Don't Mess With Taxes

Each of the 50 U.S. states has its own tax system. Most have opted during this year of COVID-19 to follow the federal decision to push Tax Day 2020 to July 15. (Map with state capitals, in case you want to use it for home schooling during the coronavirus stay-home duration, is via SafetyMagnets.)

When 2020 began, this week was the target day for millions of taxpayers. Then the coronavirus pandemic struck.

COVID-19 has upended everything.

Obviously, health considerations are paramount. As we individually deal with ways to protect ourselves and our families, tax officials also have been working to adjust and protect their employees while also trying to keep in place the tax infrastructure that every government needs to remain operational.

The Internal Revenue Service has expanded the new July 15 Tax Day deadline to even more filers. That's good news at the federal level.

The delay also is good news in most of the 43 states and National Capital that collect some sort of individual income taxes.

Most states now have July 15 deadline, too: Since in most places, the filing of state taxes is based on information entered on federal returns, most of these jurisdictions also use, in normal tax seasons, April 15 as their state income tax deadline.

That's the case in 38 states and Washington, D.C. Five states, however, have other filing deadlines. Hawaii's is April 20; Delaware and Iowa have an April 30 deadline; Virginia's tax day is on May 1; and Louisiana wants individual tax returns by May 15.

But despite those slight differences, most of these jurisdictions — 38 to be precise — have opted to push their deadline for individual state tax returns to the IRS' revised federal July 15 due date.

Below is the list, with the hyperlinked names leading to the state/D.C. tax delay declarations and/or additional information.

State July 15 due dates: The states that have followed the IRS when it comes to filing individual tax returns and moved their deadlines to July 15 are listed below. The state names are hyperlinked.

Click on them to get the official word and, in some cases, more details on what tax filing obligations are, and aren't, postponed.

Also note that this July 15 deadline list is for individual tax returns at the state level only. Some other state (and local) tax deadlines have not changed from their original due dates or have different revised deadlines for other tax obligations.

Some states, for example, have extended annual return filing and paying, but have not extended the deadline for filing estimated taxes due on April 15. Yes, that's this week. Just a couple of days from now.

Sorry for the confusion, but taxes. May different types and collectors of taxes. And budget considerations.

So if your state (or local) tax officials demand filing or payment of something other than an annual state income tax return, check with your state (and local) officials now so that you don't miss those deadlines.

Not April 15 or July 15 either: Six states are NOT following the federal July 15 individual tax deadline. They are listed below alphabetically, with their original filing deadline and the new 2020 tax due dates in bold type.

• Hawaii, July 20 instead of the usual April 20 deadline
• Idaho, June 15 instead of the usual April 15 deadline
• Iowa, July 31 instead of the usual April 30 deadline
• Mississippi, May 15 instead of the usual April 15 deadline
• New Hampshire, June 15 instead of the usual April 15 deadline
• Virginia, June 1 instead of the usual May 1 deadline

Again, these delays are specifically for individual tax returns. Double check with your state and local officials if you are facing another type of impending tax deadline.

No individual, but other taxes: Finally, there are seven states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — that have no personal income taxes. They all, however, collect other taxes.

The coronavirus outbreak and subsequent state and local orders have shut down businesses and required workers to stay home in these places, too. In response, these states have made deadline changes to certain tax obligations.

You can get highlights of some of the key taxes (mostly business-related) collected in these no-individual-income-tax states by clicking on the links below.

• Alaska
• Florida
• Nevada
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Washington
• Wyoming

And, of course, you also can (and should) check with your state's main tax office website for additional tax information and deadlines, as well as updates to COVID-19 effects on tax matters.

Stay safe, #TogetherApart: Finally, keep social distancing people! And thanks to all y'all who are officially essential workers, staffing our hospitals and grocery stores and police, fire and emergency services department.

Be careful out there, whether you're working or running necessary errands. Taking care of ourselves, our families, friends and each other as communities is the most important thing.

Filing and paying taxes will still be around, along with griping, complaining and worrying about them, when we conquer coronavirus. We want everyone to here to do just that then! 

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