Columbus Day is a federal holiday (one of twelve for Congress) which means that post office and other government offices are closed – but many local government offices are open for business as usual.
You can also bet that your local tax professional is working today: it’s just one week before the filing deadline for individuals on a regular extension for federal income tax returns. The due date is Monday, October 15.
If you’re one of those nearly 10 million taxpayers who filed an extension in April to get a little extra time to file your federal income tax return – including Mitt Romney and me – you might want to spend the day getting your receipts organized (if you haven’t already). You need to have those returns in the mail or on their way electronically by Monday, October 15.
Remember that an extension to file is not the same as an extension to pay. If your return indicates that you owe taxes, you will likely also owe a few extra dollars in interest. It’s not the end of the world: lucky for you, interest rates remain fairly low.
If you’ve already filed for 2011, good for you! But take a peek at your calendar: now is the time to start thinking about 2012. Give your tax professional a call (er, just not this week).
