skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

"Crunch Time" to Crunch the Numbers for Tax-Filers

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 9, 2014   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - It's crunch time for Illinoisans who still need to crunch the numbers for their 2013 income taxes. Those who do not file by April 15, or who do not file for an extension, will face a penalty from the federal government.

IRS Illinois spokesman Joe Munoz said simple returns can be completed and filed electronically through "e-file." He said people who typically do their taxes on paper are about 20 times more likely to make errors compared with those who do them online.

"IRS 'e-file' is the most accurate way to file your tax return," he said. "It corrects certain math errors, it also verifies that the Social Security you place on your tax return is the correct one - plus, it asks you the questions that you need to know so you can file it correctly."

Wrong or missing Social Security numbers are among taxpayers' most common mistakes on their forms, Munoz said. He advised people to make sure they have the correct filing status, names and account numbers, and to remember to sign and date the forms. An estimated 90 percent of Illinois residents choose to file electronically.

Extensions can be filed by mail or online. Munoz said that will give you six months to get taxes filed, but it does not give you an extension to pay if you owe.

"If you do, you need to pay by April 15 at midnight," he said, "because if you don't do that, then you're going to end up paying penalties, plus interest to what is owed."

For people who cannot afford to pay their taxes in full when they are due, he said, the IRS can establish a payment plan based on the taxpayer's income.

The average refund in Illinois is projected to be $1,200 to $1,500. Munoz said more than 37,000 llinoisans did not file tax returns in 2010 and, therefore, didn't claim potential refunds. He said their time to do so now is limited.

"They're going to lose an average of $600 to $800 because they didn't file," he said, " so they have only three years to do so starting in 2010, and that's going to expire on April 15th."

More tax-filing information is online at irs.gov.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021