Need more time to file your taxes? You’re not the only one.
President Donald Trump has filed for an extension on his taxes. It is not immediately clear why he was unable to make the deadline. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted on Tuesday that Trump had filed an extension “as do many Americans with complex returns.”
Trump will reportedly file by Oct. 15, the deadline set by the IRS for those who request extensions.
That the president needs more time to do his taxes is one of the few things Americans know about them.
Since President Nixon, every sitting president has released their tax returns. Trump is the first to break with that tradition, declining to release his returns while campaigning for president in 2016. His returns have remained a secret, although portions of previous returns have been leaked.
A president’s tax returns are automatically audited while he is in office. Trump has claimed that he has been advised not to reveal his past returns since they too continue to be subject to an IRS audit, according to the president.
While it is expected that millions of Americans will file for an extension on their returns this year, a number of citizens were unable to file on Tuesday through no fault of their own: there was a systemwide crash of the IRS’s computers. The IRS has offered a one-day filing extension as a result.