CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is encouraging consumers to take their time filling out tax information in order to avoid any missteps as the Wednesday, July 15, filing deadline quickly approaches.
“Many people wait until the last minute to file their taxes,” Morrisey said. “Even with the deadline coming so soon, we strongly recommend taking your time rather than rushing and making a mistake, especially when dealing with such sensitive information."
Mistakes made now can turn into potential headaches down the road.
Therefore, the Attorney General advises consumers to follow some simple steps to avoid any last-minute mistakes:
- File electronically. It’s time efficient, safer and ensures a faster tax refund.
- Double check information.
- If mailing a tax return, double check the federal and state mailing addresses at IRS.gov and tax.wv.gov.
- Make sure to validate the legitimacy of any tax preparer or tax filing service.
- Shred any discarded documents that contain personal information. Doing so makes it harder for thieves to steal information.
- Be aware of scammers who claim to be IRS representatives as they request personal information. Scammers often make these requests with the threat of arrest or lawsuit, but consumers should not comply.