A January Tax Season Refresher
January is always a fresh start and in the tax world, it’s also a great time for some reminders. Last January, I covered a few topics that are still very relevant. As we head into another filing season, here’s a quick refresher on some of those key points, plus one important IRS update.
Understanding Your IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
If you’ve ever received a six-digit number from the IRS and weren’t quite sure what to do with it, this is one you don’t want to overlook.
An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is issued by the IRS to help prevent someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. Once you’re enrolled or assigned an IP PIN, the IRS requires it on your tax return every year.
A few important reminders:
The IRS issues a new IP PIN each year
The IRS will never call, text, or email you asking for your IP PIN
Missing or lost IP PINs can delay e-filing
If this applies to you, please be sure to include your IP PIN with your tax documents. If you want to request an IP PIN or need more details about the IP PIN, see my prior post, Understanding the IRS Identity Protection PIN.
Your Tax Organizer is Your Friend
That annual tax organizer isn’t just a formality — it’s an effective tool for a smooth tax preparation process.
The organizer helps:
Capture information that doesn’t appear on tax forms
Flag changes from prior years
Reduce follow-up questions (which means fewer emails and fewer delays)
Spending a little extra time reviewing and completing the organizer often saves time overall and helps ensure nothing important is missed. For a refresher on how to use it effectively, see: Get Organized, Save Time: A Guide to Your Tax Organizer.
Lose the Staples
Most of my clients now upload documents through the secure client portal (thank you!), which makes this a non-issue. For the roughly one-third who still submit paper documents, this tip remains relevant.
Staples, paper clips, binders, and heavily bundled packets slow down scanning and processing. While the organization is appreciated, loose documents are much easier to handle.
Best practice for paper submissions:
Avoid stapling altogether
Group documents by type (W-2s, 1099s, etc.)
Keep multi-page documents together without permanently binding them, but go easy on the paper clips
More details on this topic can be found here: Why Staples and Tax Documents Shouldn’t Mix.
Important Update: IRS Paper Tax Refund Checks Are Phasing Out
The IRS continues to move toward electronic payments to protect taxpayers and speed up refunds. Per an Executive Order signed in March 2025, the IRS began the phase out of paper tax refund checks beginning on September 30, 2025.
Direct deposit is now the fastest, safest, and most reliable way to receive your refund. It reduces mail delays, lowers the risk of fraud, and generally gets money into your account sooner.
If you are due a tax refund and haven’t provided direct deposit information, the IRS will send a letter to you requesting your banking information and providing information on how to request an exception. Obviously, this back and forth will increase the time it takes for your refund to be processed.
To avoid delays:
Make sure your banking information is current and accurate (review and update or add banking information on your tax organizer)
Consider direct deposit even if you’ve received paper checks in the past
Be cautious of scams—IRS communications about payments are a favorite target for fraudsters
One More Thing
A little organization now can save a lot of time and stress (for all of us) later in tax season. If anything changed for you since last year – new job, new investment, new dependents, new address, or anything that makes you say “I should probably mention this” – let’s address it sooner rather than later.
Here’s to a smooth (and staple-free) tax season!