The calendar year deadline overlaps with a federal/state holiday “Emancipation Day”, which is a public holiday in the District of Columbia that observed on April 16. Remember, an extension to file your tax return is not an extension to pay taxes you owe, which are due April 18.
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“But”, said IRS spokesman Mark S. Green, “we encourage people to file their taxes as soon as possible, and through e-filing”.
Those who don’t file by midnight on the 18th, will receive a failure to file penalty.
She called on filers to go line by line through their tax return with the person who prepared it to make sure all the information is accurate, as taxpayers are ultimately responsible for what they file.
According to Christopher Miller, an IRS spokesperson for Wisconsin, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration says about 65 people in the state have surrendered more than $251,000 after falling victim to these scam attempts.
That is when you tell your utility that you received a suspicious call and if a bill is owed. Now, why exactly is the deadline on April 18? Even those with the most complex tax returns still have time to get it done right. Just keep in mind that an extension to file is not an extension to pay, so if you think you owe taxes, you’ll need to estimate and pay those by April 18.
In another scheme, tax refund scam artists pose as the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, a volunteer board that advises the IRS on issues affecting taxpayers.
Tax-filing extensions are available to taxpayers who need more time to finish their returns.
The IRS reports that scammers may try using Monday’s tax deadline to prey on taxpayers by impersonating the IRS and others with fake phone calls and emails. Most people can set up an installment agreement with the IRS using the Online Payment Agreement tool on IRS.gov. If you earn less than $54,000 annually or are 65 or older, you can qualify for free preparation assistance from the IRS. Free File is available only on IRS.gov. “No one wants to extend tax season longer than necessary!” If you electronically file, the calculations are automatically done for you.
So it’s down to the wire and you’ve yet to file your taxes or even look at the stack of tax forms gathering dust on your desk. E-filed returns are generally processed faster than paper returns because they require less manual work to process, the department said.
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“Make sure you make a copy of the return before you send it”, he said.
