The Common Law

The last few years the IRS extended the tax deadline. What is the deadline to file my 2021 tax return?

For folks in Texas, the deadline to file a federal income tax return is Monday, April 18. During the COVID pandemic, the IRS extended the deadlines for filing an income tax return. For example, last year in Texas, the IRS generally extended the income tax return deadline to June 15 due to both the pandemic and the February 2021 winter storms. This year the IRS moved the deadline back to its traditional April 15 date; however, April 15 lands on Emancipation Day (a federal holiday in the District of Columbia), so the deadline is pushed to the next business day, Monday, April 18.

All my tax paperwork is a mess. I'm likely to need an extension to file my return. How does the extension process work?

Anyone interested in an extension may consider submitting Form 4868 (called the "Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return"). By submitting Form 4868, the person may be able to obtain an automatic six-month extension. The extension is generally four months for someone considered to be "out of the country."

It is important to know that obtaining an extension of time to file a tax return does not extend your time to pay taxes. Someone who requests the extension must still make an accurate estimate of their taxes for 2021 and send any necessary payment with Form 4868. Someone who cannot pay the full amount due with Form 4868 may still get the extension, although they will owe interest on the amount of unpaid taxes. Form 4868 must be filed before this year's filing deadline (April 18). Once Form 4868 is filed, the completed tax return can be filed anytime during the extension period.

I got a really weird email claiming to be from the IRS. I think it's a scam. How do I report it?

Don't reply. Don't open any attachments and don't click on any links. The IRS asks that you forward the email (preferably with the full email header) to [email protected].