The IRS has extended the federal tax filing deadline to May 17, 2021. This means federal tax returns and payments to the IRS will be due one month later than normal.
Most years, the deadline is April 15, but the IRS acknowledges that people need more time to file this year.
The IRS also needs more time to process tax returns this year. Tasked with sending out the first and second stimulus payments, the IRS began accepting 2020 tax returns on February 12 instead of its usual January opening date. This resulted in a shorter filing season if the final deadline was kept at April 15. Now with the third round of stimulus payments going out, the IRS decided it was best to extend the tax filing deadline to keep the filing season as long as possible.
In a statement, the IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said, “This continues to be a tough time for many people, and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic, while also working on important tax administration responsibilities.”
People in declared disaster sites such as Texas also have even longer to file. The IRS has extended the tax filing deadline to June 15 for those in declared disaster sites.
“This extension is absolutely necessary to give Americans some needed flexibility in a time of unprecedented crisis,” Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr., D-N.J., Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, said in a statement. “Under titanic stress and strain, American taxpayers and tax preparers must have more time to file tax returns,” he said.
The IRS also reminds everyone that it’s best to e-file if you can, to prevent delays in receiving your refund.