Federal, state tax filers gain two extra days
Many people will spend Easter weekend shuffling papers and filling out tax forms. Those who wait until the last minute to file their federal and state income taxes were granted a reprieve this year, the deadline pushed back two days since the traditional filing date of April 15 falls on a Saturday.
Monday is the last day people can file their taxes without incurring a late fee or seeking an extension.
Linda Rooker of H&R Block said the deadline is pushed back anytime tax day falls on a weekend or on a holiday.
Rooker, office manager at one of the company’s local offices, said many people seek assistance filing their taxes.
“We’re not super busy, but we’ve had a steady amount of people coming in,” she said, noting that business is expected to pick up considerably this weekend.
Rooker explained the H&R Block office she manages, located at the intersection of Penn and North Gallatin avenues in Uniontown, will be open all weekend, even on Easter.
“The office will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday,” she said, noting that the office will also be open until 9 p.m. Monday.
“But, we’ll stay open even later Monday if there are people here at 9 p.m. who still need to file their taxes,” Rooker said.
For those who haven’t even glanced at their tax forms, Rooker said time remains.
“As long as people have their information, there’s still time,” she said, noting that people must have their W2 and 1099 tax forms in order to file. People also must have their Social Security number and the Social Security numbers of anyone they’re claiming as a dependent, she said.
For people unable to file their taxes on time for one reason or another, accountant Chris Harvey said filing an extension is not hard to do.
Harvey, who works for Edward A. Savarno & Company CPA in Uniontown, said those who need an extension must fill out IRS Form 4868, which is the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Those who fill out that form will be granted an automatic extension, he said.
Harvey said people should prepare to file their taxes in February but said many people wait until the last minute.
“Everybody procrastinates,” he said.
Harvey said he’s sure he’ll be helping people fill out extension forms even though the deadline has been pushed back two days.
Rooker said it’s important that people know that though they can seek an extension to file their 2005 income taxes, they cannot seek an extension on 2002 tax return money they have yet to claim.
She said people have three years to claim tax returns and that today is the deadline in regards to 2002.
“People have until Saturday, and after that, the IRS will not send refunds,” she said.
The Uniontown post office will be open until 9 p.m. Monday for the last-minute tax filers.
Though the office usually stays open until midnight on tax day, a spokesman said they will close a little earlier this year since people have two additional days to file their taxes.