Instead of enjoying a tax refund this year, you are surprised to find that you owe Uncle Sam. Even worse, you do not have the money to pay these surprise taxes. What can you do? 

One thing you definitely do not want to do is ignore the tax bill. That will only make your situation worse in the long run as you rack up fees and penalties. Make sure that you file your taxes on time and choose one of the following options. 

Loans/Credit – Depending on the size of the tax bill, it may make sense to take out a loan (if you can qualify) or pay the tax bill via credit card. You will have to estimate when you can expect to pay the bill, and do a cost-benefit analysis on whether the interest you will pay on the credit card or loan is greater than the potential penalties that you would pay the IRS for a delayed or partial payment. Betterment Head of Tax Eric Bronnenkant puts it very succinctly, "Your credit card is usually a high-interest option, but it is an option." 

Do not forget to include the fees associated with paying taxes by credit card with an approved vendor (generally from 1.87 percent to 2 percent of the total tax bill). "The IRS isn't willing to absorb any interchange fees, like VISA, Mastercard, and American Express fees," warns Bronnenkant. "Let's say they charge 2 percent per round number, so if you use your credit card, you're basically going to have to pay an additional 2 percent to cover the fees." 

Apply for A Short Extension – You can fill out the Online Payment Agreement application on the IRS website to stretch out your debt repayment over 60 to 120 days, or you can call the IRS directly to make the same request. By contacting the IRS, setting up the extension, and paying what you can before the deadline, you will minimize the penalties and interest that you owe. 

Before making the final payment, contact the IRS to verify the correct amount of accrued interest, especially if you are paying before the end of the extension. Do not wait on a bill from the IRS.

Request Installment Payment – If you need more than 120 days to pay your bill, consider using IRS Form 9465, "Installment Agreement Request" to set up a payment plan. There will be a fee to set up the plan and after that point you will pay the bill in monthly increments that you set up — assuming the IRS approves your plan. Your payment plan must not stretch out the payments for more than three years. Don’t forget that you’ll probably have a few other tax bills to pay in that timeframe. 

File Form 9465 as early as possible because it may take up to 30 days for the IRS to let you know if it has been approved. 

Ask For a Hardship Extension – If you qualify for an extension due to financial hardship, you can file Form 1127 with the IRS before the filing deadline to claim an extension of up to six months. Hardship cases require showing a substantial financial loss if the tax is paid on time (for example, having to sell property at a sacrificial loss). A prolonged period of unemployment may qualify. 

The IRS does not consider a mere inconvenience worthy of a hardship, and you will have to explain why borrowing the money is not a viable option for you. You must supply a statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the previous month prior to filing the form and list all income and expenses for the prior three months. If you have enough advance warning, we suggest contacting the IRS first to see if you are likely to qualify for a hardship situation. 

In general, your best bet to limit the damage is to contact the IRS before the filing date and pay whatever you can at the regular filing deadline to minimize the damage. Investigate the options above to see which one best fits your situation, and do not ignore the problem. Do not expect the IRS to just go away and leave you alone. It won't happen.

"Filing for an extension doesn't get you an extension to pay," warns Bronnenkant. "Let's say you don't pay by April 17th, well then, you're still going to have to pay interest on that money later anyway. Requesting an extension doesn't solve any problems, if your only problem is that you expect to owe money." 

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act may cause many changes in your tax situation next season. Try to prevent being caught out by an unexpected tax bill in 2019 by doing your homework on the new laws now.

More From Our Partners at Moneytips:
Tax Refund Direct Deposit
How to File for an Extension
How Your Fellow Americans Cheat On Taxes - New Survey Shows a Variety of Cheating Methods

Waiting until the last minute to pay your taxes can cost you if you are expecting a refund, since the government hangs on to your money and receives more interest on it. However, if you owe money to the government, that same principle applies to you. Why not wait until the last minute? 

There is no reason not to, as long as your return is postmarked or electronically submitted by April 17th, 2018, and your payments are submitted then as well. Extending your deadline to file does not extend your payment time. You are expected to pay the amount you owe, or your best estimate, by the April 17th deadline. 

"Filing for an extension doesn't get you an extension to pay," confirms Betterment Head of Tax Eric Bronnenkant. "Let's say you don't pay by April 17th, well then you're still going to have to pay interest on that money later anyway." He summarizes, "Requesting an extension doesn't solve any problems, if your only problem is that you expect to owe money."

