The IRS routinely extends the filing deadline for victims of natural disasters. For example, the agency granted victims of recent tornadoes in Tennessee until July 15 to file. In 2018, the IRS delayed the due date by a day when the computer system crashed on the deadline and taxpayers were unable to submit their returns.
Nearly 68 million individuals had already filed their tax returns as of March 6, according to the most recent statistics from the IRS. That’s about 45% of the returns the agency expects to receive this year.
“For a lot of people it makes sense to stick to the original schedule,” said Meredith Tucker, a principal at accounting firm Kaufman Rossin. “Don’t just kick the can down the road if there is no benefit.”
--With assistance from Allyson Versprille.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.