By ADRIANA MORGA

NEW YORK (AP) — Tax season is underway and you have until April 15 to file your return with the IRS. If you want to avoid the stress of the looming deadline, start getting organized as soon as possible.

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“Don’t wait until the last minute but also don’t rush,” said Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals,

Gathering all your documents, signing up for direct deposit and keeping copies of your tax returns are some of the best practices when it comes to preparing to fill out your taxes. This year, due to the Republican tax and spending bill that President Donald Trump signed over the summer, there are new deductions taxpayers should know about.

Among them are no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, deductions for car loan interest, and deductions for people who were 65 or older by Dec. 31, said Miguel Burgos, a certified public accountant and an expert for TurboTax.

The average refund last year was $3,167. This year, analysts have projected it could be $1,000 higher, thanks to changes in tax law. More than 165 million individual income tax returns were processed last year, with 94% submitted electronically.

If you find the process too confusing, there are plenty of free resources to help you get through it.

Here are some things you need to know:

Gather your documents

While the required documents might depend on your individual case, here is a general list of what everyone needs:

—Social Security number

—W-2 forms, if you are employed

—1099-G, if you are unemployed

—1099 forms, if you are self-employed

—Savings and investment records

—Any eligible deduction, such as educational expenses, medical bills, charitable donations, etc.

—Tax credits, such as the child tax credit, retirement savings contributions credit, etc.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

O’Saben recommends gathering all of your documents in one place before you start your tax return and also having your documents from last year. Taxpayers can also create an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

Know some of the changes for this year

— Change to standard deduction

The standard deduction for single taxpayers is $15,750 for this year. For married couples filing jointly, it has increased to $31,500. For heads of households, the standard deduction is $23,625.

— Change to state and local taxes (SALT) deduction

The deduction cap on state and local taxes has increased from $10,000 to $40,000. The change is also known as the Working Families Tax Cut and was enacted in July 2025.

“This is a big benefit, especially for states like California, New York, and New Jersey, that have a higher state income tax,” said Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed and a certified CPA.

The SALT deduction is a federal tax deduction for some state and local taxes paid during the year. The total deduction had been capped at $10,000 since it started in 2018.

People who have not previously itemized their SALT deduction might want to consider it this year. To know if you should itemize your deductions, O’Saben recommends that you ask yourself the following questions: Did you pay state taxes? Did you pay property taxes? Do you have mortgage interest? Do you have charitable contributions?

—Deductions for tips

What is known as “no tax on tips” is not quite accurate. This new deduction is only for qualified tips and is subject to income limitations.

“It can be cash, it can be electronic as well. But the main thing is, hey, it has to be voluntary (tips),” Burgos said.

The maximum annual deduction is capped at $2,500. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000, or $300,000 for joint filers. The tax deduction is also limited to specific industries where tipping is common practice. Some of the included industries are bartenders, food servers, musicians and housekeeping cleaners.

To claim the new tax break, you will need to fill out a new tax form called Schedule 1-A.

—Additional Schedule 1-A deductions

Schedule 1-A is an IRS form used to claim and calculate four tax deductions originating from the tax and spending bill. They are the change in state and local tax deduction, deduction on qualified tips, and car loan and senior deductions.

Look for resources

IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered this year. For those who make $89,000 or less per year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation; you can choose from eight IRS partners, such as TaxAct and FreeTaxUSA.

Beyond companies such as TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). People who earn $69,000 or less a year, have disabilities, or are limited English speakers, qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations hosting VITA and TCE clinics.

Avoid common mistakes on your tax return

Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. Here’s how to avoid some of the most common ones:

—Double-check your name on your Social Security card

When working with clients, O’Saben asks them to double-check their number and their legal name, which can change when people get married.

“If you got married last year and you now want to use your married name, that married name doesn’t exist if you haven’t filed it with Social Security,” O’Saben said.

—Search for online tax statements

Many people opt out of physical mail but when you do, it can also include your tax documents.

