Politics & Government

Last Chance: Tax Deadline is Tuesday

Breathe easy if you didn't file Sunday, because this year, Tuesday, April 17, is the actual deadline to file your taxes. Here are a few suggestions for last-minute filers.

Don’t panic if you didn’t get your taxes filed before midnight Sunday.

While April 15 is typically the tax-filing deadline each year, taxpayers are getting this year two extra days to file. That’s because Emancipation Day, a legal holiday in Washington, D.C., is being observed today, and under the federal tax code, filing deadlines can't fall on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.

In short, you’ve got all day today, and then most of the day tomorrow to get your tax documents sent off to the Internal Revenue Service.

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We say most of the day because if you’re looking to send off your taxes by mail, you’ll most likely have to get to the post office before dinnertime. Locally, you’ll have until the normal closing time of 5 p.m. to get your taxes postmarked at the United States Postal Service’s and branches.

If you need a little more time, or if you just happen to be in the area, the USPS’ is open until 6 p.m. The closes a tad bit later at 6:30 p.m. For those in various parts of Marietta, and the Sprayberry location (2886 Sandy Plains Road) close at 6, while the closes at 7.

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Need even more time? Two metro Atlanta locations will be ready for your 11th-hour filing. The Atlanta Main Post Office, 3900 Crown Road, which is open from 6 a.m. until midnight year round, and the Boggs Road Postal Store, 1605 Boggs Road in Duluth, normally open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., will both be staffed to collect returns until midnight Tuesday.

But for those going the snail mail route, USPS Atlanta District Manager Sal Vacca recommends visiting post offices early in the day to avoid last-minute long lines. He also recommends giving returns to outside collection employees if possible, using Self Service Ship and Mail Centers for stamp purchases, and double-checking returns for the proper address and correct postage. Vacca adds that those bringing in mail weighing 13 ounces or more must present it 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 you mail to Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 105017, Atlanta, GA 30348-5017.

Skip the lines

Don’t want to fight the traffic at the post office? Why not file your taxes online? The IRS has ways to electronically file your taxes by “e-file,” and if you’re making less than $57,000 a year, you may be able to do so for free via Free File. Learn more about these options at this link.

Need an extension?

If you can’t get your taxes filed or get your payment in on time, you can use electronic filing options to get a six-month extension. Learn more from the IRS at this link.


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