IRS CONCENTRATES ON PHONES COMPUTERS FOR SERVICE

The Internal Revenue Service is devoting more resources to helping taxpayers by improving phone centers and other technological advances in the taxpayer services division.

IRS District Director Ronald J. Lambert said resources are being taken away from personal taxpayer representatives at offices throughout the country, but more resources are being devoted to helping taxpayers by phone and computer.

"We have phone centers across the country that are able to handle routine taxpayer calls," he said. "And we're devoting more of our resources to that kind of assistance."

The IRS phone centers will handle about 20 million calls during this year's filing season.

In addition to help via the telephone, the IRS also offers aid via the Internet. Ordering tax forms and asking questions also can be done by locating the IRS home page on the World Wide Web.

Lambert said in the not-so-distant future, the IRS hopes to receive about 80 million tax returns via computer, resulting in very little paper processing. The agency currently receives about 118 million returns annually so as much as 68 percent of the returns might one day be filed from taxpayers' personal computers.

Over time, less and less personal service will be needed, and officials believe taxpayers will rely more heavily on the telephone and computer for help when figuring their tax liability, Lambert said.

But if taxpayers need face-to-face assistance, the IRS encourages taxpayers to consider free volunteer programs available in most communities which provide that service. IRS officials point out that the volunteers have been trained by IRS representatives.

And with just eight days to the tax filing deadline of April 15, the IRS has special hours and assistance available to taxpayers who have put off filing their returns.

Normally the phone centers are closed Saturday, but taxpayers can get assistance calling the normal toll-free phone number between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Personal taxpayer assistance at the IRS office in Cape Girardeau is available Monday and Tuesday this week.

But if a taxpayer feels that he won't be able to file his return on time, "file an extension," says Ruth Rothbacher, the IRS public affairs officer in St. Louis. "You can get an automatic four-month extension by filing Form 4868 by the 15th."

The extension gives taxpayers more time to file, but Rothbacher said it doesn't allow more time to pay. The taxpayer must calculate tax liability and pay it by April 15, even with an extension.

Taypayers who can't pay their tax liability should send in as much as possible and the IRS will send a bill for the balance. Any tax paid after April 15 will be assessed interest charges and a late payment penalty of .5 percent per month. But by filing the extension or the return on time, the more severe failure-to-file penalty will be avoided, Rothbacher said.

TAX INFORMATION

For IRS tax information via phone, call 1-800-829-1040 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To order forms call 1-800-829-3676. Forms also are available at many U.S. Post Offices

For information and to request forms by computer contact the IRS home page on the Internet: www.irs.ustreas.gov

For file transfer protocol services: ftp.fedworld.gov