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The simple tax habit that could save you thousands over your lifetime

The simple tax habit that could save you thousands over your lifetime

It’s April 13, and if you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you’re not alone — but waiting until the last minute could be one of the most expensive financial habits you have. 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 — and cash — 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. “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. TAX DAY IS THIS WEEK: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY “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. Filing early won’t 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 — moves that can compound over time. AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700, TREASURY SAYS, TOUTING NEW TRUMP TAX BREAKS The IRS issues more than 100 million refunds each year, totaling over $400 billion, underscoring how significant that money can be — and how much timing matters for those who receive it. It can be even more important for those who owe money to the IRS. “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. 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’s name. “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. That protects you from ID thieves, from refund thieves and a whole lot of other bad things that creep into the system,” Steber added. Last-minute filers are also more likely to rush, increasing the chances of errors or missed deductions and credits — mistakes that can directly reduce a refund or increase what’s owed. “Give some attention to your tax return each and every year. Can’t really do it this year at the last hour, but some best practices will save you money, lower your stress and put more tax refund dollars in your pocket over time,” Steber said.

Lawmakers put expulsion threats atop House agenda as return sets up high-stakes week

Lawmakers put expulsion threats atop House agenda as return sets up high-stakes week

The push to forcibly remove multiple scandal-ridden members of Congress is picking up steam with several potential expulsion votes on deck this week. Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, are expected to face an immediate expulsion threat when the House returns from a two-week recess on Tuesday.  Swalwell, who dropped out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race Sunday, is facing multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations, including at least one involving a former staffer. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has also opened a criminal investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred in New York City. Swalwell has repeatedly characterized the allegations as “false,” though he acknowledged a lack of judgment on Sunday. He has pledged to vigorously defend himself. TWO DEMOCRATIC REPS CALL FOR SWALWELL TO EXIT CONGRESS AS CONTROVERSY SWIRLS AROUND HIS BID FOR CA GOVERNOR Gonzales, who has admitted to having an affair with a staff member who later died by setting herself on fire, dropped his re-election bid in March after House GOP leadership called on him to suspend his campaign. He is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said over the weekend that she would introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell from the chamber if he does not resign. Meanwhile, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., is vowing to draft a measure that would expel Gonzales. The female lawmakers have said they support expelling both men from the House of Representatives. A growing share of lawmakers in both parties appear to share that view. “That vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “These allegations are despicable, and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.” “I think that this is very important that we believe women and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also said. PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: ‘INDEFENSIBLE’ Expelling a member of Congress is an incredibly high bar, and it is currently unclear whether both expulsion resolutions can obtain the two-thirds majority required to pass. To be successful, a significant portion of lawmakers will have to vote in favor of removing a member of their own party. Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was removed from the House in 2023, is the most recent member to be expelled. President Donald Trump pardoned Santos in 2025 after he was convicted of wire fraud and identity theft and sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Both House Republican and Democratic leadership have yet to comment on rank-and-file efforts to expel Swalwell and Gonzales. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., could also become potential targets of expulsion resolutions, though just a handful of members have thus far signaled they would support the removal of the lawmaker from their own party. “They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they don’t, we should expel all of them,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on social media Sunday, referring to Swalwell and Gonzales, too.  Cherfilus-McCormick is facing more than five decades in prison after allegedly funneling more than $5 million in disaster relief money to fund her congressional campaign and personal lifestyle. A House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee in March found her guilty of more than two dozen violations as part of an investigation separate from the federal criminal indictment. The panel is expected to formally recommend its suggested punishment later this month, which could be as severe as expulsion.  House Democratic leadership has indicated they will withhold judgment on Cherfilus-McCormick until the ethics panel announces its decision. Mills, a former Army combat veteran, has faced myriad controversies, including allegedly misrepresenting his military service, domestic violence and threatening to release sexually explicit photos of a former girlfriend, and abusing his committee assignments to benefit defense contracting firms he owns. He is also the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation. Both lawmakers have denied any wrongdoing and are running for re-election.

Pope Leo says he’s unafraid of the Trump admin after president calls him ‘terrible’ on foreign policy

Pope Leo says he’s unafraid of the Trump admin after president calls him ‘terrible’ on foreign policy

Pope Leo XIV fired back after President Donald Trump attacked him on social media, saying his calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and should not be treated as a political argument with the White House. “I have no fear of the Trump administration,” the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria. “The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he added. Trump had criticized the pope’s positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social. POPE LEO URGES WAR LEADERS TO HALT FIGHTING AFTER DEADLY STRIKE ON SCHOOL SPARKS OUTRAGE “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump began in a lengthy post. “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” he concluded. The pope responded Monday, taking a shot at Trump’s Truth Social  – “it’s ironic, the name of the site itself; say no more” – despite claiming “I will not enter into debate.” POPE LEO XIV TO VISIT FASTEST-GROWING CATHOLIC CONTINENT DURING 4-NATION AFRICA TRIP “The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,” he also said, speaking in English, adding, “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.” “Too many people are suffering in the world today,” Leo added. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.” VATICAN DECLINES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA ‘BOARD OF PEACE,’ CALLS FOR UN LEADERSHIP The pope’s stance against Trump’s peace efforts in the Middle East came after the president’s Sunday night Air Force One tarmac comments. “We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, echoing remarks from the Truth Social post. “We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it.” “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump added. “He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.” POPE WARNS ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT COULD TIP MIDDLE EAST INTO ‘IRREPARABLE ABYSS’ Leo claimed he was speaking for the church and not himself or Iran. “To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.” Trump claimed Leo has him to thank for being elevated to pope, the first American pope. “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t.” “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.