The Internal Revenue Service is also reminding taxpayers to file by the deadline or request a six-month extension.
There are three ways to submit an IRS Form 4868 for an extension, according to Michael Devine, IRS spokesperson for the Kansas area.
Those include electronically (such as by computer) or by paying part of your tax due with a credit card through an outside service provider listed on the form, or by mail.
?An extension will give you extra time to get your paperwork to the IRS, but it does not extend the time you have to pay any tax due,? Devine said.
Taxpayers who file on time but don?t pay all or some of their taxes by the deadline could face interest on the unpaid amount and a failure-to-pay penalty.
?Filing by April 15 allows taxpayers to avoid the failure-to-file penalty, even if they can?t pay all of their taxes,? he said.
Taxpayers who can?t pay the full amount by the deadline should pay as much as they can to minimize interest and penalties that increase the total amount a taxpayer owes.
?If you owe taxes and don?t file your tax return by the deadline, you may have to pay interest on the unpaid taxes and a failure-to-file penalty,? he said.
Anyone facing financial difficulties or an unusual hardship situation and struggling to meet tax obligations, the IRS may be able to help.
Devine said the IRS is allowing more flexibility for individuals with existing installment agreements who have difficulty making payments because of a job loss or other financial hardship.
Depending on the situation, the IRS may allow a skipped payment or a reduced monthly payment amount. Taxpayers in this situation should contact the IRS on the phone number listed on their IRS correspondence.
Another help is an ?offer in compromise? on home values, which is an agreement between a taxpayer and the IRS that settles the taxpayer?s tax debt for less than full amount owed.
This may be a viable option for taxpayers experiencing economic difficulties, Devine said.
?With the uncertainty in the housing market, the IRS recognizes that the real-estate valuations used to assess ability to pay are not necessarily accurate,? he said.
Where the accuracy of local real-estate valuations is in question or other unusual hardships exist, the IRS is offering a second review to determine if accepting an offer is appropriate.
Taxpayers who are unable to meet the periodic payment terms of an accepted OIC can contact the IRS for options to help avoid default.
Postponement of collection actions by the IRS may be able to minimize the burden on the taxpayer in hardship cases, such as loss of a job or other financial problem and are unable to pay.
Another area is levy releases. The IRS, Devine said, will speed the delivery of levy releases by easing requirements on taxpayers who request expedited levy releases for hardship reasons. Taxpayers should contact the IRS number shown on the notice of levy to discuss available options.
When calling, be prepared to provide the IRS with the fax number of the bank or employer processing the levy.
For more information about e-filing and paying your taxes, visit the IRS.gov Web site and choose 1040 Central.
?Don?t be confused by Internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov,? Devine said.
