April 14, 2004 – If your idea of filing your income-tax return early is to get it in two days ahead of the April 15 deadline, you're in good company.
Still in his office after 7 p.m. Wednesday, Louis Willis, Internal Revenue Bureau director, said he was glad to see the number of residents who had filed their returns in the last two days. "Things have been looking good," he said. "More people are filing earlier. Now I have to plan on extra staff for three days instead of two next year."
At the St. Croix office on Wednesday, a steady flow of would-be filers angled their way up to the second floor, where they met a short wait. Procrastinators searched feverishly for the right forms on 8-foot-high wall shelves. "I had everything done last night," one mumbled softly as she picked up the 1040 Schedule R, "and now I find I need additional forms. I am so upset with myself."
Georgina Lacane said after handing in her return that she had felt sick but brought her return to the IRB anyway. But she was happy the wait was brief: "I handed it and they stamped it. I didn't stay one second."
"The year gone so fast," one person standing in line commented. "It was just Christmas."
"We have extra windows open for this purpose," IRB training specialist Thomas Blake Jr. said on Wednesday. "Our forecast for tomorrow is a large turnout." For the April 15 final countdown, he said, the offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Myrna Mathurin, who said she fills out her own tax forms, admitted that the annual experience can be nerve wracking, "because we like to wait for the last minute."
Ashton Richardson, a retired Housing Authority maintenance worker, said he came by the office because he was unsure if he had to pay anything. As the 77-year-old squinted to read the fine print on his W-2 form, Blake, who called himself an "all arounder," welcomed the senior citizen into his office to analyze his filing status.
Five minutes later Richardson returned to the waiting room in smiles. "I don't have to file anything," he said.
Although it's not the IRB staff's job to prepare tax returns for residents, sometimes exceptions can be made, as in Richardson's case, deputy director Gizette Canegata said, also with a smile.
"It's been slower today than yesterday, Canegata said as she received, reviewed, staples and stamped forms. "Painless," she said to one woman who nervously handed in her return along with a check.
Some V.I. taxpayers have been filing their returns online at the federal Internal Revenue Service Web site in the hope of receiving a quick refund, Canegata said while assisting staff during the lunch period on Wednesday. But she said those tax forms will be returned to the Virgin Islands to be refiled locally. And such persons run the risk of late fees and penalties if the IRB doesn't received their returns by April 15.
The bureau accepts payments by cash, check, ATM debit cards, and VISA or MasterCard credit cards. Canegata reminded taxpayers to sign all forms, list their mailing address, and bring an extra copy to be stamped for their own records.
Willis said 2002 tax returns brought $91 million into the territory's coffers and he hopes to see $94 million for 2003. He also pointed out that residents can be prosecuted if they fail to file their tax returns, unless they are exempt. "You can end up in jail," he said.
If you have lost your W-2, you can obtain a copy from your local tax office for a $10 fee.
If you did not received a tax return in the mail, your name may be posted on a list at your local tax office. In the St. Croix office, the list is on the wall next to the receptionist window. For information, call Angelita Gautier at 773-1040, ext. 4222.
Those working on their returns into the night on Thursday can post them at the Kingshill post office right up to midnight and an April 15 postmark on the envelope.
But if you just cannot meet the deadline, file a simple, single-page Form 4868 requesting an automatic extension. It gives you four more months in which to complete your return, but you'll be liable for late fees on taxes you owe.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name, and the city and state/country or island where you reside.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
