IRS Offices Open Extra Hours

Before April 18 Deadline

HARTFORD — Taxpayers in Connecticut have until April 18 to file and pay their 1999 federal income taxes. The deadline applies to federal income tax returns and payments, Individual Retirement Account contributions, and first quarter estimated tax payments for tax year 2000.

April 18 is the due date this year because April 15 falls on a Saturday and the following Monday is Patriot’s Day, a legal state holiday in Massachusetts, where state residents’ returns are processed.

The IRS is extending the hours at all of its local walk-in offices during the final days of the tax season. The offices in Hartford and New Haven will be open on Saturday, April 15, from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm, and on Sunday, April 16, from 12:30 until 5:30 pm.

The schedule for walk-in help in Danbury on the final two days of the filing season is Monday, April 17, 8 am to 4:30 pm, and Tuesday, April 18, 8 am to 6:30 pm.

Last minute filers can also get help from the IRS on the evening of April 18 at post offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury.

Taxpayers who cannot file their returns by the due date should file Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return.

Form 4868 must be postmarked by midnight on April 18. Taxpayers do not need to pay to get the extension but must use the form to estimate their total tax liability. Interest and penalties will apply to late payments. However, taxpayers who get the extension will not get a late filing penalty.

Taxpayers have a new option this year: charging an extension-related payment to a credit card. The charge is considered an automatic request for an extension, so no Form 4868 is required. However, the deadline to do this is April 17. Taxpayers who do not meet criteria for an extension have until April 18 if they wish to make a timely credit card payment. The number to call is 888/2PAY-TAX. American Express, Discover Card, and MasterCard are accepted.

Taxpayers can get tax forms up to the last minute from local IRS offices, public libraries, and from the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov. They can also get forms from the 24-hour IRS TaxFax by calling 703/368-9694 from a fax machine. TaxFax users should request item #13141 to get Form 4868 by return fax. They should request item #14842 for Form 9465, which they can use to set up a tax payment installment agreement.

Taxpayers can call the IRS toll-free line at 800/TAX-1040 for 24-hour phone assistance.