Deadline Looms for Tax Returns

If you just realized that yesterday was April 15 and you hadn’t yet filed your taxes, relax. This year you get a reprieve.

Because the 15th fell on a Sunday, and Emancipation Day -- a legal holiday in Washington DC -- is being observed today, you actually get two extra days.

Also, the US Postal Service is pulling out the stops to help filers who wait until the last minute, which is midnight, Tuesday, April 17. Two post offices in the Atlanta area will be open until midnight that day. These are the Atlanta Main Post Office, 3900 Crown Road in Atlanta (which is open from 6 a.m. until midnight year-round) and the Boggs Road Postal Store, 1605 Boggs Road in Duluth.

The Duluth Post Office at 3470 McClure Bridge Road and a satellite office in the Chevron station at 2700 Buford highway will follow regular hours Tuesday, closing at 5 p.m.

Atlanta District Manager Sal Vacca recommended that filers visit the post offices early in the day to avoid last-minute long lines. He also suggested handing the returns to collection employees outside if this service is available.

Other suggestions include using self-service shipping and mail centers for stamp purchases. Also, don’t forget to double check returns for the proper address and correct postage. Any mail weighing 13 ounces or more, however, has to be presented at the retail counter.

If you are not enclosing a payment, Georgia taxpayers can send most tax forms, including 1040, 1040A and 1040 EZ to: Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Kansas City, MO 64999-0002. If you are enclosing a payment, send to: Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 105017, Atlanta, GA 30348-5017. For more information visit: www.irs.gov.

Many filers now submit returns online so lines should not be as long as in earlier years. And if all else fails, file for an extension. However, if you think you owe, a check with that estimated amount is supposed to accompany your extension application. Information on how to do this can be found here.