Now that tax season has arrived, the deadline of April 15, 2025, is drawing near. Some taxpayers may find income tax filing difficult, particularly if they wait until the last minute. The IRS does allow taxpayers to request an extension past the deadline, but occasionally, unforeseen events or circumstances may prevent people from filing their taxes on time. The IRS will, however, also move to extend the deadline for certain persons in response to widespread occurrences that affect a large number of taxpayers.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the tax filing deadline for thousands of Americans
An individual may file their taxes late for several reasons. Procrastination is the main reason why people frequently file their taxes late. People often have a mental block or dread when it comes to taxes, especially if they are more complicated and take longer to submit. For self-employed people or freelancers, filing taxes can be extremely daunting, especially if you haven’t maintained precise and consistent records of your earnings throughout the year.
Even while the IRS advises filing taxes regardless of your ability to pay the tax due, many people are reluctant to do so when they are aware of their inability to do so. You can prevent penalties for filing late, which could worsen your financial situation, by paying your taxes on time, even if you are unable to pay. If a person finds that they are unable to pay off their taxes due all at once during tax season, the IRS also offers both short-term and long-term payment plans.
Moreover, residents of North Carolina now have an extended deadline for paying their taxes, according to a recent IRS announcement. Because of the recent calamities that have affected an entire region, this extension is for the collective and not for individual filers. Because of the recent federally declared disasters, Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby, that have affected residents, the IRS decided to extend the deadline. The North Carolina Department of Revenue said that citizens of North Carolina must file their federal and state taxes by May 1st, rather than April 15th, as the rest of the nation does.
Residents who reside in locations that were significantly impacted by the catastrophes are also eligible to get interest relief, even though the new deadline applies to all residents of North Carolina. Additionally, the extension will be applied to citizens of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. For instance, certain North Carolinians might be eligible for a state tax extension through October 15th.
What should Americans know about making false claims to the IRS?
The $1,400 recovery rebate credit, which was made available during the COVID-19 pandemic, is expiring this tax season. The IRS would not have known to send you your recovery rebate credit if you hadn’t filed your taxes for 2021, even though the majority of these payments were made automatically to qualified beneficiaries. However, the IRS advises that there will be serious repercussions for fraudulent or unlawful behavior if you have already claimed the credit and file again, and the IRS processes your claim.
The IRS has agreed to share undocumented immigrant information
Homeland security officials will receive taxpayer data about unauthorized immigrants from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), providing immigration enforcers with previously unheard-of access to facilitate deportations. The Department of Homeland Security and the IRS signed a memorandum of understanding in a case brought by immigrants’ rights organizations Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and Immigrant Solidarity DuPage. The memo authorizes ICE to obtain information from the IRS for investigations of unauthorized immigrants who have not left the country despite receiving a final order of removal.
Melanie Krause, the interim IRS commissioner, is to step down, according to a Tuesday night Washington Post story, partly because she was passed up for the decision. Moreover, the Internal Revenue Code stipulates that all individuals’ tax records must be kept private and shared only in methods permitted by law, according to the lawsuit filed in March on the plans to share IRS information. Although the memo outlines the procedure for what can be sought and each agency’s involvement in obtaining or accessing information, the filing stated that as of April 7, homeland security officials had not yet requested any tax return information.
