Taxpayers Get an Extra Weekend to Prepare Returns with Extended Filing Deadline

The familiar April 15 deadline for filing federal and state tax returns is three days later this year thanks to a little-known holiday celebrated in the District of Columbia called Emancipation Day.

It marks the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862, which freed about 3,100 slaves in the district. Normally, the holiday is recognized on April 16, but when it falls on a Saturday, like this year, it is observed the preceding Friday. Under the tax law, District of Columbia holidays are considered federal holidays, which prompted the IRS to move the deadline to April 18.

Linda Poor, a franchise owner of Liberty Tax Service offices in South County, Fenton and Arnold said that while some of her customers knew about the extended deadline, many didn’t know the reason for it.

“Everybody’s procrastinating,” she said. “We’ll know for sure how many people actually know about the extended deadline next Saturday and Monday.”

The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 20 to 25 percent of all taxpayers file wait to file until the last two weeks of tax season and about 7 percent request six-month extensions to file. 

Taxpayers seeking extensions can file Form 4868 electronically through IRS e-file, ask their tax preparer to file the form for a fee or mail a paper copy to the IRS.

“Normally it costs between $50 and $60 to file an extension through a tax preparer, but since everybody is in tough shape this year financially, we’re providing the service free,” Poor said.

She added that the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to file electronically. In fact, she said, if customers request their taxes be filed in paper, as opposed to electronically, her preparers have to answer a series of questions as to why.

“The IRS is really discouraging paper filing because for every return mailed, it has to have one of its employees key in all the information,” she said. “It’s more cost effective for the IRS if the forms are e-filed, and it, like every other business, is looking to save money. But some people just don’t feel comfortable with filing on the computer.”

Michael Devine, an IRS spokesman for Missouri and Kansas, said that as of April 1, 90 percent of all returns filed in Missouri have been e-filed.

“E-filing is the best way to file, and it’s the most accurate,” he said. “You won’t miss a credit if you e-file, and if you use direct deposit, you’ll get your refund in 10 days or less.”

Valerie Hughes, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in St. Louis, said because of the decrease in the number of paper returns, all St. Louis-area post offices would maintain regular business hours on April 18. The only exception is the main post office at 1720 Market St., which will have workers stationed on the street picking up the returns so people don’t have to get out of their cars.

“We haven’t had extended hours at our local post offices the last couple of years because fewer people are mailing their returns, and the postal service is facing financial difficulties,” she said.

Poor noted that all three of her offices are offering a 35-percent discount on tax preparation for mentioning that they saw this article on Patch.com. The offices are located at:

• 809 Lemay Ferry Road in South St. Louis County
• 340 Skinker Lane in Fenton
• 922 Jeffco Blvd. in Arnold

There are also Liberty Tax offices on Watson Road and Gravois Road.

For more information on e-filing your returns with the IRS, click here.