10 million Americans will be filing their taxes today for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The Internal Revenue Service expects to process 138 million individual tax returns this year.   

Mark Hanson, an IRS spokesperson, said roughly 10 million taxpayers will either file their return or for an extension today.   

If you can’t file your return today, you should request an extension by filing Form 4868, Automatic Extension of Time to File, through Free File at IRS.gov, Hanson said, which will push the filing deadline back to Oct. 15.   

Hanson said, however, the extension does not delay any payments that are due.  

“An extension is not an extension to pay your taxes if you owe the IRS money,” he said.  “You need to pay the balance by [the deadline].” 

If you cannot pay all or some of the balance due, Hanson said the IRS recommends you file your return or request an extension, pay as much as you can and get in touch with them as quickly as possible. 

Due to the current economy, Hanson said the IRS has become more flexible and will work with struggling taxpayers to establish a monthly payment agreement.   

“We look at [the individual’s] situation on a case by case basis,” he said.  “But they need to let us know they’re struggling.” 

In addition, Hanson said students needed to check their return very carefully for errors. 

“Common errors students make is forgetting to check if someone else is claiming them as a dependent,” he said.   

Hanson said he recommends taxpayers file electronically using E-FILE, an electronic filing software, because it’s more accurate and faster.   

“More than 20 percent of paper returns have simple errors,” he said.  “Less than one percent of electronic returns have errors.”   

Once the IRS accepts the return, taxpayers will receive a confirmation within 48 hours. If taxpayers choose the option to directly deposit their refunds when e-filing, they will get their refunds in as few as 10 days   

“Students could probably use that money in their pocket sooner then later,” Hanson said.    

Omar Hamoush, a sophomore in biochemistry, said he filed his return in Jan. 

“It’s a pain.  My parents had to help me out,” he said. 

Hamoush said he used software to file his taxes in addition to his parents’ guidance. 

“Tax cuts definitely helped eliminate the errors I would have made,” he said. 

Joe Jones, a senior in civil engineering, used a software program for his federal return as well. 

“[I used] Turbotax because it’s $5, easier, and you get your refund quicker,” he said.   

Hanson warned, however, of e-mail scams offering refunds, threatening to audit taxpayers or asking for information regarding their tax return.   

“The IRS will not initiate contact with taxpayers over email,” he said. ”If you get an email claiming it’s from the IRS, it’s a phishing scam and you could possibly be setting yourself up for identity theft.” 

Hanson said the IRS will contact taxpayers in the “old-fashioned way” by sending a letter through the postal service.