If you didn’t file your return to the IRS on time, here’s how to limit the penalties.
Tax Day has crept up again. If you haven’t filed yet, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to minimize penalties for late filing—or avoid them entirely. For most taxpayers, the deadline to file your 2021 federal tax return is Monday, April 18. It moved from the usual April 15 date because IRS offices in the District of Columbia were closed last Friday to mark Emancipation Day (which falls on April 16, but is observed on the closest weekday). The IRS website states: « Your return is considered filed on time if the envelope is properly addressed, postmarked and deposited in the mail by the due date. » Electronic filing is quicker, but it’s not advisable to wait till 11:59 p.m. tonight to send your form. Some taxpayers have more time to complete their return and might not even know it. IRS spokesperson Eric Smith told Newsweek that a handful of states are working to later deadlines because of local holidays—it’s April 19 for Massachusetts and Maine—or federally declared disasters—parts of Tennessee and Colorado, among others. Double-check which deadline applies to you. Americans abroad have until June 15 to file. Smith added: « For everyone else, the best advice is to act soon.
