New Yorkers Take Advantage of Free Tax Help

New York, NY —

With the April 15th tax deadline quickly approaching, many New Yorkers are spending this Easter and Passover weekend doing their taxes.

REPORTER: Long lines have been forming at the Taxpayer Assistance Center in the IRS building in lower Manhattan, where people can ask tax questions in person, or get free help with filing. 57-year-old Jerry Diggs of Bedford-Stuyvesant takes a day off almost every year to get tax assistance here.

DIGGS: I used to do them myself, but the rules has changed, so now it's best that I have someone do it for me.

REPORTER: Diggs says it usually takes about three hours to get the filing done here each time. But she doesn't mind the break from her customer service job.

DIGGS: From 9 to 5, I'm on the phone -- talking to customers, to different people with attitudes. (laughs)

REPORTER: IRS centers in New York will be open Monday through Wednesday, April 13-15 from 8:30 in the morning until 7 at night. Information about locations and qualifications are on the IRS website, www.irs.gov.