Take heart, procrastinators. The federal government is giving you an extra month to file your tax returns, the IRS and the U.S. Treasury announced Wednesday.
The due date for individuals filing their 2020 returns will be extended from April 15 to May 17.
The extension will give taxpayers additional time to take advantage of new exemptions that were passed in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.
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“Even with the new deadline, we urge taxpayers to consider filing as soon as possible, especially those who are owed refunds,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a news release. “Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds, and it can help some taxpayers more quickly receive any remaining stimulus payments they may be entitled to.”
Most tax refunds for those filing electronically are issued within 21 days, the IRS said.
The IRS extension does not apply to the Kentucky tax filing deadline. As of Wednesday, it was still April 15. The Kentucky Department of Revenue website has additional information about state filings and refunds.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
