This year you have an extra weekend to file your taxes

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KTVU) - By now we all know the significance of April 15th.

"The day of the year that everyone wants to avoid," says Cedric Qualls of Alameda. He's talking about Tax Day; a time when lines used to be out the door at your local post office. Of course that's no longer the case.

"Nowadays it's pretty easy to do yourself with all the software and stuff," says Steven Whitmer of San Leandro.

This year Tax Day has been pushed back. The reason, the not so well known Emancipation Day holiday in the nation's capital is being observed on the 15th. So now you have until Monday to file your taxes.

Bob Robillard runs Alameda Tax Services. He's one of three people working in this small office, that's been busy for weeks. He says some of his customers thought this was the last day to file.

"They weren't concerned about it until the last day. Then they think, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to rush’," says Robillard. But now they know they have extra time.

Robillard says his calendar is packed with appointments for most of the weekend.

Some people we spoke with say they've had their taxes done for months and that they did it themselves.

"I just like to get it out of the way so I don't have to worry about it when April comes around," says Teena Le of San Leandro. Not everyone agrees.

Some say they fear preparing their taxes themselves could lead to costly mistakes. They prefer going to smaller places over the bigger well known tax preparation offices.

"They're really nice. The fee is actually lower than H&R Block and other places like that. They seem to treat you better and know what they're talking about," says Qualls.

The deadline for filing your taxes is 11:59 p.m. Monday.