(CNN) -- Tax day is an annual stress test for millions of Americans, but Wednesday's Internal Revenue Service filing deadline may be the toughest one yet for many who can't pay their mortgages or rent, let alone a big tax bill.



Jonathan Hermosa wears a costume this week to beckon customers to a tax service office in New York.



"Our message to taxpayers [is] that we're going the extra mile to help those of you in economic distress," IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told the National Press Club in Washington on Monday.



"We want to get you your refunds as quickly as possible. And if you think you can't pay, please come in and let's talk about it. There are steps we can take to help."



iReport contributor Crystal Gress will need to follow some of those steps. The Coplay, Pennsylvania, bank call center employee said she doesn't know how she's going to pay the $1,200 she owes the IRS. It's the first time she's had a balance due on April 15.



"I'm really scared because I've never had to do it before," said Gress, 23. "I'm used to getting a return, but this past year has been really rough."  Watch who's more likely to get audited »



Gress adjusted her withholding last year to increase her take-home pay to cover bills; she intended the change to be temporary, but car repairs and other expenses kept coming up, she said. She used an estimating tool on tax preparer H&R Block's Web site and got the bad news.



"I was like, 'Oh, crap. I owe money.' And I don't know what to do now," she said. "... I waited until yesterday to do my taxes because I didn't want to submit them."



People who know they're getting a refund tend to file as early as possible, while those with a balance due tend to file late in the season, IRS spokesman John Lipold said.  Watch last-minute tips from CNN's Gerri Willis »



"A lot of people who were getting refunds in the past are not getting them this year," said Brian Joubert, owner of L&B Tax Service with five locations in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and Houston, Texas.



Because his clients usually pay their preparation fees out of their refunds, Joubert's company has had to make changes to accommodate them, including cutting fees in select cases, holding checks until payday or taking payments in installments.



"We've had more people to pay with a credit card this year than I've ever seen," said Joubert, who has been in the tax preparation business for 12 years. "I feel like a department store in some sense."



The IRS has a monthly payment plan, but it comes with an upfront fee, stiff penalties and interest, making it more costly than a commercial loan.



But a loan isn't an option for Gress, whose credit rating is hurt by lingering debt from admittedly unwise earlier choices. After her monthly rent, utilities and car payment, "I barely have enough to buy ramen noodles," Gress said. iReport.com: Read more of Gress' story



She tried to refinance her $5,000 used car but was turned down, and getting a loan from her family is not an option, she said. Her fiancé doesn't make much at the auto body shop where he works, and she can't work a second job because of long hours at the call center and recent hip surgery. "I've been looking at every option to pay my taxes," she said, acknowledging she'll probably have to go with the costly IRS installment plan.



She won't be alone. Between 2 million and 3 million taxpayers a year follow that route, Lipold said.  Watch what protesters are planning for tax day »



Others in similar situations might consider filing for an extension, but they still have to pay extra on any balance not paid by midnight Wednesday.
What makes it hard to pay? What is making it hard to pay fees? Who is paying fees?
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question: What makes it hard to pay?, answer: economic distress," | question: What is making it hard to pay fees?, answer: Service filing deadline | question: Who is paying fees?, answer: his clients