Income tax deadline pushed back; many still filing at last minute

~ Tax preparation firms and the post office are planning for heavy weekend traffic.

Tax-time procrastinators will get a break this year, relieving some stress of filing at the last minute. But tax preparers anticipate people to just put off filing for two more days instead of getting their income tax returns in two days before deadline.

This year the normal tax deadline -- April 15 -- falls on Saturday. Because Saturday isn't a business day, the Internal Revenue Service has pushed back the deadline to Monday, when returns must be postmarked by 11:59 p.m.

As a result tax preparation firms are staying open seven days this week, working through Saturday and Easter Sunday.

Teresa Robinson, manager at H&R Block's Cape Girardeau office, said she hopes people won't wait until the last minute just because the deadline has been pushed back. But if they do, tax preparers will be ready, working overtime.

"If they decide to put it off until Sunday, we'll work with them," Robinson said.

If the numbers from the IRS are any indication, more people than last year are waiting until the last minute to file. The last available numbers from the IRS, as of March 17, show a decline in tax returns received and processed as compared to last year. However, more people are taking advantage of e-filing, both on their own and through tax professionals. Refunds are up as well.

Robinson said it appears to her that more people are filing later this year.

"The bulk of them are people who owe money," Robinson said. "But I guess the others just have such a dislike for the process."

However, few people have inquired as to the strange deadline, she said.

Dan Strauss, customer service manager with the U.S. Postal Service in Cape Girardeau, said most people who have called the post office were unaware of the deadline.

The post office is, though, and will take tax returns at its processing facility at 475 Kell Farm Road up to 11:59 p.m. Monday. In order to handle the anticipated traffic from weekend filers, the post office will also have a contract station open at the Bi-State convenience store on North Kingshighway Saturday and Sunday.

The postal facility on Christine Drive will be open normal hours on Saturday and Monday, but with more clerks than usual, Strauss said.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182

IRS numbers (as of March 17)

Tax returns received

2005 -- 67,377,000

2006 -- 67,077,000

Returns processed

2005 -- 63,455,000

2006 -- 62,726,000

E-filings

2005 -- 45,936,000

2006 -- 46,874,000

Average refund

2005 -- $2,614

2006 -- $2,379

Direct deposit average refund

2005 -- $2,614

2006 -- $2,704