The Individual Deadline

It is burned into our memories that April 15 is the tax deadline. April 15. April 15. APRIL 15!!!

Unless...

As with most holidays, if the special day falls on a weekend it is observed another day. For tax deadlines the due date becomes the next working day after the scheduled date. You might think that since April 15, 2018 is a Sunday, the next working day would be Monday, April 16. If you were making this presumption for most of the country you'd be correct. Enter the District of Columbia.

​In 1862 a man by the name of Abraham Lincoln ended slavery by signing the Compensated Emancipation Act on April 16. This became a legal holiday in Washington, D.C., and Emancipation Day is now observed on April 16 every year. Federal law states that holidays in Washington, D.C. are considered legal holidays for tax deadlines. Because April 16 is on Monday this year, the tax deadline is pushed again to the next working day, April 17. (Last year Emancipation Day was Sunday, so the holiday was observed on Monday, and individual tax returns were due Tuesday, April 18.)

So for 2017 you have until April 17 to file your tax return, or you can file an application for an extension. Remember, however, that an extension of time to file is NOT an extension of time to pay. Penalties and interest will be added to your balance due if you owe and have not paid on time.