The witching hour to file taxes without a late penalty fast approaches because state and federal forms must be postmarked before midnight April 15. Sources, including the Internal Revenue Service, have tips for last-minute tax filings.

However, some advice remains unchanged whether sending in the return early or waiting until near the deadline to file.

Terry Larrington, who oversees the volunteers providing tax preparation assistance at the Malley Senior Recreation Center in Englewood each Friday, said all the volunteers advise the taxpayers to bring all pertinent documents to the appointment.

“For example, we ask they bring last year’s taxes, their earning information and other documents associated with deductions,” the three-year veteran of the American Association of Retired Persons said. “That helps us do the preparation quickly and correctly.”

He noted all the trained volunteers have their work checked and the returns are filed electronically. The office received verification whether or not the form is complete and accepted by the next day. He noted now that the tax filing deadline is near, all appointments are booked even though the volunteers prepare 32 to 40 returns a day.

The Internal Revenue Service put out a list of tips for those who wait until near the deadline to file tax returns.

The list includes:

Speeding up acceptance of the return by filing electronically. The IRS tips list notes that an error usually can be quickly identified and corrected on returns filed electronically while it takes much longer to correspond by mail.

Make sure to review the tax identification number listed on previous returns. Also, be sure to write that number and the Social Security number clearly because if the numbers are illegible, the return won’t be accepted.

Double check all the figures to make sure the amount listed on the earning statements or other documents are correctly copied to the tax form.

Review all math calculations, and the taxpayer should double check to make sure he or she used the correct tax table.

Be sure to sign and date the return. If it is a joint return, both parties must sign and date the return. Also it will speed up processing returns to have the IRS directly deposit a refund to the taxpayer’s bank account.

Check all the instructions before sending in payments if taxes are owed.

Taxpayers who cannot file returns by the April 15 deadline can follow the instructions to apply for an extension for filing a return but the April 15 deadline to pay all taxes due remains unchanged.

Tips and information about tax returns are available around the clock and free of charge on the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov.