It’s crunch time and Georgians have until midnight to file their income tax returns.

That deadline holds even if you can’t complete the filing. Consumers should file for an extension, which gives them a six-month reprieve.

An extension, however, does not give you extra time to pay any money owed. You still need to send what you estimate is due, along with your extension form, or face potential penalties and interest.

So far, about 10 million Americans have filed for extensions — an increase of 500,000 compared to last year,” according to an article in the Miami Herald.

At the same time, some cash-strapped consumers have filed early in order to get money to pay bills.

What about you? Were you an early filer or, are you asking for an extension?