If you do have to make an estimate, it is usually best to err towards overpaying. Paying too much can always be applied to next year's taxes; however, paying too little requires that you pay interest on the difference – and could expose you to an audit if you greatly underestimate the amount. 

You have four general payment methods from which to choose: 

Check/Money Order – The classics never go out of style. The IRS accepts checks or money orders payable to the United States Treasury. Include your name, address, phone number, Social Security number, tax year, and the 1040-V payment voucher (or other voucher as appropriate for the tax form you are submitting). Check the IRS website to find the address to which your check or money order should be mailed. 

Credit/Debit Cards – There are three IRS-approved payment processors for credit or debit cards. Links to these vendors may be found on the IRS website. Debit card charges are usually flat fees ($2.00-$3.95) and credit cards are charged as a percentage fee (1.87%-2.00%). 

Electronic Funds Withdrawal (EFW) – Essentially, this is the reverse of direct deposit. Most e-filing methods require EFW. This must take place as part of the electronic filing process – you cannot initiate EFW after your taxes have been submitted. 

Check with your financial institution and verify that they allow EFW transactions. If so, they will supply you with the routing number and account number for the account from which you wish to have the funds withdrawn. Do not assume that the routing number on your checks is the correct one – sometimes extra internal routing digits are included, and the numbers need to conform to the IRS standards. 

You will need to supply a contact phone number, Social Security numbers for every filer, and a payment date. You can still choose to have your payment made on April 17th, even if your form is filed earlier. 

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) – This is the IRS-run equivalent of EFW. It has the advantage of allowing same-day wiring of funds from your account and is useful for scheduling regular estimated tax payments for the self-employed. 

EFTPS requires registration with the IRS. It can take five to seven business days to register, so make sure you leave enough time for your registration process to be completed before your payment deadline expires.

Electronic methods can be used on all 1040 Series forms, but not all tax forms or taxes can be handled through electronic payments. For details, check the links available on the IRS website. This page also contains links for businesses to use in electronic payments. 

Should the computer gremlins attack or you spill coffee on your keyboard, you can still pay by phone using one of the IRS-approved credit/debit card processors, or by calling the IRS directly and using EFTPS. 

The good news is you have options, but the bad news is that you still must pay. Choose whichever payment method works best for you, and pay at the last minute with confidence. Just do not forget to make that payment before the deadline, or you'll have to make a much bigger payment later.

More From Our Partners at Moneytips:
Tax Refund Direct Deposit
How to File for an Extension
Can Minor Debts Land You In Prison?

The bald eagle that Good Samaritans came to the rescue of on Route 9 in Berlin about a week and a half ago has been released into the wild. 

Merle Mckenzie said he was driving on Route 9 north in Berlin on the afternoon of Thursday, April 5 when he spotted a bald eagle that had been hit by a car.

A woman who stopped helped Mckenzie and they wrapped the bird in a towel, put it in a cage and took it to the Kensington Bird and Animal Hospital.

An examination revealed the eagle had no broken bones, just a scratch on the eye, and Kensington Bird and Animal Hospital and Horizon Wings treated the eagle, known as “Grace.”

After around a week of treatment, “Grace” has been released back into the wild.

Part of Sherman Avenue in New Haven is closed after a crash involving several vehicles, including a taxi. 

Sherman Avenue is closed between Goffe and Percival streets, according to the NBC Connecticut crew at the scene. 

No additional information was immediately available.

Firefighters are battling a fire at a home at 1068 South Colony Road in Wallingford.

The fire is at a home, but no additional information was immediately available. 

Two teens have been arrested and charged in a home break-in and burglary in Hamden and they are also suspected of trying to force their way into a vehicle. 

Police responded to a home on Blue Hills Avenue at 2:45 p.m. on April 11 to investigate a larceny and a resident said she had parked her vehicle in her driveway and was sitting in the car when two girls approached her and tried to get into it. When the victim called Hamden police, the two teens ran. 

As police were investigating that case, they learned that the two girls had burglarized a home on Battis Road, according to police. 

A resident had come home to find a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl standing in her kitchen and told police the two girls ran toward Circular Avenue. 

