Taxing time here again

Friday, April 12, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

Tax help For last minute help in filing your taxes, try:

Shanna and David Limberg of Salt Lake City interrupted their Las Vegas vacation on Thursday and took a slight detour from sightseeing to file their federal income taxes.

"We realized it was April 11th and the deadline was Monday so we thought we'd better get in here," said Shanna Limberg, who had been vacationing with her husband in the Southwest after the couple volunteered for the Olympics.

Like thousands of foot-dragging Americans waiting until the last minute to finish their tax returns, the Limbergs opened the phone book and found an H&R Block office on the corner of Tropicana and Eastern avenues.

With the tax filing deadline coming Monday, those Americans with a penchant for putting off the tax man were expected to cram over the weekend. The Internal Revenue Service expects 30 million Americans to wait until Monday to file.

"We expect a very busy weekend and Monday," said Nancy Brewton, the H&R office manager, who handled with calm efficiency the harried staff surrounded by constantly ringing phones.

Brewton, whose parents were both accountants, had one piece of advice for late filers: Be organized.

Tax preparers charge by the hour to sort records and receipts.

Brewton's office, as with several other tax preparers, will be open over the weekend and late Monday. Both the IRS and the post office are trying to make crunch time a little easier with extended hours or services.

For the sixth year, the IRS is offering drive-through pickup service for tax forms, and representatives will be at the office, 4750 W. Oakey Blvd., to answer simple questions.

"You don't need to leave your car to get last-minute tax forms or answers to tax questions," IRS Area Director James J. Walsh said. Last year 9,400 people took advantage of the Las Vegas drive-through.

Last year Nevadans filed 912,800 returns, and that is expected to increase to 956,600 this year, IRS spokesman Bill Brunson said.

Many Americans, though, skipped the lines. Almost half of all the 79.7 million returns filed nationwide last year were done on computer by E-filing, Brunson said.

But for those who want to do it the old-fashioned way, the U.S. Postal Service is helping last-minute taxpayers to meet the deadline, spokesman Vic Fenimore said, by keeping later hours Monday.

In addition to a 9 p.m. pickup for all collection boxes in the Las Vegas area, two IRS representatives will be at the main post office, at Sunset and Paradise Roads, from 4 p.m. to midnight, Fenimore said.

In addition, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts of Las Vegas will be at the main post office 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., handing out a sweet treat for those mailing returns.

If it's impossible to get to the post office, head for Mandalay Bay. The resort is introducing the newest resident at Shark Reef. The new South American Piranha exhibit opens Monday, and procrastinating taxpayers can mail their returns from 3 to 10 p.m. and get a free ticket to see the exhibit, Fenimore said.

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