April 1: No
fooling, U.S. taxpayers.
Tax Day is just 16 days away.
April obviously is Uncle Sam's favorite month because it's when most of us reconcile our tax bills. A large number of us, in fact, wait until mid-April to complete our 1040s and send the U.S. Treasury some added dollars.
If you're part of the
procrastinating contingent, then check out these April tax moves. They might be able to help you cut any tax you owe or add to your expected refund.
April 5: Looking for tax help? This late in the filing season it might be tough to find a tax pro willing to take on new clients. But you still might be able to get some free face-to-face tax help if you qualify for programs such as
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE).
April 7: If you're doing your taxes on your own, make sure you
don't overlook any tax breaks. It will take some extra time to double check, but it could be time well spent if one (or more) of these tax deductions or
credits can cut your tax bill or get you a bigger refund.
April 10: Yes, Tax Day is just around the corner, but you still have to take care of other tax tasks. If your job includes
tips and you received $20 in
gratuities in March, use
Form 4070 to report them today to your employer.
April 13: Don't let your
superstitions, tax or otherwise, or your still pending filing duties frighten you this Friday the 13th. Instead, use this day to review these
17 ways to save on your taxes.
April 15: On this usual tax-filing day, take the time to look into contributing to an IRA. Putting money into a
traditional IRA by this year's April 17 filing deadline could also give you an
above-the-line deduction on your return.
You also have April 17 to open or add to a Roth IRA and having it count toward the prior tax year. While a Roth isn't deductible, when you max out your
annual contribution amounts you'll have a bigger retirement nest egg. Plus, your contributions to either retirement account could help you qualify for the Saver's Credit.
April 17: OK. This is it! Tax Day 2018.
Or not. Due to system problems on its big day, the
IRS pushed the deadline for 2017 return filing to Wednesday, April 18.
April 18: OK. This is it! Really.
I'm not kidding this time.
Tax Day 2018 is here.
You've got until midnight tonight, the
new April 18 deadline, to electronically file your 1040. If you qualify, the IRS-tax software industry partnership known as
Free File is waiting for you.

You can use the
no-cost online tax preparation and e-filing option as long as your modified adjusted gross income is $66,000 or less.
If you discover that, even with the Free File help, you just can't complete all the necessary tax paperwork, make sure you file
Form 4868 to get an automatic six-month extension. Just be sure to pay any tax you owe. The extension only gets your more time file your forms, not extra time to pay your tax bill.
Remember, too, that April 18 now is also the due date for your first
estimated tax payment for the 2018 tax year. There's no extension allowed here.
And if you didn't file a 2014 tax return back in 2015 and were due a refund three years ago, file that old 1040 by today or
kiss your unclaimed refund money goodbye.
April 20: Whew! Now that filing is done (except for us procrastinators on extension) and you've had a few days to get settled, it's time to take care of your tax records. You need to hang onto some
filing paperwork just in case the IRS has follow-up questions.
April 25: If you got or are expecting a big refund or ended up owing Uncle Sam a lot when your filed your return, now's the time for a paycheck checkup and to
adjust your payroll withholding, especially since we're now dealing with new tax laws.
April 30: And about those tax law changes, take some time to review what's in the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act so you can make moves the rest of this year that make the most of the new tax provisions. Check this site in May for more on just how to do that!
Small Business Tax Calendar: Important
filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. You can get more tax calendar information at the IRS'
online calendar page and view the full year's important business and individual tax dates in
IRS Pub. 509.