Many put off filing forms

Rob Specer visited a local tax preparer at 3 p.m. Monday. \nWithin 45 minutes, the company finished his paperwork.\nHe went to the downtown post office at 206 E. Fourth St. after work, getting the form postmarked six hours before the midnight deadline. \n"I procrastinated," he said. "It didn't sneak up on me; it was just me. But I'm just glad it's over."\nSpencer, who sipped coffee from a Styrofoam cup near a makeshift concession table, watched the blur of activity. He was not the only person to put off paying his taxes.\n"It's certainly one of the busiest days of the year," Bloomington Postmaster Larry Jacobs said. "It's right up there with Christmas."\nWhile the post office sees an increase in business in early April, Jacobs said about 12,000 locals wait until the last day.\n"People line up before 8 a.m. and come in all day long," he said, glancing at crates of letters behind him. "We'll have people come in screaming at 11:50. It's always last day, last minute."\nMeanwhile, at the Monroe County Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., taxpayers steadily filed in throughout the day. By law, the library must carry tax forms and the shelves were well-stocked with these forms, including the frequently used 1040 EZ and extension forms. Volunteers from the area staffed the work stations.\nLibrarian Janet Patterson, who was working the reference desk, said she spent much of her afternoon answering questions and showed patrons where to file their taxes.\n"It's been constantly busy," Patterson said. "A lot of people have waited until today. People just like to show up at the last minute."\nBesides pointing out the extension forms, she said one of the popular forms patrons wanted was the "Installment Agreement Request." The request allows tax payers who can't pay their taxes in one sum to pay in parts."\nBobby Overman, another librarian, said most of the people who were filing seemed undaunted by the looming deadline.\n"None of them looked too hassled," she said. "Most of them want extensions."\nAway from the bustle of patrons beginning the filing process, about a half dozen volunteers sat at tables and helped ease tension among patrons who had questions about their forms. Services ended at 5:30 p.m., but because of the volume of people needing help, volunteers stayed past 6:30 p.m.\nGraduate student Cheng Wang, who took advantage of the services, filed his taxes late Monday. He said he waited at the library for more than an hour. He was the 25th person on a waiting list. His taxes were different from most filers because he is a native of China and had just moved from Maryland. \n"They were very helpful," he said. "They just got right down to the forms. They get right to the point quickly."\nThe library closed at 9 p.m., but Patterson said that library leaves boxes of forms outside for those waiting until the last minute.\n"I'm afraid they know that," she said. "Why pay until you have to"