Why is taxes due april 18

All federal offices, including the IRS, will be closed on April 17 because of this holiday. What is Emancipation Day, you ask? If you live in Massachusetts or Maine, you have even more time to file your federal returns. More than half of taxpayers hire somebody to prepare their returns. One final note for self-employed workers on tax deadlines: no matter what state you live in, the due date to make your estimated tax payment is April 18, Keeping track of business expenses is vital for every small business owner and freelancer.

And this year. That's the deadline for filing your federal tax return, the last day to make a contribution to an individual retirement account for it to count against income, the deadline to file a tax extension, and the day when quarterly estimated tax payments are due for those who make them. This short reprieve appears to be a good thing: As of April 13, the IRS was still waiting on as many as 40 million taxpayers to file their returns.

So why is Tax Day on April 17 this year? Basically, it's due to a combination of the 15 th falling on a Sunday and a holiday unique to Washington, D. The nation's capital celebrates Emancipation Day to mark the date that President Abraham Lincoln freed slaves there in After all, there are a whole days on leap years between the start of the New Year and the final submission date.

The federal government gives people all that time so they can get their affairs in order, acquire the forms they need, and file them. Although Tax Day usually falls on April 15, there are years when the federal government pushes the deadline for federal returns to another, slightly later date. This shift occurs when certain holidays coincide with the traditional date for Tax Day.

You should always double-check when making your preparations. However, when that date falls on the weekend, they observe it on the nearest weekday instead. This small extension applies does not only apply to Washington, the only part of the country observing Emancipation Day at that time. By law, what happens in DC affects the rest of the nation. In , Tax Day will fall on April 15 as usual because that date is a Wednesday. April 15 will be a Thursday in , so you will still have it as the due date.

However, Tax Day will be on Monday, April The state governments of Maine and Massachusetts observe the holiday on the third Monday in April, making a three-day weekend. In years when April 1 falls on a Monday, the third Monday will naturally be April Local holidays in Maine and Massachusetts do not ordinarily affect the tax deadlines of other states.

However, they can when the employees of the IRS processing center in Andover, Massachusetts receive a day off on April These switches between dates can be confusing, especially for those who live outside of the states that observe those holidays. However, every year, you must make an effort to know when taxes are due. Otherwise, the IRS may hit you where it really hurts: your wallet.

Continued lateness may even result in prosecution. The IRS institutes all of these practices to motivate people to take care of their tax returns on time. So folks in those two states will get until Tuesday, April 19 to file. But they shouldn't push their luck with estimated tax payments.

Those are all due on Monday, April 18 for everyone, no matter what state you live in. That's because the IRS office that receives them is in another state, and it's open for business that day.

So, go, enjoy your parades, but don't forget to pay the piper.