The teens had gotten into the home by cutting a screen and damaging a window frame, then stole jewelry, electronic equipment and prescription medication, according to police. 

An officer soon found two girls in the area of Circular Avenue and Plains Road and recovered several items that had been stolen. 

Both live at the Children’s Center, at 1400 Whitney Ave. in Hamden, according to police. 

The girls were charged with criminal attempt to commit carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, burglary in the third degree, larceny in the fifth degree and criminal mischief in the third degree. 

They are scheduled to appear in juvenile court on April 24.

A New Jersey teenager who has wowed the world with his musical talent -- including a viral rendition of Eminem's song "Not Afraid" -- was surprised with a music recording studio on the NBC home improvement show "George to the Rescue."

Sparsh Shah was born with a genetic disease that causes his bones to be very fragile. The 14-year-old from New Jersey has had more than 125 bone fractures so far in his young life, a result of Osteogenesis imperfecta.

The brittle bone disease has stunted Shah's growth and confined him to a wheelchair -- but it hasn't broken his spirit.

He's found his passion in music, and has written more than 10 original songs. But it's his clean cover of the 2010 Eminem song "Not Afraid," fused with Indian classical music, that launched him toward stardom and garnered more than 10 million views on YouTube.   

Shah has sung the National Anthem at an NBA game, performed on the show "Little Big Shots," given a motivational TedTalk and acquired an international fan base on his YouTube channel.

"Him being in a wheelchair, we never imagined that he would be able to touch souls and lives of people not just in his neighborhood, but in 200 countries," his father, Hiren Shah, said. 

Sparsh Shah said it's important to stay focused on the positive, and music helps him deliver that message.

In an effort to help Shah on that mission, "George to the Rescue" host Geroge Oliphant surprised the child music prodigy with his dream music studio and renovated the family's Iselin home with wheelchair-friendly upgrades. 

"I’m convinced he will help make the world a better place & am honored to have been able to help him on that mission. There is no Impossible only I’m possible," Oliphant tweeted about the renovation project.

Watch more on Sparsh's inspirational journey above.

Promotional consideration for this episode furnished by:

3M, Chevy, Michael Robert Construction, Ellie Mroz Design, Advance Sound Company, Amazing Painting, Amber HVAC, American Red Cross: Sound the Alarm Program, Amramp, Arley Wholesale, Bonnie Quern, Windows of Montclair, Brad Walinsky, Broadcast USA, D&A Demo, DSGK Drywall, Design by Dink, Eastern Insulation, FW Webb Company, Garden of Dreams Foundation
Gregory Ralph - Architect, Guitar Center, Hansgrohe, Hudson Supply of Newark LLC, Huston Lumber, I DJ Now, Jacob Watrous, JBL Pro by Harman, Jennifer Scinto, Korg USA, Kuiken Brothers Company, Kylan Inc, Laraj Tile & Marble, Lou Agrusa & Company Inc, Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Riedel Audio & Acoustics, RPG Acoustical Systems LLC, RV Construction, Schluter-Systems, Sennheiser, SoundSense, Star Trimming, Steve Kammerer, Strong Line Electric, Stickwood, TEDxGateway, vMix, Sparsh Shah - How A 13 Year Old Changed 'Impossible' To 'I'm Possible' Footage Courtesy of TED

Stormy Daniels is scheduled to make an appearance at an East Windsor strip club in June.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is the adult film star at the center of a scandal surrounding President Donald Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 in Oct. 2016, less than two weeks before the presidential election.  Daniels said the payment was in exchange to keep her from telling her story about a 2006 sexual encounter she claims she had with Trump.

She is scheduled to appear at the Mardi Gras II in East Windsor on June 23, according to the club's Facebook page.

Daniels will make an appearance at the club's Springfield location the night before.

Two bodies found in a submerged SUV in a swollen Northern California river have been identified as the father and daughter of a missing Valencia family.

A third body that was recovered Friday has been identified as the mother of the family.

The search continues for the 12-year-old son.

The Thottapilly family -- father Sandeep, 42, mother Soumya, 38, and their two children, son Siddhant, 12, and daughter Saachi, 9 -- was driving from Portland, Oregon to San Jose when they disappeared.

The driver was pulling into a pullout during heavy rains when the SUV went over the edge, according to sheriff's officials.

