NEWS RELEASE

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Public Affairs Office

Contact: Danny Brazell

Phone: (803) 898-5464  Fax: (803) 898-5446

Email: brazeld@sctax.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 6, 2004

State tax filing deadline can be extended online

          South Carolina taxpayers who haven’t yet found the time to file their state income tax return are nearing the panic period with just a week to go before the April 15 tax deadline. There’s an easy way to avoid the panic, though, by going online to the South Carolina Department of Revenue website and filing for a tax deadline extension.

             Those needing the extra 120 days to prepare their South Carolina return can file the SC4868 request for extension form by going to www.sctax.org and clicking on the word “Extensions” at the SCnetFile icon. Only the state extension can be filed at this site and taxpayers must go to the Internal Revenue Service website, www.irs.gov, for information on filing federal deadline extensions.

            While filing an extension gives taxpayers more time to file, it does not give them more time to pay. But at the same time they are applying for an extension, taxpayers can conveniently pay any taxes they owe online with their VISA or MasterCard, or by Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW) from their bank account.

            South Carolina’s electronic filers have another way to extend the tax deadline. Taxpayers filing by computer have until May 3 to file, even if they owe. The May 3 filing deadline does not apply to federal returns or to taxpayers filing the traditional paper return. For the past four years, the Department has extended the electronic filing tax deadline to encourage taxpayers to try the state’s electronic filing programs.

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