U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the Tax Filing Relief for America Act (S. 3535), a bill to extend the tax filing deadline from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, which would coincide with the Treasury Department’s previous announcement that it would extend the tax payment deadline for filers who owe the IRS for the 2019 tax year. The legislation would provide greater clarity to taxpayers and allow those who need to travel to a secondary location to acquire documents or meet with an accountant to follow CDC’s ongoing guidelines with respect to the coronavirus outbreak. It would also preserve the right of taxpayers who are owed refunds to file their tax returns and get their hard-earned money back today.
“Treasury’s decision to extend the tax payment deadline from April 15 to July 15 was an important first step, but it only makes sense to also extend the tax filing deadline itself,” said Thune. “There’s enough confusion amid this outbreak as it is, so I believe it’s incumbent upon Congress to provide as much clarity and relief as possible to American families. While I’m working with my colleagues on additional swift and bold action to respond to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, this is the least we can do, and I hope my colleagues will support this effort.”
“Hardworking Montanans shouldn’t have to worry about meeting a deadline for filing their taxes when we’re in the middle of a public health and economic crisis,” said Daines. “This will give some extra time so Montanans can focus on what they need to do to protect their health and finances.”
“In this unprecedented moment, we should be doing everything possible to relieve economic worries and encourage Americans to practice social distancing,” said King. “By moving the tax filing deadline back, we can offer some breathing room for millions of Americans who are trying to do their civic duty and protect their communities.”
“During this unprecedented time, taxpayers and tax practitioners are finding it increasingly difficult to comply with upcoming filing deadlines,” said Edward Karl, CPA and vice president of tax policy and advocacy for the Association of International Certified Public Accountants. “Businesses and individuals struggling with coronavirus-related issues should not also be concerned with meeting upcoming tax filing deadlines. The AICPA is grateful to Senator Thune for his leadership on this critical issue and we support his efforts to provide Americans with much-needed tax filing relief in the midst of this national emergency.”
Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) are cosponsors of the Tax Filing Relief for America Act.