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FinanceIRS

Tax deadline could be delayed past April 15 due to coronavirus

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 11, 2020, 11:30 AM ET

Americans might have a little longer to file their taxes, thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The Trump administration is likely to extend the filing deadline for taxes in 2020 beyond April 15, the Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday. The White House and Treasury Department have made no formal announcements at this time, however.

Still up in the air are how long the extension would be and how it would work. (The IRS already regularly grants a six-month extension to taxpayers who request one.)

The consideration comes as Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee urged the Internal Revenue Service to continue evaluating whether an extension made sense.

“Specifically, we are concerned about the ability of the IRS to provide taxpayer assistance and process returns, as well as the ability of taxpayers, free tax preparation sites, and tax professionals to meet the filing deadline,” lawmakers wrote in a letter.

The proposed extension comes as Trump considers a coronavirus payroll tax cut to keep the economy strong.

The IRS is already processing some tax returns. Tax season officially began on Jan. 27.

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About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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