With the April 15 tax deadline approaching, tax professionals say people who are behind on filing should not panic, but they should act quickly.
Donna Culbertson of Block Advisors said the most important step is to communicate, especially for people who expect to owe taxes but cannot pay in full.
“The first thing to do is to communicate,” Culbertson said. “If you owe the taxes, you cannot pay them in full, there’s many different ways that we can remedy the situation. You just got to come in.”
Culbertson said the filing deadline is 11:59 p.m. April 15. She said mailed returns also must be postmarked by April 15.
She said people who do not think they will have their documents ready in time should file an extension rather than do nothing.
“If they do not think that they’re going to make it or have their documents ready, they need to file an extension, we can file that for them,” Culbertson said.
For last-minute filers, Culbertson said understanding the deadline is critical.
“11:59. It has to be marked April 15th. That way it’s not late,” she said.
Culbertson said electronic filing can help speed up the process, although complicated returns may still require additional assistance. She also said fear of the IRS should not keep people from taking action before the deadline.
“Just come in and there’s no reason to panic, really there isn’t,” Culbertson said. “Everybody’s afraid of the IRS. You shouldn’t be afraid of them.”
Culbertson said people should file on time if possible, request an extension if necessary and avoid ignoring the deadline.
