Don't Mess With Taxes

Tax Day arrives even later for some major disaster area victims.

Most U.S. taxpayers are chilling today.

They either filed their annual tax return on Monday, April 18, the slight delay created by Emancipation Day 2022 falling on the usual April 15 Internal Revenue Service deadline.

Or they sent the Internal Revenue Service Form 4868 to get an extra six months to file.

But some tax procrastinating residents of Maine and Massachusetts are working on their federal (and state) returns today. That's because Monday was Patriots Day, a statewide holiday in those two New England states. The IRS pushed Tax Day for these filers to today, April 19.

For all y'all who have this extra day, you get the same advice I've been giving since the start of 2022. Take your time to complete your 2021 tax return correctly.

Extensions still available: If you discover you just can't finish your Form 1040 and associated schedules properly, then file for an extension.

Not to rehash many of the ol' blog's posts, but …

You can find the details on filing for an extension in Form 4868 will get you more time to file. That's one of this month's tax tips, which are collected at the, what else, April Tax Tips page. On that page, you'll also find links to prior months' tips.

If you get an extension, you'll have until Oct. 17 to file your return, so you can take your time perusing the tips.

More time for disaster victims: Some other taxpayers get even longer to file their 2021 returns, but it's for awful reasons. They live in areas that were battered by Mother Nature.

May 16 is Tax Day for Colorado wildfire victims, as well folks who were in the paths of the tornado outbreak through Arkansas, Kentucky,  Illinois, and Tennessee. Click on those states' names for more in my earlier posts on the special tax relief for these affected major disaster area filers. 

Some Puerto Rico taxpayers also get more time due to February's disastrous flooding in their areas. The IRS granted affected taxpayers until June 15 to file their 2021 tax returns.

If you are a victim of a major disaster, you might be able to claim your losses on your return. You can find details on that process in my earlier post on what to consider when making a major disaster tax claim.

Also check out the IRS' Around the Nation webpage for any updates on areas that might have been added to the original disaster declarations and the special tax relief they get.

Time to file right: Whatever the reason you're now taking more time to file, don't waste it. Check out possible tax breaks and claim all to which you're entitled.

Just do so now by today if you're a New England filer determined to be done with your 2021 return.

Or by May 16 or June 15 if you're still recovering from a disaster in several southern states or the United States' nearby island territory.

Or, whatever your original due date, by Oct. 17 if you decide to file for an extension.

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