St. Joseph residents relax after taxes

By Kyle Schmidt

April 15 marks the deadline to file taxes or for an extension, and while some residents may have been busy this Tax Day working last minute, others were able to cool down from the stressful season.

Local resident Pam Walace was not in a crunch to finish her taxes but still had no love for the day.

“I hate it,” Walace said. “I hate it.”

And she’s not the only one. Kona Ice stopped by East Hills Shopping Center to help residents who might be feeling the stress by serving free shaved ice from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Rob Porter, owner of Kona Ice, said tax season isn’t a breeze for him as a business owner, either.

“As a business, there’s a lot more hoops you have to jump through,” Porter said. “You want to make sure you cross your T’s and dot your I’s and get it right the first time.”

The consequences for filing late can go as high as a late payment of 25%.

“We are learning every year, the tax codes change,” Porter said. “That’s why we got a great accountant we work with to help us get it taken care of.”

Porter hoped that the free shaved ice made Tax Day a little less dreadful.

“No taxation without relaxation,” Porter said. “It’s a stressful day for a lot of people. I’m sure blood pressures are high as we reach the deadline of April 15.”

“We are just out trying to put smiles on people’s faces,” Porter said.

For those who haven’t filed a tax extension, forms are available on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/extension-of-time-to-file-your-tax-return.