news-record.com

At this time of year — April 15 — it’s all about the numbers.

Those on the tax forms.

Those on the calendar.

And those on the clock.

The big number, of course, is how many hours until midnight, the tax filing deadline.

For those who still haven’t filed their returns, here are some other numbers that might provide some encouragement.

Based on 2008 filing season data, the Internal Revenue Service:

• Processed 156 million individual returns.
• Received 89.8 million of the total returns electronically. (Generally, those who file online get their refunds in about half the time as those who use paper.)
• Received 62.9 million of the e-filings from tax professionals.
• Sent out 107.5 million refunds totaling $261.3 billion. That’s an average refund of $2,429.
• Sent out 2.8 million math error notices, pointing out 3.6 million mistakes.
• Logged 351.1 million visitors to its Web site, www.irs.gov.

That’s the place to start for last-minute questions.

If you put off doing your taxes, you’re not alone. The IRS says about 35 percent file in April and 20 percent do so during the final week.

Then, there are those who file for an extension. Last year, 249,000 North Carolinians chose that option.

But remember, if you owe money, an extension of the time to file is not an extension of the time to pay.

The IRS says that taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount would still benefit from filing their return and paying as much as they can by today’s deadline.

Interest and failure-to-pay penalties are due on any unpaid balance and increase the amount the taxpayer owes.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com