April 15 Tax Deadline Looms for Late Filers

The Internal Revenue Service

The clock is ticking for late filers who have yet to complete their 2012 taxes. WABE's John Lorinc reports.

The deadline to file taxes for 2012 is Monday.

Officials at the Internal Revenue Service, remind filers to take an extra-close look at the paperwork before turning it over to the government.

“Probably one of the most costly errors that I’ve seen over the last 28 years has been where individuals complete everything, double-check all the math, double-check all the social security numbers and then send in the return without signing it.  So that’s been a very costly error,” says IRS spokesman Mark Green.

He stresses it is important to file something by the Monday midnight deadline.

“Whether it’s your tax return or the extension…..failure to file either one of those returns can be very costly. People get penalties and interest.  The penalties can be anywhere between 5-percent to 25-percent,” says Green.

The government also recommends filing taxes electronically.

“We can process those returns much more efficiently.  You’ll get your refund much quicker than if you file paper and it’s also more efficient for the state.  We’re able to process them with less folks and that’s good for taxpayers,” says state revenue commissioner Doug MacGinnitie.

For Georgians, MacGinnitie says there’s no major changes to federal and state laws this tax season.