C. Oregonians rush to finish taxes – and get a break

If you have not paid Uncle Sam yet, you’re not alone.

In addition to getting extended by a day by the IRS due to computer woes Tuesday, Tax Day already had gotten delayed by a couple more days because of April 15 falling on a Sunday, and Monday being Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia.

But there was still a mad rush to get everything in on time.

Several tax specialists in Bend said Tuesday’s deadline was busier than last year’s. In fact, an H&R Block employee said she saw 12 people lined up at the door when the office opened.

The post offices in Bend were crammed as well, with a constant stream of cars forming a line that went outside the parking lot and onto the street. Why wait until the last minute?

“I write the checks on the last day and I put them in the mail on the last day because the money’s going to have to be borrowed to pay them,” Bend resident Bill Thomason said.

One tx specialist said a big reason this year’s deadline is so hectic is the change in the tax code, specifically that it passed in Congress just a couple months ago and caught many people off guard.

“The tax law changed, so I have some clients that didn’t get the correct refund that they should,” tax consultant Rhonda Laite said. “The mortgage insurance premium can be a big chunk of money that they can write off.”