Deadline at Hand,
IRS Offers Last-Minute Advice

WASHINGTON - As the filing season winds down, the Internal Revenue Service has some advice for the 45 million taxpayers it's waiting to hear from -- don't panic, just send your tax return or extension request on time. And the IRS offices around the country are geared up to help in a variety of ways:

• In Milwaukee, the IRS and the local radio station are sponsoring "TAXFEST '93." Volunteers will be on hand to help prepare returns and the IRS personnel will also be available to accept last-minute questions. The IRS is also sponsoring a dunk tank, where taxpayers, for a small donation, can dunk an IRS official. The donations -- which are tax deductible -- will go toward reducing the federal deficit.

• In Detroit, the IRS is hosting "Midnight Madness." The IRS, in cooperation with the Postal Service in seven cities throughout Michigan, will have employees on hand at post offices until midnight to answer questions and help taxpayers complete extension applications.

• In downtown Cleveland, IRS employees will hand out over 10,000 brochures entitled "It's Never Too Late." This IRS publication explains how those who have failed to file in the past can file returns now and get right with their government.

• Nationwide, many IRS walk-in and telephone assistance sites are extending their hours to help tax payers who are rushing to beat April 15's midnight deadline. For IRS tax help times in your area, call 1-800-829-1040, or your local IRS office.

If you cannot complete your return on time, file Form 4868 for an automatic four-month extension. This is not an extension of time to pay, but the IRS will now give you the extra filing time even if you cannot pay your estimated balance due. You must pay interest on any balance due after April 15, plus late payment penalty if the amount paid by April 15 is less than 90 percent of your total tax.

Don't make a mistake of not filing your return because you can't pay the tax due. File and pay as much as you can. If you want an IRS installment plan to pay the remaining tax, attach Form 9465 to the front of the return, or a note with the amount you propose to pay each month and the monthly due date. You will owe interest and late payment charges until you pay all the tax.

If you don't get an extension or file your return on time, you face a penalty of five percent per month on the unpaid balance, with maximum penalty of twenty-five percent. Those who file more than 60 days late face a minimum penalty of $100, or the full balance due, if that is less.

As of April9, the IRS had received 70 million returns, 6.5 percent fewer than for last year. The IRS expects about 40 million tax returns plus around 5 million extension request during the coming weeks. It has sent 48 million refunds, worth a total of $46.7 billion. At $971, the average refund is down 0.5 percent.

                    1993 FILING SEASON STATISTICS

       Cumulative through the week ending 4/10/92 and 4/09/93

                      1992              1993            % Change


Individual Income Tax Returns

Total Receipts        74,989,000        70,106,000      -6.5
Total Processed       64,139,000        59,403,000      -7.4


Filing Alternatives -- Total Receipts:

Electronic Filing     10,380,000        11,683,000       12.6
1040PC Format            983,000         2,914,000      196.5
TeleFile                 121,000           141,000       16.5


Refunds Certified by the Martinsburg Computing Center:

Number                51,617,000        48,109,000       -6.8
Amount of Principal   $50.335 billion   $46.697 billion  -7.2
Average Refund          $975              $971           -0.5

    (NOTE: these amounts should NOT be compared to the "processed"
    numbers above, since those figures reflect Service Center
    processing, which is completed at least a week before refunds
    are certified at the Computing Center)


Taxpayer Service Filing Season Statistics

                      through 4/2/92         through 4/3/93

Toll-free phone
 calls answered       16,060,457              15,978,229

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