Irs, Postal Service Open To Serve

Taxpayers who need a break Monday and Tuesday will get at least a little relief from the U.S. Postal Service and Internal Revenue Service.

The Postal Service will keep five Spokane locations open until the midnight Tuesday filing deadline to accept last-minute returns. The Manito Station at 3120 S. Grand, Opportunity Branch at 11712 E. Sprague, and Shadle-Garland Station at 1903 W. Garland will be operating, and a temporary location will be set up in the NorthTown Center parking lot.

Also, the Spokane Mail Processing Center at 703 E. Trent will start accepting forms early in the afternoon, continuing until midnight.

Postmaster Ken Symbol encouraged taxpayers to avoid filing Tuesday if possible. If people must file late, he asked that they avoid the Trent center, where drivers will encounter the worst traffic congestion.

Symbol cautioned filers to provide enough postage when they mail. A 32-cent stamp, good for one ounce, will probably get a four-page return to the processing center in Ogden, Utah, he said.

Another 23 cents is required for each additional ounce.

All the late-night locations will have postage available, Symbol said.

The Manito, Opportunity and Shadle-Garland offices will also offer tax counseling between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., courtesy of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Workers will have basic tax forms available, as well as extension applications.

Although they can assist filers with simple tax problems, more complex returns should be taken to a tax expert.

Besides the Post Offices, VITA representatives will also be at the U.S. Courthouse, 920 W. Riverside, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday.

They will also be at the North Spokane Library Monday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, the volunteers will move to the South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

, DataTimes