This year’s deadline to file and pay federal income taxes has passed for most people. If a taxpayer is due a refund, there is no penalty for filing late. However, those who owe and missed the deadline without requesting an extension should file quickly to limit penalties and interest.

Here are some tips for taxpayers handling some of the most common after-tax-day issues.

Check refund status
Taxpayers can check on their refund using the Where's My Refund? tool. It is available on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app. To use this tool, taxpayers need their Social Security number or ITIN, tax filing status and the exact amount of the refund claimed on their tax return. The tool updates once daily, so there's no need to check more often. Taxpayers without access to a computer can call 800-829-1954.

Check withholding
All taxpayers are encouraged to check their withholding using the Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov. This will help them make sure their employers are withholding the right amount of tax from their paychecks. Doing this now will help avoid an unexpected amount due and possibly a penalty when they prepare and file their taxes next year.
Taxpayers can use the results from the Estimator to help complete a new Form W-4 and adjust their income tax withholding with their employer. Taxpayers who receive pension income can use the results to complete a Form W-4P and submit to their payer.

Review payment options
Taxpayers who owe taxes can review all payment options online. These include:

• Paying their taxes owed or making a partial payment through their Online Account or with IRS Direct Pay
• Paying by debit card, credit card or digital wallet
• Applying online for a payment plan

​Carefully consider if they need to amend a tax return
After filing their tax return, taxpayers may find they made an error or forgot to enter something on it. The IRS strongly recommends taxpayers use the Interactive Tax Assistant, Should I File an Amended Return? to help determine if they should correct an error or make other changes to the tax return they already filed.

Common errors taxpayers should fix are those made about filing status, income, deductions, and credits. Taxpayers usually do not need to file an amended return to fix a math error or if they forgot to attach a form or schedule. Normally, the IRS will correct the math error and notify the taxpayer by mail. Similarly, the agency will send a letter requesting any missing forms or schedules.

Taxpayers expecting a refund should not file an amended return before their original return has been processed

The IRS issues most refunds in fewer than 21 days for taxpayers who filed electronically and chose direct deposit. However, some returns have errors or need more review and may take longer to process.

Things that can delay a refund:

• The return has errors, is incomplete or is affected by identity theft or fraud.
• The return needs a correction to the child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amount.
• The return has a claim filed for an earned income tax credit, additional child tax credit, or includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation.
• The time it takes a taxpayer's bank or credit union to post the refund to the taxpayer's account.

The IRS will contact taxpayers by mail if it needs more information to process their return.

As we hit the deadline date for filing your taxes, ​​we needed to give you some reminders, directly from the IRS

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers the deadline to file and pay tax owed for most individual income tax returns is today, Monday, April 18. The agency wants last-minute filers to know tax help is available to file a tax return, request an extension or make a payment, 24 hours a day on IRS.gov.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to file electronically because tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and reduces tax return errors by prompting taxpayers for missing information. The fastest way to receive a refund is to file electronically and use direct deposit.

IRS Free File is available to any person or family with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $73,000 or less in 2021. Leading tax software providers make their online products available for free. Taxpayers can use IRS Free File to claim the remaining amount of their Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and other important credits. IRS Free File Fillable Forms is available to anyone who is comfortable preparing their own tax return - so there is a free option for everyone.

Online Account provides information to help file an accurate return, including Advance Child Tax Credit and Economic Impact Payment amounts, Adjusted Gross Income amounts from last year’s tax return, estimated tax payment amounts and refunds applied as a credit.

Get a 6-month extension to file
The IRS estimates 15 million taxpayers will request an extension of time to file and the easiest way to request an extension to file is using IRS Free File. In a matter of minutes, anyone can request an extension until October 17, using Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. An extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay, however, and taxpayers must estimate their tax liability on this form and pay any amount due by the April 18 filing deadline to avoid penalties and interest.

Taxpayers can also request more time by paying all or part of their estimated income tax due and indicate that the payment is for an extension. They can do this using Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or a debit, credit card or digital wallet. This way they don’t have to file a separate extension form and will receive a confirmation number for their records.

IRS Form 4868 can also be downloaded from IRS.gov/forms, completed and addressed to the correct IRS office, and must be postmarked by the filing deadline.

