One day left to prepare income tax return

Post office party

Members of the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band will celebrate the end of the tax season with a party from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the lobby of the main Lawrence post office, 645 Vt.

The band’s traditional playing of the “William Tell Overture” is scheduled to run right up until 5:30 p.m., when the post office closes. A self-service machine in the lobby will be available throughout the rest of the night.

Stress, fatigue and a seemingly endless array of forms, figures and other financial facts can add up to unintended mistakes on anyone’s tax return.

The IRS understands this, but doesn’t necessarily forgive. And certainly won’t forget.

With income tax returns due to be filed by the time Wednesday night turns to Thursday morning, IRS officials are reminding folks to be patient, fastidious and attentive in crunching the numbers — either on paper or using a computer — for the 2008 tax year.

“Resist the temptation to put off your taxes until the last minute,” said Michael Devine, an IRS spokesman for Kansas. “Haste to meet the deadline increases your risk of making an error.”

Mistakes aren’t good for anyone, Devine said. Errors postpone the processing of returns, which in turn delays refunds or adds interest penalties to balances inadvertently left unpaid.

But true procrastinators lurking among the 1.4 million Kansans who waited until this month to file still have hope for success, Devine said. His advice:

• Be correct. “Double-check the accuracy of all math entries and Social Security numbers; attach all W-2s and appropriate schedules; and sign the tax return.”

• Go electronic. Fewer than 1 percent of returns filed electronically contain errors; the error rate is 20 percent for paper returns. About 70 percent of taxpayers are eligible to e-file for free. Visit IRS.gov for more information.

• Get extended. File IRS Form 4868 for a six-month reprieve — “that’s an extension to file, but not an extension to pay if you owe more.”

• Be sure to file. The penalty for failing to file a return generally is 10 times higher than filing a return and not paying the taxes owed. For information about payment plans, call the IRS at 800-829-1040.