PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Internal Revenue Service offers taxpayer assistance Monday through Friday, but this weekend, it added monthly Saturday clinics in Philadelphia and across major U.S. cities before — and immediately after tax day.
The goal of the new program is to help answer questions or straighten out any tax issues people may have to make it easier for them to file. According to IRS human capital officer Traci DiMartini, it isn’t a tax filing service, though agents are available over a series of Saturdays to answer any filing questions people may have.
“Everything ranging from ‘How do I change my address?’” she explained. “Perhaps they are hard of hearing or have low vision and they need to do an in-person service.”
Most of the information, DiMartini said, can be found on the IRS website. However, for anyone who needs help filling out forms or looking for translation services, the clinics can help. There are three more dates — March 16 and April 13, and on May 18 for late filers — all held at the IRS building at 600 Arch Street.
Despite the May clinic date, DiMartini stressed the importance of filing your taxes on time. “You certainly don't want to pay any interest in penalties and it is our duty as American citizens to pay our taxes,” she said.
That duty, she said, is important to quality of life issues.
“Do you like the roads that you drive on? Do you like the health care that you'll get when you're 65? Do you like the Social Security taxes that come out of our checks to go in and fund us into older age or if you become disabled?” she asked.
“You need to have money to pay for government services that we all take advantage of and that's what makes a civil society.”