The IRS will delay the deadline to file 2020 taxes to May 17, 2021.
Lawmakers and accountants alike had been asking the Internal Revenue Service to give Americans more time to file their 2020 taxes as many grapple with tax situations complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. The American Institute of CPAs was asking for an extension for all Americans until June 15, 2021.
Wednesday afternoon, the Internal Revenue Service officially announced the April 15 tax-filing deadline has been delayed to May 17. They said more information and guidance will be shared in the coming days.
The IRS was already running behind this year. Earlier this year they announcedthey wouldn’t begin accepting and processing 2020 tax returns until Feb. 12. This is more than two weeks later than last year. The agency said they needed more time to program its systems to reflect new tax rules.
The IRS rushed to send out stimulus checks to millions of Americans in the last week. As of Wednesday morning, the agency says they have sent out 90 million stimulus payments.
The deadline to file this year was already delayed for residents and business owners in Texas and other states included in FEMA’s emergency declaration last month. Those residents and businesses have until June 15, 2021 to file their 2020 taxes.
The deadline last year to file 2019 taxes was extended to July 15, as the coronavirus pandemic exploded in many states.
