IRS Gives Taxpayers an Extra 3 Days to File This Year

Taxpayers who tend to prolong filing until the very last minute on April 15 can breathe a sigh of relief this year because all Americans have been granted three extra days to file. The Internal Revenue Service announced on Tuesday that it plans to move the tax filing deadline to April 18 this year to celebrate a holiday in the District of Columbia.

D.C. Holiday Spares Procrastinating Taxpayers

Emancipation Day–a holiday observed in the District of Columbia–falls on a Friday this year, so those filing taxes will get to wait until the following Monday to submit their tax forms. It has always been a rule that federal holidays affect tax deadlines, but according to the IRS, the same goes for D.C.-specific holidays.

So if you are known to wait until the last day to file, do yourself a favor and pretend the deadline is still April 15. When that day finally rolls around, you’ll have the pleasant feeling of being three days early on your taxes.

Extensions to be Affected Too

Another deadline to be affected this year is the extension filing for 2010 tax returns. If you plan to submit an extension to file, you will now have until Oct. 17, which is a Monday, instead of October 15.

While the IRS expects some people to extend their filings this year, of the 140 million expected to file individual tax returns, most will get theirs in by the April 18 deadline.

IRS to Require Some to Delay Filings

The IRS has also recently announced that while the 2011 tax filing season will start on time, some taxpayers may have to wait a little longer to see their refunds hit their bank accounts because they won’t get to file on time. These taxpayers include those who:

• Itemize deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A
• Claim the higher education tuition and fees deduction
• Claim the educator expense deduction

The delay in filing for these taxpayers is a result of changes in the tax law enacted by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in December. The IRS says it will need time to reprogram its process systems, which means some will have to wait until mid-to late February to file.