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April 18 is the 2017 deadline for filing your taxes.
If you’re freaking out thinking you missed the 2017 deadline to file your taxes this year, take a deep breath. You have a few extra days thanks to the strange bureaucratic calendar, but at this point you should still hustle.
April 15, your standard Tax Day, fell on a Saturday this year, meaning it needed to be moved to the next business day. However, the government, located as it is in the District of Columbia, also recognizes Emancipation Day like a federal holiday on April 16. (Emancipation Day, not to be confused with Juneteenth, acknowledges the day D.C.’s slaves were freed.) Because April 16 is a Sunday, Emancipation Day is Monday April 17 and Tax Day is pushed to Tuesday April 18.
Most years, the period to file your taxes begins in mid-to-late January and lasts until April 15. The government pushes the end date back pretty frequently, most often due to Emancipation Day. The greatest push, however, happened in 1954, when Eisenhower pushed the deadline from March 15 to April 15. The shift was intended to spread out the workload for the IRS and accommodate a growing middle class that was filing taxes in greater numbers.
A lot of Americans – about 20 million, or one in seven filers – file their taxes during the final week, so you’ll be forgiven for wondering just how late you can wait. That said, assuming it’s April 15 even on years when the calendar gives you extra leeway may help you stay just a little ahead of the curve.
Penalty and interest charges can apply if you file your income taxes too late. You may be able to apply for an extension, particularly if you are outside the U.S. or currently in a combat zone. You can file your taxes electronically, by mail or through a tax professional.
