Apr. 18—ASHTABULA — Tax-filing season has changed drastically over the decades with far fewer people waiting in lines at the post office to send their all important documents off to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
The ability to file online has changed the necessity of specific programs from the U..S. Post Service on tax day, but increased employees during the last year have helped the organization respond to important mail at all times of the year, said Mark Inglett, a USPS strategic communication specialist.
Monday was the last day to postmark returns to meet IRS deadlines, but it seemed to be pretty much business as usual at the Ashtabula Post Office.
"The United States Postal Service is the nation's most trusted federal agency. We're incredibly proud of that and we're excited and more than ready to take great care of our customers during this busy tax season," Inglett said.
He said the "Delivering for America Program", instituted March 23, 2021, has helped the USPS hire people so post offices are properly staffed. The program is scheduled to receive a $40 billion investment in people and infrastructure over the next 10 years, according to information provided by Inglett.
A unique tax-filing benefit went off as planned on Monday afternoon, but with a little different weather than originally planned.
Forty people responded to the free shaved tropical ice offering at the Kona Ice truck parked by Fat Sally's in Ashtabula Harbor on Monday afternoon. That was just during the first hour of a two-hour offering.
The event is connected to a national promotion by the Kona Ice company to give back to communities, said Diane Acierno, co-owner of the truck with her sister, Karen Tannish.
Acierno said many people came to get their ice, even in the midst of a snow storm. The weather was not what Acierno anticipated when she agreed to the program.
"It is not what I thought," Acierno said of expectations that changed slightly due to snow that started dropping from the sky just before the 2 p.m. start time for the program.
Acierno said nobody was reflecting deeply about their tax-filing experiences, but people were happy to get some shaved ice, even as a different kind of ice, or snow, came at them from above.
Several area tax preparers had busy phone lines or could not respond to questions about the final day of the tax season because they said they were too busy with last-minute returns.