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While the IRS has already received a majority of the federal income tax returns typically filed by Tax Day — 101.422 million as of April 4, to be precise — U.S. tax filers are expected to send in tens of millions more in the days leading up to the deadline.

If you are among them, and you’re planning on using Monday to get to it, here are some last-minute tips to keep in mind.

Get all your documents in order

If you’re starting cold, make sure you pull together all the documents you’ll need to fill out your return. You’ll want to look for income reporting forms from your employer (a for your earnings) or from your clients if you’re (a or ).

You may even get a from any payment apps you use like Venmo if you received payments for your goods or services. If you are receiving any income distributions from an IRA or pension, you should have a .

Also look for other 1099 forms from your bank and brokerage for other types of income you received during the year (e.g., interest, dividends and capital gains).

All these forms will have been sent to you by mail, electronically or both.

Consider, too, any major changes that took place in your life in 2024 that could affect your taxes either through new tax breaks or new types of reportable income — for instance, if you got married, had children, received alimony, started a small business on the side, bought or sold a home, inherited an IRA or collected unemployment benefits.

Figure out if you should itemize deductions

Most filers now take the standard deduction — a flat amount you deduct from your income ($14,600 for single filers and those who are married filing separately; $29,200 for married couples filing jointly; and $21,900 for head-of-household filers).

But if the standard deduction amounts to less than the total of the value of itemized deductions you’re eligible to take (e.g., state and local taxes, mortgage interest, charitable contributions, etc.) you .

If you do, gather the documentation you will need to back up those deductions (e.g. a for mortgage interest from your lender, contribution receipts from charities, etc.).

See if this 11th hour tax break is right for you

Speaking of deductions, if you qualify to deduct contributions to a traditional tax-deferred IRA, you can put away up to $7,000 ($8,000 if you’re 50 or older) by April 15 and still have it count as your 2024 contribution.

Since it’s an “above-the-line deduction� you’re allowed to take it even if you claim the standard deduction. Here are the eligibility rules if you and .

Consider using the free Direct File program

If you have a fairly straightforward tax situation with a household income below $250,000, and if you take the standard deduction and only a handful of credits pertaining mostly to family, you may be eligible to use the . ( how to figure out if it would be right for you.)

The Direct File option is currently available in 25 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The program works on mobile phones, laptops, tablets or desktop computers. And it will help guide you to fill out your state tax return, too.

You also can using one of several private-sector tax preparation software . These free filing options, however, are for those with adjusted gross incomes of $84,000 or less. Other eligibility criteria may apply.

No matter how you file, do this

Whether you’re preparing your return on your own, working with a tax preparer or using Direct File, you always want to double check that everything is correct on your return before submitting it. Dopey little mistakes — getting a number wrong, misspelling your name, selecting the wrong filing status, etc. — the processing of your return. And if you’re due a refund, those errors could delay that money getting to you.

If possible, electronically file your return, which is generally considered to be safer and faster, according to the .

What to do if you can’t file by April 15

While April 15 is the deadline for most U.S. tax filers, there are certain groups of filers whose official due date is later this year, such as people living and working in certain (including everyone in , , , and ); some U.S. citizens ; and

But if you’re not among any of those groups and you really can’t file your taxes by April 15, do these three things before 11:59 p.m. local time Tuesday:

1. File for an .

2. If you think you still owe money to the IRS for tax year 2024, it must be paid by Tuesday, even if you request a filing extension. One way to ballpark whether you still do is to multiply your 2024 income by 20% and make sure that you have already paid that much, according to Tom O’Saben, director of tax content at the National Association of Tax Professionals. If you haven’t, send the IRS the difference.

3. Send that payment no later than Tuesday. If you’re mailing it, do so by , so you’ll have confirmation that it was sent and received. If you can’t pay all that you owe, pay however much you can by April 15, then explore the you can make with the IRS.

If you don’t file and haven’t requested an extension — or if you don’t pay the rest of what you owe the IRS for 2024 by Tuesday — you may be subject to a failure-to-file penalty equal to 5% of the balance you owe plus interest for every month you don’t file; and/or a failure-to-pay penalty equal to to 0.5% of what you owe plus interest every month until you pay in full.