NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s April 13, and if you haven\u2019t filed your taxes<\/a> yet, you\u2019re not alone \u2014 but waiting until the last minute could be one of the most expensive financial habits you have.<\/p>\n The difference comes down to timing. Early filers tend to receive refunds weeks sooner and are less likely to rush into errors or miss out on credits. That extra time \u2014 and cash \u2014 can be used to pay off bills, build savings, or earn returns, creating small financial gains that add up significantly over the course of a lifetime.<\/p>\n “<\/i>I would simply say your tax return is your single largest financial transaction each year and you’ll be developing it for the next 30, 40, 50, and in some cases, 60 or more years,” Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n TAX DAY IS THIS WEEK: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Filing early can also help protect against identity theft by locking in your return.<\/span> (PixelsEffect\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “It’s probably a good idea to start to develop some best practices, one of which is not to wait to the last minute to start trying to do your tax return,” he added.<\/p>\n Filing early<\/a> won\u2019t change how much you owe, but it can shape what you do with your money next. Getting a refund sooner gives taxpayers more time to pay down high-interest debt, build emergency savings or invest \u2014 moves that can compound over time.<\/p>\n AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700, TREASURY SAYS, TOUTING NEW TRUMP TAX BREAKS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The IRS still requires payment by April 15, even if you file for an extension.<\/span> (Kayla Bartkowski\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The IRS issues more than 100 million refunds<\/a> each year, totaling over $400 billion, underscoring how significant that money can be \u2014 and how much timing matters for those who receive it.<\/p>\n It can be even more important for those who owe money to the IRS.<\/p>\n “If you’re gonna owe, you should have found that out several months ago, so you can start allocating money aside and you won’t run the risk of refund shock or disappointment or balance due trauma,” Steber said.<\/p>\n Filing early can also help protect taxpayers from fraud. Once a return is submitted, it becomes much harder for identity thieves to file a fraudulent return in someone else\u2019s name.<\/p>\n “You file early you get your money early, but more important than getting your refund early. You lock up your data, you lock up your personal information with the IRS and your state<\/a>. That protects you from ID thieves, from refund thieves and a whole lot of other bad things that creep into the system,” Steber added.<\/p>\n![\"Kurt](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/woman-files-taxes-with-irs.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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