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Tax Day 2017: Important Dates To Be Aware Of

By Mario McKellop

Tax Day is almost upon us and millions of Americans will be rushing to get their returns to the Internal Revenue Service by the federal deadline. However, before becoming too overwhelmed with tax-related stress, it’s important to know exactly what date the tax return deadline falls on this year, the date the tax return extension deadline falls on and when you can expect your refund.

Tax Day 2017

This year, individual taxpayers must file a tax return with the IRS by Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Typically, the tax return filing date falls on April 15, but this year that day falls on a Saturday. Additionally, the Monday following is the date that Emancipation Day is celebrated in Washington D.C. In the District of Columbia, Emancipation Day, which is celebrated on April 16, is a public holiday. This year, it falls on a Sunday and the law requires that the holiday is recognized on a weekday. So, in 2017, taxpayers have three extra days in which they can file their returns.

Tax Return Extension Deadline

If Tax Day has snuck up on you this year, don’t panic. If you need some extra time to get your financial paperwork in order, you can file for an automatic extension using Form 4868, the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Doing so will extend your filing deadline by six months, so you won’t have to send your return in until Oct. 16, 2017. The Form 4868 can be downloaded here, but you can also file for the extension electronically.

When to Expect Your Refund

The date you can expect to get a Federal tax refund depends on a few different factors. The IRS began accepting and processing most returns on Jan. 23 and has stated that 90 percent of taxpayers can expect a refund no less than 21 days after their returns are processed. As you might guess, returns that are submitted electronically will be processed faster than those sent in by mail and refunds that are issued via direct deposit will be received faster than those issued by paper check. Once the IRS accepts your return, you can visit Where’s My Refund or use the IRS2Go mobile app to check your refund status.

 

 

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