Tax Day: Carolina Forest expert shares what you need to know if you still need to file

CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — Tax Day is here, and if filing taxes is still on your to-do list, do not worry. Carolina Forest Liberty Tax franchise owner Samantha Slapnik says there is no need to have “tax-iety.”

“Today’s the big day. As of 11:59 tonight, that is your last opportunity to file,” Slapnik said.”If you do owe, you should not wait. You should file today because the penalties for not filing and not paying grow exponentially over time.”

Slapnik said tax season looks a little bit different each year, but there are some common things to keep an eye out for this time around. 

“The biggest thing we’ve seen this year is that customers are underwithholding. There were some major changes to the W-4 back in 2020, but with COVID money and stimulus money, a lot of that was missed,” Slapnik said. “Now that things are as back to normal as they’re gonna get they’re seeing those changes to their withholding, and it’s just not enough.”

If you waited until the last minute, you are not alone. Ashton Hildebrand is the owner and broker in charge of Sweet Home Carolina Realty. He filed his business taxes but made a visit to Slapnik’s office just in the nick of time to get his personal taxes done. 

“Tax season is always overwhelming, but Samantha helps me understand the processes and the changes every year,” Hildebrand said. 

He said the real estate market is extra busy in the spring, so it is hard to find time for personal appointments. His biggest piece of advice is to stay organized.

“It’s important to keep up to date with your monthly expenses, so it makes it easier for tax time at the end of the year,” Hildebrand said. 

Slapnik said knowledge is power. It is her mission to make sure everyone understands every part of their tax return. 

“It’s super important for us, for our customers to understand why they’re getting what they’re getting or why they owe,” Slapnik said. “Customers should know exactly how a tax return works from top to bottom.”