17 Apr Why isn’t April 15 tax day this year?

Q. Why isn’t April 15 tax day this year?
— Curious

A. Ah yes, tax day.

It’s traditionally April 15, but this year, taxpayers get three extra days.

But why?

This year, April 15 fell on a Saturday, and tax day never falls on a weekend.

You might think it pushes the deadline to Monday, April 17, but no. You get another extra day because Monday is a holiday in Washington, D.C. — Emancipation Day.

The holiday commemorates the day in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. It freed some 3,000 slaves in the D.C. area.

If you need more time, you can file for an extension, but remember that if you owe taxes, you still need to pay by April 18. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest.

If you meet certain income limitations, you can still fill your federal return for free using IRS Free File.

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This story was originally published on April 17, 2023.

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