Who automatically has more time to file?
The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in areas covered by Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster declarations. Deadlines to file tax returns and make tax payments are extended for affected taxpayers in certain areas of Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky and Tennessee until May 16, 2022, and for Puerto Rico until June 15, 2022. For details on all available relief, visit the Around the Nation page on IRS.gov.

Special rules may apply for some military personnel serving in a combat zone or a qualified hazardous duty area. This also applies to individuals serving in the combat zone in support of the U.S. Armed Forces. A complete list of designated combat zone localities can be found in Publication 3, Armed Forces’ Tax Guide, available on IRS.gov. U.S. citizens and resident aliens living outside the United States have until June 15, 2022, to file their 2021 tax returns and pay any tax due.

$1.5 billion in unclaimed 2018 refunds
The IRS estimates 1.5 million taxpayers did not file a 2018 tax return to claim tax refunds worth more than $1.5 billion. The three-year window of opportunity to claim a 2018 tax refund closes April 18, 2022, for most taxpayers. If they do not file a 2018 tax return by April 18, 2022, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. The law requires taxpayers to properly address, mail and ensure the 2018 tax return is postmarked by that date.

Other April 18 deadlines
April 18 is also the deadline to make 2021 contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). Contributions can be made to a traditional or Roth IRA until the filing due date, April 18, but must be designated for 2021 to the financial institution. For more information, see Retirement Plans FAQs Regarding IRAs or Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs).
Employment taxes are due April 18 for household employees including housekeepers, maids, babysitters, gardeners and others who work in or around a private residence as an employee if they were paid $2,300. For more information, see Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide.

The deadline to submit 2021 tax returns or an extension to file and pay tax owed this year falls on April 18, instead of April 15, because of the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia. Taxpayers in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 19, 2022, to file their returns due to the Patriots' Day holiday in those states.

The first quarter estimated tax payment for 2022 is also due on April 18. Taxpayers are encouraged to check their withholding for 2022 after they’ve filed their 2021 tax return. It can protect against having too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at tax time next year. It can also help taxpayers adjust their tax withheld up front, so taxpayers receive a bigger paycheck and smaller refund at tax time.

a)       How much do you want to make this year (Total)?
 
                            ________________________      (Example: $100, 000)
 
b)       What percent of that would you like to come from Referrals? 
 
                            ________________%                  (Example: 10%)
 

1. What is the actual amount you want to receive from Referrals?

 
                            ________________                     (Example: $10,000)
                   (Answer from a x Answer from b)
 
d)       How much do you make on your average sale?
 
                           ________________________      (Example: $1000 per sale ave.)
 
e)       How many referrals need to turn into business to achieve this?
 
                            _______________________        (Example: 10 Referrals)
                          (Answer from c / Answer from d)
 
f)         What is your approximate Close ratio?  

                            _________________________% (Example: 50%)
 
g)       How many total referrals do you need to get to get close to your goals?
         
                           ________________________      (Example: 25+)
                        (Answer from e x 2.5 answer from f)
 
h)       How many referrals do you need to give?
         
                            ______________________          (Example: 25+)
                     (Greater then or equal to the answer from g)
 
Now use the chart to have your goals for each month. (Below)
 
Power Partner Appointments   (Average 2 per week)

Below are relationship-building exercises that are to be used during the One on One Networking Appointments. These exercises may be used as often as needed. The purpose of the exercise is to give referral partners specific questions to ask each other while meeting one on One. This will enable them to get to know one another better. Of course, you might want to take notes during the exercise so that they can build a profile on your referral partners.

When networking, you should also try to find out as much information from as many referral partners as possible during the appointment. I hope this exercise will not only make your Networking appointments educational, but fun as well.

Great questions to ask each other:

1. What are your three best clients?
2. What is the most common misconception about your business?
3. What do you enjoy most about your profession?
4. Do you have children, and if so how many? What are their ages and interests?
5. How did you find out about BNI and why did you decide to join?
6. Do you have any hobbies, interests, or sports you are involved in?
7. Are you a member of a professional association? If so, which one? What does it mean to you to be a member and what has it done for you?
8. What is the one job or client that sticks out in your mind and why?
9. How did your past experiences lead you to the profession you are in today?
10. If you had to start all over again, what would you do differently in your career?