Tax procrastinators have until Tuesday to get their returns ready for the IRS.

If you haven’t completed your tax return yet, the filing clock is ticking.

This year’s tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17. That’s two days later than usual, because of a local holiday in Washington, D.C. So procrastinators have an extra 48 hours.

“The deadline is coming quickly,” said Melissa Labant, director of tax policy and advocacy for the American Institute of CPAs. But, she said, “If you have all of your information, there’s still time to file.”

You can ostensibly file your return electronically until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday to beat the deadline, but it’s advisable to give yourself some breathing room and avoid waiting until the last possible moment, said Lisa Greene-Lewis, a certified public accountant and tax expert with the tax-filing software provider TurboTax.

Electronic filing generally means you’ll get a quicker refund, if you’re due one. The Internal Revenue Service says it processes most refunds for electronically filed returns in 21 days or less.

If you’re seeking a professional to do your return, “It’s late in the game,” said Laurie Ziegler, an enrolled agent in Saukville, Wis. (Enrolled agents are federally licensed tax specialists.) Filers should understand that tax preparers are in crunch mode, and may charge an extra fee to prepare a timely return at this point, she said.

Unfortunately, an extension to file doesn’t give you an extension of time to pay if you owe taxes to the government. So you should estimate what you’ll owe and pay by April 17, Labant said, to avoid hefty penalties and interest charges. “When in doubt,” she said, “round up.”

If you can’t pay what you owe now, said IRS spokesman Eric L. Smith, file and pay what you can, and apply for an installment plan for the balance. You can do it online.

“It’s easier than people realize,” he said.