Monday, April 15, was Tax Day, the final day for performing that duty no one can avoid — except those who file for and are granted an extension. At the Main Street post office, we asked five Suffolk citizens for their thoughts on paying taxes, and whether they met the deadline.

Kat Thompson, 60

I did it a long time ago. I’m not going to wait until the last minute and take a chance of something going wrong. (I did my taxes) the first week of February. I normally try to do it early because I’ve seen the rush, and I don’t want to do that rush. As a matter of fact, I have to do an amendment. So if I’d have waited till the last minute, and then had to do an amendment, I would have been in trouble. I do it online at home with H&R Block. I’m pretty much a procrastinator, but when it comes to taxes I’m not.

Janice Copeland, 54

I just mailed mine off Friday night. I had plenty of time (left). I do it about that time every year. Somebody else does it for me. No (I won’t get a return this year). It’s a relief. Now I don’t have to worry about it till next year.

George Dakos, 58

I just mailed it today. I usually try to leave it to the deadline. If I have to pay something, I like to leave it to the last minute. I’ve got a CPA (who does it for me). No sir (I don’t expect a return). I feel one 100-percent better (once it’s done). It’s an obligation you’ve got to take care of, and that’s just the main thing. You’ve got to take care of your taxes. It’s tough out here with the economy right now, and it’s not getting any easier.

Emmett Burton, 79

I got an extension. Don’t have time to file, because I’m running a company (Ferguson Manufacturing Co.) here. You just fill out a form. You get another 90 days. I think it’s a good idea. You put on the form your estimated taxes, and I put zero. I don’t owe any taxes because I don’t have enough salary. Every year I’m having to file an extension. This company here I bought 10 years ago, and I’m just working all the time. I think everybody ought to pay tax. I don’t care if you make a dollar – you pay 10 cents tax. The thing about getting money back that you didn’t earn – how do you get money back that you never paid in? You’re poor because of your own choice, most of the time.

Annie Scott, 53

I just did it yesterday. I kind of procrastinated this year; I normally have them done. I took my time and, just because of the deadline, they forced me to do it yesterday. I do it myself. Sit there and put information in the computer, and then I just print it out. It is (a relief), because as the week was going on, you’re (thinking) ‘got to get it in, got to get it in.’ You don’t have any choice, it has to be done. I feel good about it because I know it goes toward good things. But it’s just a bit of a stretch that we have to do it every year. I wish they could do it so that whatever we owe them, they just take it out during the year.