MAHONING VALLEY Calendar gives taxpayers an extra day

Those who wait until the last minute to file their income taxes do so because they forget or owe money.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Income tax filers will have an extra day to procrastinate this year.
The regular tax return deadline of April 15 falls on Sunday, allowing taxpayers until April 16 to file their returns.
"The deadline has been extended several times in the past because the 15th falls on a weekend," said Terry Beck, a Boardman certified public accountant.
"I don't think this affects people's thinking. It's only one day. It has no impact on us [tax preparers] or the filers. Those who wait until the 15th to file their taxes will come in on the 16th."
Pam Caron of Mary Lewis Income Tax Service in Boardman said that most people who file their taxes closer to the deadline either forget about them or put them off.
"There are always some that wait until the last minute and they always will," Caron said. "They get into a pattern. We recognize that the same people always come in at the same time of the year and we expect them to come in then."
Nina Miller of Nina Miller Tax Service in Newton Falls also recognized filing patterns with her clients. "Most of my clients file early, so the extra day doesn't make that much of a difference. Those who file closer towards the deadline always do."
If you can't make it: If they are not going to get their returns filed on time, taxpayers should apply for an extension to avoid a penalty for failure to timely file, said Jessie Wright, general manager of H & amp;R Block's district office.
Regardless of whether an extension is granted, the taxpayer who has money due must pay by the deadline. The number of people who file for extensions varies every year, Wright said.
"In many cases, people wait to file their taxes because they know they have a balance due, so they wait until the last minute to take care of it," Wright added.
The majority of taxpayers can simplify tax filing through the use of electronic filing. This service allows people expecting returns to file their taxes without mailing any documents to the IRS, which results in the taxpayers' getting their refund back quicker.
For those who wait until the last minute to file their taxes, electronic filing can give them the advantage of not having to mail paperwork, Beck said.
In fact, the post office has noticed a decrease in the number of filers who mail their forms since electronic filing, said Ernest Shipley, customer relations coordinator of the Youngstown post office.
"I expect that the number will be down even more this year with so many people using computers," he said.
Beck said that most procrastinators owe money, and although electronic filing speeds up the process of filing by helping to avoid paperwork and the Postal Service, it does not help the taxpayer pay his debt any sooner.
Open for business: Although the late deadline does not have an effect on businesses that will be closed on April 15, the extension will affect some of the tax preparers.
H & amp;R Block's district office on Boardman-Poland Road will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 15 to accommodate late filers, and the branch offices will be open at various times throughout the day.
Not only are the tax preparers willing to help tax filers, but the post office is also willing to aid those who rush in April 16. The main office in Youngstown will be open an additional seven hours, until midnight, to postmark returns by the deadline.
"We will be collecting in the parking lot until midnight to stamp the returns," Shipley said. "As the deadline approaches, business usually increases."