Residents racing to the finish line to file taxes before deadline

You only have a little more than a week. “People traditionally those that like to wait are still waiting,” says Sandra Fernandez, from H&R Block in Santa Maria.

She’s talking about the many people who are waiting to file their tax returns.Tax specialists at the H&R Block on South Broadway in Santa Maria are busy.

“The phones are ringing, we encourage them to come in now and don’t want them to wait,” says Fernandez.

She says when it comes to filing your taxes, especially for people waiting until the last minute, organization is key.

“One of the big things this year is the healthcare, we want to make sure people are bringing their forms especially if you received healthcare through the marketplace,” she says.

Fernandez says things at H&R Block can get chaotic leading to April 18 when taxes are due.

“It’s still early so if people do owe or even if you don’t owe and you want more of your withholding back you can go to the bank and open up an IRA” she says.

Fernandez says for people owing money tax specialists can help work out an installment plan to pay it back.

They should keep in mind that there are fees that can pile up for not filing on time.

“If you do owe and then any balances not paid by April 18 you’ll have penalties and interest,” says Fernandez.

As tax specialists prep for the next few days they keep one thing in mind, “our philosophy is we will not close until the last client is gone,” says Fernandez.