds until about the middle of February, just to make sure that duplicate filings for the same dependents and the IRS want to make sure once and done type of thing," said Davidson.
You can file your taxes starting Monday, January 29. The filing deadline this tax season is Monday, April 15.