Contributed by the Illinois CPA Society.
Tax Day will be here in a hurry now that tax season is officially underway. As of Jan. 26, 2026, the IRS began accepting and processing tax returns for the 2025 tax year, and more than 164 million individual tax returns are expected to be filed by the April 15, 2026, deadline.
No matter if you entrust your tax return to a CPA—a certified public accountant—or use tax preparation software to file yourself, here are five tips that should make tax season a little less taxing.
- Make your last-minute savings contributions: The deadline for making tax-deductible contributions to an individual retirement account (IRA) or health savings account (HSA) are the same as the tax filing deadline of April 15, 2026. However, if you want to deduct your IRA or HSA contribution from your taxable income, you’ll need to do so before you file your tax returns.
- Mind your investments: As tax forms start pouring in, it can be easy to forget about some of your taxable investments that may not be reported on various 1099 forms until February or March. If you think a form may be coming, lost, or delayed in the mail, you can likely log into your financial institution’s website to see when forms will be issued and download any applicable tax forms for the 2025 tax year.
- Determine if itemizing deductions makes sense: With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act temporarily raising the state and local tax deduction limit to $40,000 for tax years 2025-2029, many taxpayers will need to reassess whether itemizing their deductions or taking the standard deduction is best for them. For the 2025 tax year, your itemized deductions would need to be greater than the standard deduction amount of $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married couples filing jointly, or $23,625 for heads of household for itemizing to be beneficial. For most taxpayers, the largest expenditures for itemization include state and local taxes (including property taxes), mortgage interest, charitable giving, and qualifying medical expenses. If these items warrant itemizing your deductions, you’ll know to gather the supporting forms and documentation.
- Stay organized: Making a checklist of all the tax forms you anticipate receiving, the deductions you intend to take, and then keeping those forms and supporting documentation in a file or organizer are the easiest ways to simplify your paper chase and ensure everything is accounted for. Once all your forms and documents are compiled, you’ll be ready to start filing your federal and state tax returns. If you use a CPA, they’ll likely have checklists and organizers ready for you. Reviewing your tax forms and returns with your CPA is also a great way to ensure you’re making tax-efficient financial decisions.
- File Early: With the IRS anticipating more than 164 million individual tax returns will be filed by the April 15, 2026, deadline, getting an early start on preparing and filing yours is a smart strategy and can help protect you from tax scams like fraudulent returns being filed in your name. Additionally, taxpayers are encouraged to file early to avoid late tax returns or IRS penalties. For those that tend to file by mail and wait until the last minute, be aware that as of Dec. 24, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service updated its postmark rule—moving forward, the postmark date on mail will be the date the mail is processed by the postal facility, not the date when the mail is dropped off in a mailbox. This means, taxpayers dropping off their tax returns in a mailbox on April 15, 2026, risk late tax returns and IRS penalties.
Setting yourself up for a frustration-free tax season shouldn’t be overlooked. Most tax forms will be delivered from January through February, although some forms may arrive later into March. The deadline for filing individual tax returns is April 15, 2026, which is also the deadline for requesting a six-month filing extension. Remember, however, an extension only provides additional time to file a return, and any anticipated tax payments are still due on April 15.
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Tags: 2026 tax refund, Income Taxes, IRS, Taxes
