Last minute tips for this tax season

Still scurrying to complete your tax return? Here are some last minute tips to help keep you organized.  

• Don't forget to put your Social Security number on each form of your tax return, and be sure to write your Social Security number on page one of the tax return. If you use the label the IRS sent you, you still need to fill in your Social Security number.  

• Sit down with a calculator and double-check your addition and subtraction. If you wait for the IRS to catch your error, you will have to wait extra long to get any refund that may be due to you.  

• Remember to sign your tax return. The signature goes on page two. If you are filing jointly, both you and your spouse must sign the return.  

• Attach all required schedules. You may have filled out a schedule, and then tucked the schedule away with your receipts. A good way to make sure all schedules are attached is to look at each line of the tax return where you have entered a number. Read the line and see if a schedule is required to support the number on that line.  

• Attach your W-2 forms. The federal copy, Copy B, of each W-2 form should be stapled to the front page of your tax return. Copy 2 of your W-2 form gets attached to the front of your state tax return.  

• Get your tax return into the mail so that it will be postmarked by midnight, Monday, April 16. Only taxpayers in the northeast states who file their tax returns in Massachusetts have until the 17th to file because the 16th is a state holiday.  

• Double-check all Social Security numbers - yours, your spouse's, those of your children, and the numbers of any care-givers for whom you are claiming a tax credit.  

If you are including a payment with your tax return, make out your check to "United States Treasury." The IRS prefers that you do not attach the check to the tax return, just include it in the same envelope. You should fill out a 1040V voucher describing your payment and include that in the envelope as well. Do not attach the check to the 1040V.  

There is still time to open and fund a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. You can open the account as late as Monday, April 16, and make a contribution that qualifies for the year 2000. Certain contributions to traditional IRAs qualify as deductions on your 2000 tax return.  

There is still time to file your tax return electronically, and you may do so by using one of the tax software packages, such as TurboTax or TaxCut, or you may file your returns on the Internet by going to www.funwithtaxes.com.  

If you have not completed your tax return, you can file form 4868 and request an automatic extension of time to file. You may also request this extension by telephone by calling 1-888-796-1074. The automatic extension gives you until August 15 to file your return. Even if you extend your due date, you are still liable for the tax that is due and will be subjected to penalties and interest if you don't pay the tax by April 16.  

If you decide to pay your tax by credit card, you are not required to request an extension - you may inform the processor who accepts your credit card payment that you want to extend your tax return. 

There are two credit card processors:

• Official Payments Corporation, at 1-800-2PAY-TAX, located on the Internet at www.officialpayments.com,  and 

• PhoneCharge, Inc., at 1-888-ALLTAXX, located on the Internet at www.About1888ALLTAX.com.  

Each of these companies assess a 2.5 percent fee for processing your tax charge. This fee is in addition to any interest charges you may incur on your credit card