On April 6, a vehicle was reportedly submerged in the Eel River, a little north of the town of Leggett, during heavy rains. A search for the vehicle was called off when it became too dangerous for rescuers.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, searchers combed the riverbanks and located personal items, which were identified as belonging to the Tottapillys by family members.

Parts of what appears to be a maroon Honda Pilot -- the same SUV the family was in on their road trip vacation -- were also found, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

An elderly woman has been taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after fire broke out at a home on Cutler Street in New London Monday. 

The Lifeline medical alert system alerted the fire department at 12:18 p.m. about fire at 5 Cutler St. 

Fire officials said the fire appears to have been contained to a second-floor bedroom. 

No information was available on the cause of the fire.

Three red-necked wallaby joeys are making their darling debut at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this week.

Weighing less than three pounds, the furry babies are only 5 to 6 months old so they’re being hand-raised until they are ready to join the mob of wallabies living at the theme park.

“Sometimes they poke their little heads out of their pouch and look around and kind of observe the world and they kind of touch noses and play together,” said Senior Mammal Keeper Kimberly Millspaugh.

However, the joeys’ favorite thing to do right now is sleep in their pouches. And who could blame them?

Their feeding consists of a special formula made just for marsupials. Bottle time is three to five times a day. They also get a solid food pellet and a little bit of hay, Millspaugh said.

When they are fully grown, these joeys will weigh between 26 and 35 pounds and will reach 3 feet from head to tail.

For now, guests to the theme park can see the joeys daily at the Animal Care Center at Nairobi Station, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

They will be part of a future exhibit called Walkabout Australia.

Wallabies are listed as an animal of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, according to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. 

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin announced Monday that he will not enter the 2018 race for governor.

In a release, Bronin said he believed he had the support to go forward but wanted to focus on the future of Hartford instead.

“But as I’ve considered the road ahead, I’ve kept my commitment to Hartford at the forefront of my mind. After thinking hard and wrestling with this decision, I have decided to end my exploratory committee and stay focused on my work as Mayor," Bronin said in a statement.

Bronin announced last December that he would form the exploratory committee to determine if he would run this November.

He has been serving as Hartford mayor since Jan. 2016.

Last October, the state came up with a plan to pay Hartford's $550 million in debt. The plan was made official in March.

Bronin said he didn't want his status in the governor's race to have a negative impact on how people perceive the bailout.

“While our State may be at a critical moment, our city is, too. Last fall, we were able to build new partnership with the State of Connecticut — marrying new financial assistance with long-term accountability. I believe deeply that agreement was the right and responsible path, not just for Hartford but for Connecticut."

D.C. has a tiny new arrival!A newborn gorilla made his arrival Sunday, the Smithsonian's National Zoo has announced.

Calaya, one of the zoo's western lowland gorillas, gave birth to a boy at 6:25 p.m. Sunday, zoo officials announced on Facebook and Twitter on Monday morning.

She has been taking care of her newborn, and keepers said they're optimistic he will thrive. 

The baby's name, Moke, means "junior" or "little one" in Lingala, the zoo said. His name is pronounced mo-KEY.

Meredith Bastian, curator of primates at the zoo's Conservation Biology Institute called the gorilla's birth — the first in nine years — "very special and significant, not only to our zoo family but also to this critically endangered species as a whole." The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the western lowland gorilla as critically endangered. 

Calaya, a first-time mom, was expected to give birth any time from early April to early May, the zoo previously said. She had been resting more during the day, and keepers had given her with extra fleece blankets.

As they awaited the birth, keepers maintained the zoo's six gorillas' normal routines as much as they could.

Still, the pregnancy shifted their behaviors and dynamics, they said. Calaya was more relaxed and passive despite usually being the dominant female in the zoo's group of six gorillas, keepers said. The baby's father, Baraka, an older 400-pound gorilla, became more gentle toward Calaya during disputes between the female gorillas.

The gorilla troop was still cohesive with strong relationships, primate keeper Melba Brown previously said, calling it "the perfect environment for a successful birth."

On her way to winning Monday's Boston Marathon, Desiree Linden stopped and waited as a fellow elite women's runner from the U.S. stopped for a bathroom break.

