The filing period for 2023 tax returns is in full swing, and the most eager filers may have already received their tax refund. If your client likes the idea of getting that refund each year – perhaps they view it as kind of a surprise bonus – you’ll want to remind them that a refund is really an interest-free loan to the government. With savings accounts paying a meaningful interest rate these days, they might be better off having control of their money sooner.Conversely, your clients who owe money this year may be waiting until the last possible moment to file to earn an extra bit of interest on their savings. But owing too much may mean being assessed an underpayment penalty, and with the IRS interest rate on underpayments currently at 8 percent annually, it’s a cost they would do best to avoid. Regardless of which camp your clients are in for 2023, this is the perfect time of year to help them think through a better tax payment strategy for 2024. YOUR REQUIRED ANNUAL PAYMENT

Baird, an employee - owned, international financial services firm, announced that Sebasti a n Daumueller has joined the firm's Global Investment Banking business as a managing director in the g lobal t echnology & services group, and Luca Noventa has joined as a Director in the Global Consumer group.