Free tax assistance was available Monday at Westport Town Hall to mark the start of tax season.

The tax preparation and e-filing help was held through an AARP program.

The deadline to file taxes is being bumped two days to April 17 this year, because April 15 is a Sunday and April 16 is Emancipation Day, which is a legal holiday celebrated in Washington, D.C.

Still, experts are encouraging people to file early because you'll get your refund quicker, and they say e-filing and using direct deposit is the fastest way to get your money.

They say another reason to file sooner is due to a handful of major data breaches that occurred last year.

"If you file your return, get it in to the IRS," says AARP District Manager Mark Spivack. "No one can then come and claim that and use your Social Security number and fraudulently file a return, which makes it very difficult for you."

The IRS has said it won't start processing paper returns until mid-February. The agency expects 155 million individual returns to be filed this tax season.