Tax Season 2021: 5 Things to Avoid When Submitting Your Return
The tax season for 2021 is in full swing, but you should not rush your returns. Here are five mistakes you can make.
staff video, USA TODAY
The claim: The deadline for submitting tax is 18 April
An image originally uploaded to Facebook in 2018 suddenly went viral, misleading users about this year’s deadline to file federal taxes.
The picture has a drawing of a girl with two text bubbles in a cartoon style: ‘The deadline for taxes is April 18’ and ‘Do taxes soon.’
The post already has 16,000 shares and nearly 700 responses. USA TODAY contact the user for comments.
Extended deadline
On March 17, the Department of Treasury and the Revenue Service announced that the expiration date for individuals filing federal income taxes for the 2020 tax year has been extended to May 17.
“This is still a difficult time for many people, and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers explore the unusual circumstances surrounding the pandemic while also working on key responsibilities for tax administration,” he said. said Chuck Rettig, IRS commissioner.
Last year, the agency also extended the deadline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave taxpayers until July 15 to file.
The post, made in 2018, would also have been wrong for that year. In 2018, the deadline was April 17, according to an announcement made in January of that year.
Generally, the deadline to file taxes is April 15, but according to the IRS website, Emancipation Day, April 16, a legal holiday in the District of Columbia, affects the deadlines. When the holiday falls on a Saturday, then April 15 is the observed date and tax must be filed by Monday, April 18. If it falls on a Sunday, Monday 17 April is the date after which tax returns are due 18 April. If it falls on a Monday, it is the holiday and tax must be filed on Tuesday, April 17th.
This year, taxpayers in Texas, Oklahoma or Louisiana have a longer deadline after FEMA issued major disaster statements due to the severe winter weather. Their new deadline is June 15.
Fact check: Immigrants without social security numbers are not eligible for stimulus tests
Our rating: false
The claim that the deadline for filing federal taxes this year is April 18 is FALSE, based on our research. The IRS has extended the deadline for most individual taxpayers this year to May 17 amid the coronavirus pandemic, and to June 15 for taxpayers in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
Our sources for fact checking:
- IRS, March 17, “Individual Tax Day Extended to May 17: Treasury, IRS Extends Filing and Payment Deadline”
- IRS, March 21, 2020, “Submission and Payment Term Extended to July 15, 2020 – Updated Statement”
- IRS, January 4, 2018, “Tax filing season 2018 begins January 29, tax returns due April 17; assistance available to taxpayers”
- IRS, March 7, 2011, Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2011-10
- FEMA, February 20, “FEMA responds to severe winter weather in the southeast”
- DC.gov, April 5, DC Emansipation Day, visit
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Our fact-checking work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.