It’s Tax Freedom Day in Maine, but you’ve still got to pop that income tax return in the mail.

The Tax Foundation says April 15 is the day on which Maine workers have earned enough to pay their state, local and federal taxes for the year – if they had spent their incomes on nothing else since Jan. 1.

The annual measure by the Tax Foundation pits everything considered income against everything considered taxes.

Nationally, the day fell on April 11, three days earlier than last year and the earliest day in 37 years. The nonprofit, nonpartisan group pointed to three pieces of federal legislation as reducing tax burdens.

Maine’s Tax Freedom Day fell as late as May 7 in 2000.

This year’s day falls on the same day income tax forms come due.

For those late filers, spokeswoman Leanne Payeur said the Portland post office at 125 Forest Ave. will stay open until 9 p.m. Thursday night. The blue curbside mail boxes in front and beside that post office will be cleared hourly until midnight, so anything dropped in the box will be canceled April 15.

There’s so much electronic filing it doesn’t make financial sense for U.S. Postal Service to keep more post offices open late, Payeur said.

So far this year 44 percent of Maine 1040 returns have arrived electronically, up 10 percent over last year, according to Jerome Gerard, acting executive director of the Maine Revenue Services.

Gerard said MRS hires a temporary service to speed things along during tax time. Electronic filing has also made things quicker. Nineteen years ago when he started in the bureau, it took eight to 10 weeks to get a refund.

It’s down to about 18 days.

According to the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, nearly 500,000 Mainers will see reduced income tax bills this year. Volunteers will be in front of the Ash Street post office in Lewiston Thursday in a show of support for the president and his tax cuts.
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