Taxes Are Due Today
By Paul Thomson :: 9:06 AM
Today is April 15th – tax day in the U.S. Paperwork must be in, and taxes paid by midnight tonight, if you don’t want to incur the wrath of the IRS.
In the run-up to the tax deadline this year, people are taking to the Internet and social media to vent, commiserate, and complain about their tax situations, and to look for help with their 1040’s.
On Twitter, “taxes” was a popular Tweet word this month, peaking with 36,670 mentions on April 10th, and then coming up quite high again yesterday with 34,319 mentions. Nothing like a little procrastination!
On Google, the number of people looking for tax help and advice was pretty even through March and this month until last Monday, when searches on the topic trended upward.
Some popular Google search terms related to taxes this month:
- tax extension
- taxes deadline 2013
- taxes due
- taxes due 2013
- deadline for taxes
- taxes due date
- federal taxes online
- taxes deadline
- estimated taxes
- pay taxes online
While today is the official deadline for taxpayers, those in a bind can file an extension with the IRS. Contrary to popular belief, filing for an extension on your taxes isn’t a bad thing, and is fairly easy.
Over 10 million Americans will seek an extension on their taxes this year. By filing Form 4868, and providing a few details, taxpayers can extend their tax due date by six months, until October 15. This is only an extension of time to file your taxes, however, not of time to pay.
If you owe money to the IRS this year, filing an extension will not help you. The IRS still expects you to pay what you owe by April 15.
What if you can’t pay your taxes?
If you don’t have the money to send that check off to Uncle Sam today, you may have a few options. The IRS is pretty picky about getting paid, so if you can put the amount on your credit card, or scrape together the money out of a home equity line of credit or personal loan, that might be your best option.
However, the IRS does have a tax payment plan option for people in a bind. If you have a good history of filing and paying your taxes on time, and if you owe less than $10,000, you can enter into an installment plan with the IRS. Monthly payments can be set up, but you must be able to pay off the due tax within three years.
To enter into a payment plan agreement for your taxes, submit  Form 9465, the Installment Agreement Request, to the front of your tax return.
Remember, all tax documents and payments must be postmarked by 11:59 pm tonight, April 15. Good luck!