Mnuchin Announces Tax Filing Deadline Pushed Back 'At Donald Trump's Direction' to July
Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin announced Friday morning that the Trump administration is moving the income tax filing and payment deadlines to July 15.
“At @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15,” Mnuchin tweeted.
At @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.
— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) March 20, 2020
“All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest of penalities.”
The treasury secretary added in a second tweet that he encourages “all taxpayers who may have tax refunds to file now to get your money.”
The Trump administration said earlier this week that delaying the payments would leave $300 billion in the economy during this critical time as people respond to the coronavirus outbreak, The Associated Press reported.
Previously, the administration had only announced a 90-day delay to make tax payments, but taxpayers would still have to file by April 15.
The filing delay was first brought up in a Thursday letter from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal to Mnuchin.
The Massachusetts Democrat pointed out that with community responses to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, many Volunteer Income Tax Assistance clinics and Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites have closed.
“In light of these closures and other factors, I believe that many taxpayers, and particularly elderly and low-income taxpayers, need additional time to prepare their tax returns,” Neal wrote.
He added that having separate deadlines for filing and payment “will potentially create a great deal of confusion for taxpayers.”
Three senators introduced the Tax Filing Relief for America Act on Thursday to accomplish the same goal of pushing back the filing deadline, according to Politico.
Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and Steve Daines of Montana, along with independent Sen. Angus King, said the filing extension would ensure people don’t violate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines by meeting with an accountant or physically retrieving documents they need to file.
“Treasury’s decision to extend the tax payment deadline from April 15 to July 15 was an important first step, but it only makes sense to also extend the tax filing deadline itself,” Senate Majority Whip Thune said in a media release.
“There’s enough confusion amid this outbreak as it is, so I believe it’s incumbent upon Congress to provide as much clarity and relief as possible to American families.”
King added, “In this unprecedented moment, we should be doing everything possible to relieve economic worries and encourage Americans to practice social distancing.”
Moving the tax filing deadline will “offer some breathing room for millions of Americans who are trying to do their civic duty and protect their communities,” he said.
Taxpayers still have the option to file their taxes before the new deadline so their refunds won’t be delayed.
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