Tax season is stressful enough, but avoidable mistakes can turn a routine filing into an expensive headache.

With Tax Day just 10 days away, even small errors can mean the difference between a smooth refund and frustrating delays. In some cases, they can even trigger IRS notices or unexpected penalties.

Here are five common filing missteps to watch out for and how to avoid them:

1. Choosing the wrong filing status

Your filing status is one of the most important choices on your tax return because it helps determine your tax rate, your standard deduction and which credits you may be eligible to claim. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up paying more than you owe, getting a smaller refund or triggering delays if the IRS flags the return for review.

For many taxpayers, the confusion comes from life changes that happened during the year, like getting married or divorced, having a child, moving in with a partner, supporting an aging parent or sharing custody. Even if your situation feels straightforward, the IRS rules can be less intuitive, especially for taxpayers who aren’t sure whether they qualify as «head of household» or whether they can still file as «qualifying surviving spouse» after a spouse has died.

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Head of household, in particular, can be costly to get wrong. It typically comes with a larger standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as single – but it has strict requirements tied to paying more than half the cost of keeping up a home and having a qualifying dependent. If you don’t meet the rules and claim it anyway, you may have to pay back tax benefits later, plus penalties and interest.

When in doubt, the IRS has an online filing-status tool, and many tax software programs will walk you through the questions to help you choose the right category.

2. Leaving credits on the table

A woman preparing her taxes. (Kurt «CyberGuy» Knutsson)

One of the biggest and most expensive tax-season mistakes is failing to claim every credit or deduction you qualify for. That can mean a smaller refund or a higher bill.

«I think the top mistake people make is not fully understanding or taking the time to really research what are all the different deductions and the ways that you can put a little bit of extra money in your pocket that are available to you,» said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.

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Sweeney also warned taxpayers not to rely on last year’s return as a blueprint for filing because of recent changes to the tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

«This would be a good year given that there are these changes to the tax code, to make sure not to assume that what you did last year will convey over to this year. Really take a fresh look at your tax situation and see if there’s money that you’re leaving on the table,» he said.

3. Missing key deadlines

A couple is seen going over tax paperwork. (iStock)

An extension can buy you time to file your paperwork, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay. For most taxpayers, the IRS deadline to pay what you owe is April 15, 2026 – even if you request an extension to file later.

«Remember that even if you claim an extension, the money is owed on April 15,» said Mike Faulkender, co-chair of American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute.

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Faulkender, a former Treasury official and IRS commissioner, said taxpayers who need more time should still estimate their bill and pay by the filing deadline to help avoid added costs.

«You have to actually send in a check or have the payment deducted from your account by the filing deadline,» he said.

If you can’t pay in full by April 15, pay what you can to help limit penalties and interest on top of your tax bill.

4. Entering bank account details incorrectly

If you choose direct deposit for your refund, the IRS relies on the routing and account numbers you provide. One wrong digit can lead to delays. 

If you pay what you owe by direct debit, incorrect banking details can also lead to a rejected payment and potentially result in penalties and interest.

5. Filing before all your tax forms arrive

Timing matters when it comes to filing your taxes. Submitting your return before you’ve received all your key paperwork, like W-2s or 1099s, can lead to errors, missing income or a return you have to amend later.

Faulkender said there’s a simple way to double-check what’s been reported under your name before you file. 

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«One of the things that I learned last year when I was IRS commissioner, was that if you create an account on irs.gov, you can see everything that’s been filed under your tax ID,» he said. 

«We’re supposed to receive all of our W-2s and our 1099 forms in the mail in January and February. But if you’re missing one, or you misplaced it rather than requesting it again, you can actually go and see what was filed under your taxpayer identification number if you create an account on IRS.gov.» 

Filing late can also cost you extra money, especially if you owe. The goal is to wait until you have what you need, then file as soon as you’re ready.

La abogada y exdiputada española, Macarena Olona, impartirá una formación especializada a los oficiales de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) de El Salvador, centrada en el sistema de seguridad implementado en España. Olona, reconocida por su trayectoria en la política y el derecho, anunció su participación a través de sus redes sociales, donde explicó que pasará una semana en la academia policial salvadoreña con el objetivo de compartir conocimientos y experiencias adquiridas durante su desempeño en casos judiciales relevantes en su país. Su visita se enmarca en una colaboración que busca fortalecer los vínculos entre ambas naciones en materia de seguridad y justicia.

Olona subrayó que, en El Salvador, no existe la figura del Abogado del Estado como en España, por lo que la formación incluirá el análisis de casos prácticos en los que ella ha defendido a miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad españolas. Esta iniciativa, según detalló, será no remunerada y responde a su interés personal por aprender de las experiencias salvadoreñas en la lucha contra el crimen organizado. “Aunque seré la profesora, el privilegio es todo lo que yo voy a aprender de ellos”, expresó Olona, quien añadió que la formación representa una oportunidad de intercambio entre ambos modelos de seguridad.

La exdiputada destacó la creación del “Escudo de las Américas”, una alianza internacional nacida en El Salvador para combatir el crimen organizado, y elogió las políticas impulsadas por el presidente Nayib Bukele en materia de seguridad ciudadana. En publicaciones previas, Olona ha manifestado su admiración por la transformación del país centroamericano, al que calificó como ejemplo en la reducción de la violencia y la mejora de la seguridad pública. Durante sus estancias en El Salvador, la abogada ha mantenido reunidos con autoridades locales y ha visitado centros penales de máxima seguridad, incluido el Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), para conocer de cerca el modelo salvadoreño.