Shalane Flanagan, who grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, was seen veering off the race track and into a portable toilet. Jonathan Gault of LetsRun.com clocked her pit stop at just 13.86 seconds.

Linden stayed behind as Flanagan caught up.

"Des Linden is kind of waiting back for her, almost to say, 'Hey, catch up to me, and then we'll catch up together,'" an NBC Sports commentator said. Another replied that it was "tremendous sportsmanship."

The elite women's winner later told NBC Sports that helping Flanagan proved beneficial to herself.

"I said, 'If there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know, because I might just drop out,'" Linden said. "Helping her helped me, and I kind of got my legs back from there."

Linden is the first U.S. woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years, finishing with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 54 seconds.

Flanagan, the winner of the 2017 New York City Marathon, placed sixth among the elite women in Boston with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 46 minutes and 31 seconds.

A 21-year-old Hamden resident was stabbed during a robbery early Sunday morning and police said the attack happened when the victim and another person had pulled over on Park Road at 3:45 a.m. to relieve themselves. 

Officers who arrived at the scene found two people in a vehicle, including a 21-year-old Hamden resident who had been stabbed in the abdomen. 

The victims had pulled over when two males approached and demanded their belongings, police said. 

One victim was stabbed during a fight that ensued and the robbers took off with keys and a cell phone. 

The victim was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital and the injuries are not life-threatening. 

Anyone with information should call the Hamden Police Department Detective Division at (203) 230-4040.

Collegiate figure skaters at Sacred Heart University earned the program's first-ever trip to the U.S. Figure Skating Intercollegiate Nationals this year.

Over the last decade, collegiate skating has become an option for competitive figure skaters across the country who are looking to continue their passion while preparing for a future off the ice.

"I was just really excited that I could keep skating and I wouldn’t go to a school that didn’t have a rink,” said Sacred Heart freshman Juliet Melotto.

Sacred Heart’s figure skaters have taken the future of their program into their own hands.

"The beautiful thing about collegiate skating for me is these girls are skating for all the right reasons,” said Sacred Heart’s coach Lisa Fedick. “They're not doing it for their parents, they're not doing it for their coaches, They're doing it because they love it."

And this team, which Fedick said has grown from three skaters to 15 in seven seasons, is making program history. They earned a trip to nationals after beating UConn in a tiebreaker in the last qualifying competition of the year.

They love competition, but there's something else they love even more.

"Before collegiate skating you go to these competitions and you're in it on your own,” said junior Sarah Kleinman. “You're skating on your own, you get there on your own, you're competing on your own, but when you're collegiate, it's a team."

The Pioneers placed 12th at this weekend’s nationals in Denver.

Police responded to an armed robbery at Kim’s Gift Shop in Bloomfield Monday afternoon and have arrested three people accused of smashing display cases and stealing jewelry.

Police said three men robbed the store in the Copaco Shopping Center, at 297 Cottage Grove Road, at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.

One man who had a shotgun and another who had a hammer went into the store to commit the robbery and the other stood guard, according to police.

As the store owner confronted the robbers, they punched her in the face and head, then ran off toward Cottage Grove Road.

Officers who responded saw the robbers running through the yards on Cottage Grove Road toward to Dale Avenue and apprehended them, police said.

One suspect severely cut his hand and was taken to St Francis Hospital for treatment.

The shop’s owner had minor injuries and refused medical attention.

Police went back along the path the men took after apprehending them and found clothing they had shed, a paint scraping tool and a .22 caliber rifle used in the robbery, police said. When they searched the suspects, they found the stolen jewelry.

State police are investigating a crash in Mansfield Monday afternoon and they said there are life-threatening injuries. 

Troopers from Troop C in Tolland responded to a three-vehicle crash on Route 32, near Route 44, at noon and the road is closed as troopers investigate.

Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, appeared in court Monday to argue that some documents seized during an FBI raid should remain private. In court it was revealed that Cohen's previously undisclosed third client is Fox News host Sean Hannity. Hannity denied hiring Cohen as his lawyer 'in a traditional sense.'

Police are trying to locate a missing 86-year-old man from Farmington.

A Silver Alert was issued for Robert Ayer Monday.

Ayer is described as 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, with grey hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a red 2006 Ford Escape with Connecticut plate 4483.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Farmington police at 860-675-2400.