VIDEO: Last Day To File Taxes

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI)—April 18th is the last day to file taxes. All over the country, people are making the mad-dash to get them filed and in the mail.

“It’s probably a little too late to get them completed but it’s not too late to file for an extension,” said Certified Public Accountant Elaine Evans.

For any reason that puts a person behind on tax preparation, the IRS will give you an extension.

“What you would need to do is call the person who normally prepares your tax return. Ask them to prepare an extension for you. If they have your information, your social security, your name, your current address; it’s a very simple process and they can e-file those,”said Evans.

Elaine Evans is a Certified Public Accountant in Columbus. She says filing for an extension doesn’t push back your payment due date.

“If you owe money you may need to send in a check with that extension. Some people owe money and don’t make that payment and then become subject to possibly a penalty and some interest charges for not paying timely. The penalty for not filing, is greater than the one for not paying. You want to make sure that you file your extension, even if you owe. If you can pay that’s great but if you can’t pay, go ahead and file the extension and get your taxes filed as soon as you can,”said Evans.

Tax payer Andy Shores says filing an extension was his only option.

“My wife is an immigrant and so we didn’t have all the forms needed to file. It was essential, it wasn’t really my fault it’s just how long it takes the government to process immigration forms and that’s always an issue but it’s taken care of now. I’ll have everything by October 18th and will probably file mid-summer,”said Shores.

Evans says for the people filing on their own, there’s the online extension form 4868 that offers an automatic six months to tax payers in need.

“If you normally prepare your own taxes you will probably need to go to the www.IRS.gov website and you can search and there is a place to file your own extension. You definitely can go there, print the form for the extension and drop it in the mail. It must be post marked today,”said Evans.

If  you file your own extension through the website you are able to e-file, the date of submission must be April the 18th before mid-night.