(BPT) – Life changes often mean tax changes. Whether it’s getting married, buying or selling a home, moving abroad or having a baby, misunderstanding the tax and financial implications of these life changes can lead to taxpayers making mistakes or leaving money on the table.

Depending on your situation, there are new tax implications that will impact your benefits, tax bill and how you file. If you experienced a life change in 2016, here is a list of tax implications and how they will affect you.

Marriage

Many couples close the book on their “wedding to-dos” once the last thank you card has been sent, but looking at your new tax situation is an important first step in your married life. There are some instances when getting married can have negative implications for a couple’s tax situation. Once you’re married you must file either as married filing jointly or married filing separately. In some cases, a couple where one spouse earns most of the household income will benefit because their overall tax bracket may decrease. However, a couple with two high earners may find they face a higher tax rate than if each paid tax only on their own income and added the taxes paid.

However, there are some ways to protect against potential negative tax implications. After your marriage is official, update your W-4 with your employer to account for your new marital status. If you’re self-employed or a small business owner, make sure to adjust your quarterly estimated tax payments.

Buying a house

Purchasing a home may open the door to more deductions through itemizing if you weren’t already doing so. Once you become a homeowner, you can deduct many of your home-related costs, including your qualified home mortgage interest, points paid on a loan secured by your home, real estate taxes and private mortgage insurance premiums paid on or before Dec. 31, 2016. If you choose not to itemize, you may benefit from other tax advantages such as penalty-free IRA withdrawals if you are a first-time homebuyer under the age of 59 and a half, or residential energy credits for purchases of certain energy efficient property.

New homebuyers should be on the lookout for Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement, which is used to report mortgage interest. This form can help you identify these deductions when completing your Form 1040.

Moving abroad

Are you excited to move abroad, but have no idea what will happen to your taxes and how to file? Many Americans living and working overseas will not owe tax to the IRS because of the foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credit. However, even if you qualify for those benefits, you have to file a U.S. tax return each year if you received income over the normal filing threshold.

It is also important to understand your Social Security coverage before moving abroad. Knowing whether your earnings overseas will be subjected to Social Security taxes in the U.S. or the country you are residing in will be an important factor when analyzing the economics of your move.

Having a baby

A new baby means you may be able to take advantage of tax breaks, including the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The CTC is worth up to $1,000 for each qualifying child younger than 17, a portion of which may be refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) depending on your income. A tax preparer can help you understand the qualifications to determine whether a child is considered qualified for purposes of the CTC. Some of those qualifications include but are not limited to their relationship and residency.

You may also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income that reduces the amount of taxes you owe. However, it’s important to note that due to the new “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes ACT” or PATH Act, this year the IRS is required to hold any refund from those claiming the EITC and ACTC until at least Feb. 15. This delay will be widely felt by tax filers who typically file as soon as the IRS accepts e-filed returns and who normally expect to receive their refund by late January.

To learn more about this new tax law change, how it may delay tax refunds in January and February, and H&R Block’s free solution to this delay, visit www.hrblock.com/refundadvance or make an appointment with a tax professional.

(BPT) – With tax filing season upon us, it’s a good idea to educate yourself on what’s changed since last year. While it’s been a relatively quiet year in terms of new tax laws, there are a handful of items for which you’ll want to prepare.

1. The Tax Deadline is April 18.

This year, the deadline to file returns is Tuesday, April 18, 2017, rather than the traditional April 15 date. That’s because the April 15 falls on a Saturday and Emancipation Day, the anniversary of the abolition of slavery, is recognized on Monday, April 17, 2017 and is a holiday in the District of Columbia. For tax-filing purposes, the IRS treats this day as a federal holiday.

2. Delayed refunds for some early filers.

If you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) this year, you’ll have to wait until after mid-February to get your refund. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, passed in late 2015, says the IRS cannot issue credits or refunds for an overpayment before Feb. 15, 2017 to any filer who claims the EITC or ACTC.

The delay gives the IRS more time to review income tax returns – and prevent the agency from inadvertently processing fraudulent returns. Fraudsters file bogus returns before the actual filer can complete their taxes and often claim credits like the EITC and ACTC.

Both the EITC and ACTC are refundable tax credits. That means they are beneficial even after reducing your tax liability to zero. If the amount of these credits is more than the amount of taxes due, you’ll get the difference back as a refund. Savvy criminals know this – and input numbers to make it look like they should get more money back.

If you don’t file either of these credits, the IRS says your refund will likely get processed in the typical time frame of 21 days.

3. Don’t be surprised if your state asks for your driver’s license number or state ID.

Depending on the state in which you live, you may be asked to provide your driver’s license number (DLN) or state ID number when you file your 2016 state return. This is part of a broad effort by the IRS, states and the entire tax industry to lessen the risk of tax-related identity theft. Identity thieves may have personal information such as your name and Social Security number, but not your DLN. The additional information helps states verify you are who you say you are.

“Some states, such as Alabama, will ask taxpayers who e-file to provide both the DLN as well as date of issue, expiration number and issuing state,” says Mark Jaeger, director of Tax Development for TaxAct. “If you use a DIY tax solution like TaxAct, you’ll be prompted to enter the information required by your state as you prepare your return.”

Implementing additional identity verification measures, such as requesting a filer’s DLN and related information, can help curtail the number of fraudulent returns states process this year. The IRS now requests this information, but it is not required to electronically file a federal return.

4. Affordable Care Act (ACA) forms may be late this year, but don’t wait to file your return.

By now, you’re probably accustomed to receiving ACA-related forms reporting whether you and members of your household met health insurance coverage requirements established by the ACA for the prior year. What’s new this year is when you’ll receive some of those forms.

The deadline for companies and insurers to issue Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to individuals has been delayed this year. Employers and insurance providers must mail your forms by March 2, 2017, considerably later than the original Jan. 31 deadline.

“Remember, you don’t need to file these forms with your return,” Jaeger says. “However, the forms can be helpful in identifying coverage months if the entire tax household did not have full-year health insurance coverage. Once you receive the applicable form, keep it with your other tax documents. The IRS gets their own copy so you don’t need to attach it to your return.”

Keep up to date with a little help from your friends.

Staying abreast of tax changes before you file your return can be tough. Fortunately, taxpayers can turn to a number of resources, including TaxAct, for help.