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Federal and state income tax returns are due today.
Last-minute filers will need to submit their 2021 tax returns by midnight or request a six-month extension.
An extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. To avoid penalties and interest, taxpayers must estimate their tax liability and pay any amount due by the filing deadline.
The Internal Revenue Service considers a tax return filed on time if it is addressed correctly, has enough postage and is postmarked by the due date, and encourages taxpayers to file electronically and use direct deposit in order to receive a refund as quickly as possible.
Filing electronically also allows for tax software to do calculations and flag mistakes by prompting taxpayers for missing information, thereby eliminating some common errors.
In 2020, the deadline for tax returns was extended to July 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government extended the tax deadline again last year to May 17.
This year, the deadline has been pushed forward because of Emancipation Day, a government holiday celebrated in the District of Columbia.
