kio- maybe this is part of the problem with national debt. You owe it PAY it.
I love the credit card one where they say "why should you be held responcible" WHY because you charged the stuff on your card that is why.

Good point also in this article in that if you do file on the last day MAKE SURE you get the envelope post marked, and a receipt to verify that you sent it!
.
Few years back, I had to send send the state of IL a few grand in taxes, and mailed it on the 15th. Months later, I get a letter from Richard Head, telling me that it was past due. So I called Richard up (also know as Dick) and asked if he'd like to waste the states $$ and fight it out in court? I was hoping ole Richard would take me up on it, because I had a postmark receipt from the USPS. Without that, I would have been pretty much screwed.

"non-filers are generally not arrested, but the IRS can garnish or place a lien without taking you to court. In serious cases of determined tax resistance or tax fraud people do go to federal prison."
.
The best thing the IRS ever did for PR was arresting Capone back in the 30's! He was able to get away with countless murders, but not able to avoid the IRS! After that people had this huge fear of the IRS , and that if they did not pay they would wind up in jail. Hundreds of thousands of tax cheats suddenly paid their back taxes after Capone was sentenced! In reality, people hardly ever go to jail. To this day, Capone served the longest sentence ever for tax evasion.
.
Many people who owe huge sums in back taxes settle it for a fraction of the amount owed. The ads you see on TV (You know the ones with testimonials...I owed $100,000, and paid $8,000) are actually true. One guy I know who owed a couple hundred thousand, simply called up the IRS, and said he'd pay them 1/2 of what he owed. The IRS was so quick to accept that, that he said he should have offered a 1/4!

Thanks, SarahB!

IRS and state both have free e-filing if under certain income.

1924grant- true I am sure they wont come looking for you if you would have received money.

I do know a somebody who was in trouble two years in a row. Why take the risk over $400 and $600?? Maybe it was less than that because of the interest.

1924grant, non-filers are generally not arrested, but the IRS can garnish or place a lien without taking you to court. In serious cases of determined tax resistance or tax fraud people do go to federal prison.
.
Also, the time limit on claiming a refund is THREE years from the date the original return was due. So today is the end of the line for 2006 taxes, which were due in 2007 (actually that year it was a weekend so the actual date is April 17, but I wouldn't push it).
.
mentor397, there are many, many exemptions allowing you to qualify for free filing, depending on the vendor. I would say almost everyone under the median income can qualify for one reason or another (e.g. senior, student, etc.). Most people just don't ask (and I don't know that H&R Block volunteers this info).

If uncle sam owes you money, he don't care when you file, but, you can only collect any money owed up to 4 years, after the 4th year, they wont pay you. Even if you owe them money, it will gain interest and penalties, but has anyone ever really known anyone to get arrested for not filing? I too know an individual that hasn't filed a return in over 10 years, and hasn't even ever been conttacted by the IRS, or wisconsion dept of revenue.

Why should the IRS support something that requires payment to e-file? Not everyone slides under the income limit. We pay enough in taxes as it is, we shouldn't have to pay for the privledge of filing them as well.

SarahB1....because there isn't a slot anywhere on the machine to insert cash. The machine only has a card slot to swipe a debit/credit card.

This year e-filers will probably surpass 90 million (out of 140 million submitted personal returns)j, so the need for extended hours is decreasing. Even the main PO in Madison, which used to run late hours, will close its window at 7pm and you'll have to line up for the automated postal center.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/art...
.
It is true that you can submit your return at any time once you have the required documents, and then pay by April 15.

beentheredonethat- I have seen people wait until April 15th and they DO get money back. CRAZY huh?!

I have seen people NOT file at all with 4 kids. My guess they claim EXEMPT and never pay during the year. Do they still owe money? You would never know. Maybe they would still get some back. Doubt it but maybe.

I had to pay also but mailed it last week. I agree wait until April if you have to pay but the 15th seems scary to me. What if they did something wrong at the post office and didn't stamp it correctly. I don't know. There was an error on mine and they wanted the money by the 15th. We were gone and returned on the 12th. I was freaked out. I did find my error and did NOT owe them more money. I accidently put the amount of the tax credit for property taxes paid in that box(where the amount of tax paid goes) and put the credit in the credit box as well. I WISH property taxes were $300. So my point is what if there really was an error where I owed more money. Would they charge the interest if I mailed it on the 15th and still owed more money than I thought ? I am glad you could fax in the documents to prove I didn't owe them more money.

To: Internal Revenue Service: Enclosed is my 2009 1040, together with payment. Please take note of the attached article from USA Today. In the article, you will note that the Pentagon paid $171.50 for a hammer and NASA paid $600.00 for a toilet seat. Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2,400.00) and six hammers (value $1,029.00). This is in payment for my total tax due of $3,429.00. Thanks - Joe Taxpayer

Frogger - I have to pay so it's getting mailed at the last minute possible.

frogger...I mailed ours yesterday. Why not last week? Or last month? Because we owed taxes this year and I wasn't going to cough up the money until I absolutely had to. But I went to the Post Office yesterday to avoid the lines today.

Isn't it kind of late for this article???? Maybe you should have mailed it, lets say, LAST week or LAST month??

Surely, there is a post office in our area that is open until 12:00. Where is it?

Surely, there is a post office in our area that is open until 12:00. Where is it?