Fewer Last-Minute Tax Filers This Year

Business was slow at the El Paso?s main United States Post Office along Boeing Drive on the final day for tax returns to be postmarked.

This year?s final day to file taxes, or an extension, fell on Tuesday because April 15 fell on a Sunday. Monday was recognized as a federal Holiday marking Emancipation Day. As a result, procrastinators got an extra two days to file this year.

?It gave me a few extra days to sit back and think about what I had to do,? said Jaime Pinales.

When asked why he didn?t do his taxes sooner, Pinales simply said it happens this way every year.

He wasn?t alone. ABC-7 found several people filing their taxes last minute on Tuesday. However, even El Paso?s postmaster admitted that the crowds seen these days are nothing like they used to be.

A big factor in the slow foot traffic has to do with e-filing. The Internal Revenue Service has given the option to file taxes via the internet dating back to 1990, but only recently has it caught fire.

According to the IRS website, more than 77 percent of people e-filed their tax returns last year, and that figure is expected to jump this year.