“These documents may actually be available online because you may have chosen to have paperless contact. And because of that, you may need to go get those documents yourself,” O’Saben said.

—Make sure you report all of your income

If you had a second job in 2025, you need the W-2 or 1099 form for each job.

In general, if you make a mistake or you’re missing something in your tax records, the IRS will audit you. An audit means that the IRS will ask you for more documentation.

Know about the child tax credit

Currently, the tax credit is $2,200 per child but only $1,700 is refundable. This refund is called the Additional Child Tax Credit. To claim the Additional Child Tax Credit, you must have at least $2,500 of income for the tax year.

You qualify for the full amount of the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child if you meet all eligibility factors and your annual income is not more than $200,000 ($400,000 if filing a joint return). Parents and guardians with higher incomes may be eligible to claim a partial credit.

You can find more details about the child tax credit here.

Avoid paper checks for your tax refund

Last September, the IRS began phasing out paper tax refund checks. If you’re expecting a tax refund, the IRS recommends you sign up for direct deposit.

Avoid tax scams

Tax season is prime time for tax scams, O’Saben said. These scams can come via phone, text, email and social media. The IRS uses none of those means to contact taxpayers.

Sometimes scams are even operated by tax preparers, so it’s important to ask lots of questions. If a tax preparer says you will get a refund that is larger than what you’ve received in previous years, for example, that may be a red flag, O’Saben said.

If you can’t see what your tax preparer is working on, get a copy of the tax return and ask questions about each of the entries.

Keep copies of your tax returns

It’s always good practice to keep a record of your tax returns, just in case the IRS audits you for an item you reported years ago. O’Saben recommend keeping copies of your tax return documents five to seven years.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

German professional soccer club Werder Bremen will not travel to Minnesota as part on a preseason tour in the U.S. this spring due to the federal government’s immigration crackdown in the state.

Werder Bremen does not specify which club it planned to play in an exhibition game, but Minnesota United typically plays at least one international friendly each season. In 2025, the Loons played fellow German Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel at Allianz Field in St. Paul.

“In Minnesota, two people were shot dead by state authorities,” a Werder Bremen club spokesman was quoted by The Athletic and other outlets. “Playing in a city where there is unrest and people are being shot does not fit our values. That will not happen for us.”

A Minnesota United spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

The Loons, which have the most-diverse roster in Minnesota pro sports, have had players speak out in fear of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in the state over the last few months.

“People are scared. We are, too,” Loons midfielder Joaquin Pereyra told the Pioneer Press in January. “Fewer and fewer people want to be out on the streets because of what might happen to them.

Pereyra, an Argentine, has obtained a U.S. Green Card, but that does not make him feel safe in Minnesota.

“Whether I’m walking around the neighborhood, at the supermarket, anywhere,” Pereyra said. “… Obviously, that doesn’t guarantee me anything because we’ve seen on the news that people who have had their Green Card and passport in their car, or whatever, are still taken away or treated badly.”

Werder Bremen is considered one of Germany’s most liberal clubs. The German Bundesliga side also planned to go Detroit, where USL Championship team Detroit City FC plays.

The Loons have played others clubs from Germany, England, Mexico, Costa Rica and Ireland since 2014.

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(Courtesy of Macmillan Publishers)

ANGELICA BAKER: Minnesotan launces the paperback edition of her debut novel “When We Grow Up” in conversation with Macalester College professor and fellow author Emma Torzs. 6 p.m. Tuesday, Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul.

EASTER/PARKER: Poet, dancer and choreographer Mary Moore Easter and dancer/choreographer Leslie Parker reflect on their experiences and perspectives on Minnesota’s Black dance community, presented by More Than a Single Story series. Free. 1 p.m. Saturday, University of Minnesota Elmer L. Andersen Library, 222 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis.

