Tax Tips From H&R Block

With January nearly over and 1099s and W-2s arriving in the mail, it's time to get serious about those tax returns. Before you fire up the software or the mobile app or talk to your accountant, Kathy Pickering, executive director of H&R Block's Tax Institute, offers seven tips to help manage this stressful event:

Prepare Like Always
Tax season is a little strange this year. The deadline for filing tax returns with the Federal government and most states is April 18. However, Montana, Tennessee and Georgia still have due dates of April 15.

In addition, due to the late passage of the tax bill, the IRS says it needs until February 14 to be ready to accept itemized returns.