Beat the clock and file your taxes before April 18 – National Consumers League

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The April 18 income tax filing deadline is quickly approaching, and millions of consumers (almost one in seven Americans!) have yet to file their tax returns. If you are one of these last-minute filers, it can be a stressful time of year. But, rushing to complete a last-minute return can lead to rash decisions about tax preparation or to costly mistakes, which will delay your refund.

Here’s the good news: we have tips to help your complete their taxes on time — or get more time if needed. Filing doesn’t need to be a hassle. Use these tips to avoid many common filing errors and costly IRS penalties. Even if you don’t owe anything, missing the deadline can stall your refund check and make you more susceptible to tax identity fraud.

  1. Take advantage of free tax preparation help. Skip the high-cost tax preparation outfits and, instead, take advantage of free tax preparation assistance from Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs in your community. VITA programs are staffed by IRS-certified volunteers, but appointments are filling up, so act quickly. Find a local VITA site by visiting IRS.gov/VITA.

  2. Use Free File to e-file. More than 70 percent of all taxpayers qualify for IRS Free File. Consumers who make up to $64,000 per year can take advantage of the program, which allows the use of free, name-brand tax filing software from some of the biggest names in the tax prep business. Visit IRS.gov/FreeFile to learn more.

  3. File sooner rather than later. Tax identity fraud is one of the fastest growing types of scams, impacting thousands of Americans each year. Filing as soon as possible is the fastest way to reduce the risk of an identity thief beating you to your return.

  4. Watch out for tax preparer scams. Don’t let tax preparation fraud become another Tax Day headache. Be wary of fraudsters trying to steal your money and identity this tax season by making sure your preparer is qualified. Here is a guide to help you spot and find an honest preparer.

  5. Make sure you are filing an accurate return. Even if you are relying on software or a professional, make sure to double check everything for accuracy. Review all the numbers entered and make sure they are correct. Confirm that you have the right bank routing and account numbers. If you are filing a paper return, make sure everything is clear and easy to read. Remember, you — not your tax preparer — are responsible for any errors on your return.

If you’re going to miss the deadline, request a filing extension. According to the IRS, taxpayers who cannot meet the April 18 deadline can easily request a filing extension, which will prevent late-filing penalties. You can do this through Free File, or by filing Form 4868. But keep in mind that while an extension grants additional time to file, tax payments are still due on April 18.

NCL statement in opposition of Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch – National Consumers League

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April 04, 2017

Media contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and labor advocacy organization, has announced its opposition to the confirmation of President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch, citing concerning decisions he made as a federal judge that seem to always favor large corporations over the interests of workers and consumers.

“Indeed, Judge Gorsuch has displayed a callousness toward workers and consumers,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “In one example, Gorsuch supported the firing of a truck driver who was forced to leave his broken down truck in order to avoid freezing to death in subzero weather after calling for help to no avail. In another case, in which an employee was killed by electrocution and the company had not given him full job safety training, OSHA decided the employer failed to properly train its worker, and fined the employer. Judge Gorsuch disagreed with the fine. His argument: that the case was an example of a health-and-safety watchdog agency having too much power.”

On consumer issues, Gorsuch ruled against a patient who was severely injured by a medical implant that was supposed to help her recover from spinal surgery. When the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was concerned that strong, small magnets in products were causing serious injury to kids who swallowed them and created regulations to reduce the risk, Judge Gorsuch sided with the manufacturer of the magnets, ruling that the CPSC could not regulate the products, in spite of the Commission’s evidence that kids were at risk.

Finally, Judge Gorsuch’s opinions have suggested that he fully supports the right of corporations to force employees and consumers who have been harmed into arbitration—through clauses in the “fine print” of lengthy contracts—preventing them from taking their cases to court. Gorsuch wrote that arbitration clauses should be enforced even when the parties don’t agree on the details of the arbitration. “There is significant evidence that arbitration in these situations almost always favors the employer or corporation, because the ordinary safeguards of litigating a case in court are not available,” said Greenberg.

Former President Barack Obama outlined what he believed made a person qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and NCL agrees that fine academic credentials are not enough.

Obama noted the importance of having Justices with “experience that suggests he or she views the law not only as an intellectual exercise, but also grasps the way it affects the daily reality of people’s lives in a big, complicated democracy, and in rapidly changing times.”

“In both his labor and consumer decisions, Judge Neil Gorsuch fails the test of sympathizing with—and protecting the rights of—the average worker and consumer,” said Greenberg. “For these reasons, the National Consumers League opposes the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.