Macarena Olona, nacida en Alicante en 1979, ejerció como abogada del Estado y fue diputada por el partido Vox en el Congreso de los Diputados durante las legislaturas XIII y XIV, así como candidata a la presidencia de la Junta de Andalucía en 2022. Tras dejar el partido y la política activa, fundó en 2023 la agrupación “Caminando Juntos”, con la que se presentó a las elecciones generales de ese año. En la actualidad, Olona ha retomado su labor como abogada del Estado en la Audiencia Nacional, aunque mantiene su interés por la cooperación internacional, especialmente en América Latina.

En una entrevista reciente, Olona señaló su compromiso con la construcción de sociedades más seguras y reconoció la influencia del denominado “Modelo Bukele” en su visión sobre la seguridad pública. “Lucho por España desde El Salvador, lucho por El Salvador desde España”, afirmó en una declaración que refleja su apuesta por el intercambio de buenas prácticas entre ambos países.

La visita de Olona coincide con un momento de estrechamiento de lazos entre España y El Salvador en materia de seguridad y justicia. Según la exdiputada, este tipo de intercambios resultan fundamentales para enfrentar desafíos comunes como el crimen organizado transnacional. Además, su presencia refuerza la proyección internacional del modelo salvadoreño, que ha sido objeto de debate y análisis en distintos foros internacionales.

Durante la semana de formación, los elementos de la PNC tendrán la oportunidad de conocer, de la mano de Olona, aspectos legales y operativos del sistema español, así como herramientas jurídicas utilizadas para la defensa de los cuerpos de seguridad y la persecución del delito. La exdiputada, que en sus redes sociales compartió una ilustración inspirada en el escudo salvadoreño, reiteró su motivación de contribuir al fortalecimiento de la seguridad en la región.

The Trump administration filed an emergency motion to restore White House ballroom reconstruction, warning «time is of the essence» and saying President Donald Trump and his staff’s «security and safety» are at risk by the judge’s «untenable» ruling.

In the filing, Justice Department lawyers said the partially built project includes «deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures» that must be completed quickly to protect sensitive construction and security features from exposure.

«This order is untenable and must be stayed in that the building is under construction, with deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures, already built, and ready to receive heavily fortified, for security reasons, steel, bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass, and drone proof roofing materials, which must be finished quickly, and not allowed to be exposed to the conditions and elements of an open construction site,» Friday night’s motion urges.

«Time is of the essence!»

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The appeal asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stay U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s order halting the project, which Leon ruled cannot proceed without congressional approval.

The administration argues the judge himself acknowledged that work needed to secure the White House grounds and protect the president and staff can continue.

«In granting this shocking, unprecedented, and improper injunction, one that could have been sought long ago, prior to the start of construction (in that there was full knowledge, through large scale media attention and publicity, that the White House ballroom was planned to be built, and there would have been a great deal of time for them to object, long before the start of construction, even though their objection would likewise have been baseless and frivolous), the district court took the erroneous, sweeping view that Congress did not authorize the ballroom construction at the White House — yet correctly allows construction ‘necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff,’» the DOJ argued.

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Also, the lawyers wrote, the judge ignored the administration’s overtures to have him visit the site to see the privately funded $400 million project.

«The judge was given an opportunity to see the construction taking place at the site, but surprisingly, never responded to our invitation,» Trump Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate wrote.

Preservationists challenging the construction say the administration unlawfully bypassed federal review and authorization requirements, but the DOJ rejected the judge’s claims that congressional approval is needed for a privately funded ballroom.

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A rendering of the proposed White House ballroom shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Feb. 3, 2025. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

«For decades, Congress has vested the President with overlapping statutory authorities that allow the President to make the improvements he deems necessary to White House grounds and structures,» Shumate wrote. «Yet, a district judge ordered the President to halt ongoing reconstruction of the East Wing of the White House by April 14, leaving a massive excavation and structurally completed site adjacent to the now open and exposed Executive Mansion and threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.»

«Almost 400 Million Dollars of private donations and contributions (No taxpayer dollars are being used to build this long sought, and desperately needed, ballroom!) have already been committed, or spent, in the purchase of heavy, large scale, and other types of building materials. The path to this injunction confirms its unfairness, untenability, and danger to the White House and the people working and living within its walls,» he added.

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A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the new ballroom. (White House)

The new motion filed by the National Park Service said the federal district court lacks the constitutional authority «to entertain this suit, which rests on a single pedestrian’s subjective architectural feelings.»

The initial lawsuit against the construction was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization, alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing and launched construction on the new building.

Friday’s motion argues the claims are «legally baseless» and «no Trust member has standing.»

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A McCrery Architects rendering provided by the White House of the new ballroom. (White House)

«The President has complete authority to renovate the White House,» Shumate concluded.

The East Wing was originally built in 1902 and expanded four decades later during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency.

The ballroom is part of Trump’s broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core, which also includes plans for a 250-foot (76-meter) arch and changes at the Trump Kennedy Center.

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«I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground,» Trump wrote Thursday night on Truth Social.

«I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul, known as an extraordinarily difficult vote, voted a strong YES,» Trump said. «For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for Grand Parties, State Visits, and even, in the Modern Day, Inaugurations.»

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«I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project, which is on time and under budget, underway,» the president added. «When completed, it will be the Greatest and Most Beautiful Ballroom of its kind anywhere in the World, and a fabulous complement to our Beautiful and Storied White House!»

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Trump has lamented legal challenges to his administration’s agenda, rebuking «rogue judges» siding with «baseless» Democrat lawyers and lawsuits.

«In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval,» Trump wrote this week on Truth Social. «He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House.»

Reuters contributed to this report.