Why is the tax deadline on April 18 this year? Key facts

The tax deadline is usually on April 15th for individuals in the United States, and it has been so since 1955. However, this date has sometimes changed, as it has this year, when taxpayers are given until the 18th to file their returns.

This happened because when Tax Day falls on a weekend or a holiday, the deadline is extended to the next business day. This year, April 15 fell on a weekend, while April 16 is Emancipation Day, a federal holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in Washington, DC. Because of this, the tax deadline for 2023 was pushed to April 18.

Tax deadline extended for qualified residents

Some taxpayers are qualified for an extension this year because of natural disasters- such as storms, tornadoes, and flooding- that have affected parts of the country such as California, Alabama, and Georgia. The six-month extension, which gives individuals up to October 16 to file their returns, is part of the tax relief given by the IRS in times of disaster. You can check the IRS website to find out if your area qualifies for the extended deadline.

Eligible residents qualify for an extension not only for filing their return but also for making tax payments. Some may be allowed to file their tax return later, but are still expected to have paid their taxes by April 18.

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Moving the deadline from March to April 15

The tax deadline for the US was not always on April 15. Prior to 1955, when this deadline for federal income tax returns was established, the deadline was a month earlier, on March 15.

The reason for the change was to give more time to taxpayers to prepare their returns and the Internal Revenue Service to process them before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Moving the deadline to April 15 also helped to spread out the workload for tax professionals, who usually had a lot of clients requesting extensions in March.