DAVID HAKENSEN: Past president of the Minnesota Historical Society discusses his book “Her Place in the Woods,” about American nature writer Helen Hoover. 7 p.m. Monday, University Club, 420 Summit Ave., St. Paul, presented by SubText Books of St. Paul.

POETRY NIGHT: With John Krumberger and Thomas R. Smith. 7 p.m. Monday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

MARCIE RENDON: Enrolled member of the White Earth Nation, author, poet and playwright, talks about her popular Cash Blackbear mystery series. 7 p.m. Tuesday, University Club, 420 Summit Ave., St. Paul, presented by SubText Books of St. Paul.

RASHAD SHABAZZ: Presents “Prince’s Minneapolis: A Biography of Sound and Place.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

J. RYAN STRADAL: Minnesota native and author of popular novels such as “Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club” is keynote speaker at the ninth annual local author fair presented by Anoka County Library, connecting readers with 16 authors from the area. Free, no registration necessary. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Bunker Hills Activity Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd. NW, Andover.

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Winter is the shortest season of the year, at least astronomically.

Weather-wise, though, it’s a whole different story. Even if you enjoy this season, winter starts to get a little old by late February for most folks. Maybe you’re already dreaming hard about summer!

Astronomical winter is the shortest season of the calendar year because the Earth travels faster around the sun at this time of year. Earth’s 365.25-day orbit around the sun is not exactly circular, but slightly elliptical or oval-ish. This time of year, Earth is around three million miles closer to the sun than it is in the summer. Because we’re closer, the sun has a stronger gravitational tug on our world that causes the Earth to whirl more rapidly in the winter. The same thing happens when you tie a string around, say, a donut, and swing it horizontally above your head. If you shorten the length of the string and swing it with the same force, the donut will move faster around your head. At this time of year, the “string” between the Earth and the sun is shorter, so the Earth moves faster.

So how much faster? Quite a bit! Right now, Earth is chugging along on its orbital track at well over 67,500 miles per hour, more than 2000 mph faster than it does in the summer. Because of that lazier summer pace, it takes 94 days to go from the first day of summer to the first day of autumn, but because the Earth races at a faster pace in winter, it only takes 89 days to travel from the first day of winter to the first day of astronomical spring. Feel better about winter now?

So how would you like to fast-forward to summer? It’s possible with a time machine: your alarm clock. Get out of the sack and under the stars about an hour before morning twilight, and you can see the same night sky that you will see in the early evening right around the Fourth of July. You can experience early summer in the middle of winter, at least in the heavens. Summer stars without mosquitoes!

(Mike Lynch)

The particular set of constellations and their placement in the sky at any one time depends on what direction into space your part of the Earth is facing. That’s controlled by both the Earth’s 24-hour rotation on its axis and its slow orbit around the sun. It just so happens that before morning twilight from our vantage point in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin we’re facing the same direction in space as we do in the early evening in early July. Any time of year, if you want to get an advanced viewing of your evening skies four to five months in the future, check out the sky just before morning twilight invades.

Armed with a hot cup of coffee, you can enjoy summer constellations this week in the pre-dawn sky like Bootes the hunting farmer, Cygnus the swan, Delphinus the dolphin, Scorpius the scorpion, Sagittarius the Archer, and more. Hopefully, your preview of the summer night heavens will tide you over until summer weather finally arrives!

(Mike Lynch)

Celestial happening this week: This coming Thursday night the waxing gibbous moon will be above and a little to the right of the very bright planet Jupiter. The largest planet of our solar system is the brightest star-like object in the night sky right now! With a small telescope or maybe even binoculars see if you can spot up to four of its moons that resemble tiny stars that flank both sides of Jupiter.

Mike Lynch is an amateur astronomer and retired broadcast meteorologist for WCCO Radio in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is the author of “Stars: a Month by Month Tour of the Constellations,” published by Adventure Publications and available at bookstores and adventurepublications.net. Mike is available for private star parties. You can contact him at mikewlynch@comcast.net.