Tax Deadline Draws Near

There are extra hands inside and outside the main post office all day and night for tax day, but because the number of returns being processed electronically continues to jump, officials say those hands will be shortened over the years.

Baltimore postmaster, Bill Ridenour, said what used to be a carnival along Fayette Street has changed over the years, and as a result, officials have had to scale back operations. Postal officials say this time around, they are expecting the lowest decrease in tax day visitors.

"We heard from the IRS that 52-percent of returns are now being doing online," he said. "But, as a service to our customers, to help the people who wait until the last minute, we will be open until midnight tonight."

Maryland's comptroller, Peter Franchot, is asking state filers not to panic today and rush to get a Refund Anticipation Loan or have their taxes completed by what he calls a shady preparer.

"There are a lot of them out there because it's not regulated right now as to who can be a tax preparer and who isn't," he said. "I would stay away all day today from people who promise Refund Anticipation Loans - - if it's too good to be true - - it probably is."

Franchot said 1.8 million Marylanders have completed the filing process. He expects by Wednesday night to receive another one million returns.

Ridenour said on a normal day, postal workers cancel 800,000 pieces of mail; they expect to cancel one million pieces tonight and last year on tax day, they canceled 1.2 million pieces.

Whether you come to the main building or a neighborhood site, Ridenour said to avoid processing delays, filers should have correct forms and correctly prepared envelopes.

Ridenour added that the job of the postal worker is to process mail, not to help complete tax forms nor give tax advice.

"It's sad, every year we see people come in ten minutes to midnight with nothing completed and no forms, and at that point, we just can't help," he said.

The Internal Revenue Service expects Marylanders to file 2.8 million federal returns this year. Spokesman, Jim Dupree, said 20-percent of Maryland filers will wait until the deadline week.

Dupree added that the IRS expects about 185,000 extension requests.

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