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DOR > About Us > Resources > Tax Talk Blog > Top three filing errors Top three filing errors

March 3, 2009

Don’t you think numbers are important, and can even be fun? For instance, today – 03/03/09 – is referred to as cube day in the math community. And, tomorrow is like a command: March forth!

Speaking of having fun with numbers, we used to have a David Letterman-style Top 10 Filing Errors list that didn’t change much over the years.  But, taxpayers have found smarter ways to file in recent years, and we’ve had to reduce our top-ten list to a list of three.

The main reason for our list reduction is due to electronic filing. Last year, more than 61 percent of Indiana filers filed using the fed-state program, or the state’s I-File online filing tool. In fact, 99 percent of electronically filed returns are accurate – meaning they are error free!

But we still have paper filers, and up to 20 percent of paper-filed returns are inaccurate – meaning we still get to hang on to a top-three list for a little while longer.

So, without further adieu (drum roll, please), the top three filing errors are:

  1. Math errors. Even with a calculator, it’s easy to miss a step, and to add where we should have subtracted, or to transpose some numbers when writing them down.
  1. Claiming more deductions and credits than one is entitled to. For example, $3,000 is the most you can claim as a renter’s deduction; anyone claiming more than that has made an error.

And, the number one filing error is:

  1. Forgotten attachments! If you forget that W-2, or a Schedule 1 to support a renter’s deduction or a homeowner’s property tax deduction, we’ll have to send a letter requesting that information. So much for a quick refund!

So how does electronic filing reduce errors? Well, here’s another top-three list:

  1. Electronic filing pretty much eliminates math errors,
  2. It ensures your deductions and credits are limited to the allowable amounts, and
  3. It will make sure all necessary information is electronically “attached.”

If you haven’t gotten onto the electronic-filing wagon yet, and breathing easier when you file that annual return, then here’s how to get started.  

You may be eligible to file your federal taxes online for free. Check out Free File on the IRS Web site for more information. And you can file your state tax return online for free regardless of your income or filing status. Simply go to I-File after you’ve completed your federal tax return to take advantage of our free, fast and friendly online filing tool.

Reducing errors benefits all of us – tax returns filed correctly the first time cost less to process, and refunds get issued quicker. So, we hope in the next few years that error list will go away, and we’ll have to find another way to have fun.

If you would like to submit a question or topic suggestions, please send those to feedback@dor.in.gov.