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American Morning

Deadline Nears for Filing Tax Returns

Aired April 16, 2001 - 11:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our other news today -- today is the day that many taxpayers dread. Midnight is the deadline to get those tax forms on their way to the Internal Revenue Service, and that means that post offices and IRS help centers across the U.S. will be very busy places today, perhaps even a bit stressful, you might say.

CNN's Patty Davis checks in now from one of those IRS help centers in Washington. Patty, how stressful are things there?

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's actually pretty calm in here today...

KAGAN: Good.

DAVIS: ... considering the fact that 26-million people are expected to file at the last minute today.

You can see it's pretty crowded at this point, but this center -- this service center here in Washington, D.C., expected to service some 500 people today.

Now you can walk into centers like this all around the country and get your questions answered on your taxes. You can also file electronically at a service center like this.

Now once you've gone through the registration line-- like you see probably that 15, 20 people lined up here -- you can head over here. We're going to take a walk over to where you can actually get the IRS agents -- they will actually do your taxes for you today. So they -- there are about, oh, five or so people in here getting their taxes done right now, and you can also have them file those electronically. If you've done your own taxes, you can have them file electronically. The service is all free, but there are income limits.

Now there are tax tips that the IRS is giving out. They include double check the numbers, especially your Social Security number, when you put it on your tax form, if you're doing it on your own. Also double check here. Also sign your return. Attach your W-2s. And then finally, make the payment check -- specifically make it to U.S. Treasury and include your Social Security number on your check as well.

Now there is good news. In fact, most people will be getting tax refunds, if past years are any indication. In 1999, more than 71 percent of people got a refund, an average of $1,652, that according to the IRS. More good news as well as far as audits are concerned. Now the audit rates are -- have been going down and, in fact, for all individuals less than one-half of 1 percent. For high-income individuals making a hundred thousand or more, it's less than 1 percent.

Now there is some good news, too. If -- if you don't live in the Washington, D.C., area or most of the country and you happen to live in the Northeast, you do not have to bite the bullet until tomorrow. In fact, it is Patriot Day today in Massachusetts, and that is where one of the major IRS Processing Centers is located, and it is not receiving forms. It's cutting taxpayers a break up in that part of the country.

I'll give you the states on that -- Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and upstate New York, that is north of Westchester and Rockland Counties. So, if you live up there, you actually have until Tuesday midnight to file your taxes this year -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Patty Davis. Thanks for those tips. Thank you very much.

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