One day.

That’s all that’s left before Thursday’s deadline to file your tax return, mail a check for what you owe — or seek an extension.

But help is available.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service, is being offered today and Thursday in Lawrence.

“It is still possible to get a return done,” said Stephen Mazza, an associate professor at the KU School of Law and an adviser to KU law students who help staff the tax assistance centers. “If it is a pretty straightforward return, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The program is for taxpayers who have earned incomes of less than $35,000. The preparers probably won’t tackle complicated returns. For example, they likely won’t be able to help people who are self-employed or have large amounts of capital gains or losses.

What to take

The program doesn’t require a reservation. But to leave with a completed return, people need to bring:

Yilan Zhao, a reference librarian at the Lawrence Public Library, organizes federal tax forms. Last-minute tax filers flocked to the library Tuesday to obtain forms which should be postmarked by Thursday.

• Social Security card.
• Tax forms or booklets received in the mail.
• All W-2, 1099 or other income statements received.
• Receipts for medical expenses, home mortgage interest, gifts to charity and work expenses that have not been reimbursed.
• Checkbook to provide the proper routing numbers to have any refund deposited directly into a bank account.

The Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program helps qualifying individuals file their tax returns. The program is offered:¢ Today, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 946 N.H.; and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kansas University School of Law, Green Hall, 1535 W. 15th St.¢ Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ballard Community Center, 708 Elm St., and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, 1600 Haskell Ave.

Mazza estimated that the assistance program would help file about 800 returns this year.

Michele Kessler, associate director for KU’s Legal Services for Students, said the program was an important service for Lawrence residents because many can’t afford to pay for professional help.

“It always has been a pet peeve of mine that U.S. citizens have to pay someone to figure out how much money they have to pay to their government,” Kessler said.

Getting more time

If the IRS estimates can be trusted, one day may not be enough to prepare a return. For federal taxes alone, the IRS figures you’ll need 13 1/2 hours to complete the basic 1040 form, 5 1/2 hours to itemize deductions, nearly 11 hours if you run a small business, and eight more hours if you’re a typical investor. That’s 38 hours — nearly a full week’s worth of work.

Taxpayers might want to consider filing for an extension if they are trying to remember what they did with the envelopes that were marked “important tax information enclosed.”

“I think for a lot of people I would tell them to go ahead and file an extension rather than trying to rush through it and be forced to file an amended return later,” Kessler said.

The IRS will give anyone who fills out the proper paperwork an automatic extension until Aug. 15. The paperwork — Form 4868 — must be filed by April 15 in order to receive the extension. But tax professionals say filers need to remember that an extension doesn’t absolve them of the potential penalties and interest that would accumulate by paying their taxes late.

“It is an extension to file your piece of paper. It is not an extension to pay your tax,” Kessler said.

Taxpayers should send an estimated payment to avoid large amounts of interest or tax penalties, Kessler said. She urged filers to look at how much they paid in taxes the previous year and use that as an estimate for how much they might owe this year.

“That will get you in the ballpark unless there has been a major change in your income,” Kessler said.

Where to go

Federal tax forms can found by clicking on www.irs.gov. Kansas tax forms are available at www.ksrevenue.org/forms-perstax.htm. Forms for other states can be found under the tax section of moneycentral.msn.com.

The Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt., also has federal and Kansas tax forms.

Several area residents were picking up forms Tuesday at the library.

Pieter Berendsen, Lecompton, said he tended to be a last-minute filer because of the complexity of the tax system.

“It is horrible,” Berendsen said. “Some form of flat tax would be better. I’m always amazed by how many lawyers the government must have to hire to write all this confusing language.”