The Internal Revenue Service is planning to push back its tax deadline from April 15 to May 15, according to multiple reports.
The decision, first reported by Bloomberg News and confirmed by CNBC, will give the agency time to process tax returns at the same time that it sends out another round of stimulus checks, following the recent passage of Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. The bill also included last-minute amendments affecting tax collection, including up to $10,200 in tax exemptions on jobless benefits.
A group of over 100 lawmakers signed a letter on Tuesday urging the IRS to extend the deadline.
“We are still grappling with the massive economic, logistical and health challenges wrought by this devastating pandemic,” Representatives Richard Neal (D., Mass.) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D., N.J.) wrote in the letter. “Taxpayers need more time to file accurate returns and get their questions answered by the IRS.”
This is the second year in a row that the IRS has delayed its tax deadline. The 2020 deadline was pushed to July 15 following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.