Still Haven't Filed? Last Chance for Taxes

Confession: I haven't filed my taxes yet. 

I don't procrastinate, exactly; I actually like doing taxes, and I do them the old-fashioned way: with pen and paper, using the IRS instruction booklets. Then I stick them in the mailbox.

Even though I compile all the financial documents on the early side and get things started, somehow I never close the deal until the last minute. This year, I got an extra two days what with April 15 being on a Sunday and today being Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia.

But by tomorrow at midnight, the curtain closes for me and everyone else in the same position. Unfortunately, the Luddites among us won't be assisted by post offices open extra late; the San Francisco Chronicle reports that only two post offices in the Bay Area, in Oakland and San Jose, will stay open late, and they'll close their doors at 10:30 p.m.

So whether you're filing electronically or by mail, remember that April 17 at midnight is your deadline. If you haven't started yet, IRS.gov has a list of online software you can use to file for free if you qualify.