Treasury delays tax filing deadline to July 15

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday said that the deadline for filing tax returns is being moved from April 15 to July 15, after his department earlier this week similarly extended the due date for tax payments amid the coronavirus.

“At @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15,” Mnuchin tweeted. “All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.”

Mnuchin also encouraged people who might be in line for tax refunds “to file now to get your money.” Typically, about 70 percent of individual tax returns claim refunds.

At @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.

— Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) March 20, 2020

The announcement comes after lawmakers and tax preparers pressed Mnuchin to extend the filing deadline.

The Treasury Department and IRS released guidance on Wednesday that allows individuals and corporations to defer tax payments from April 15 to July 15, but had kept the deadline to file returns at April 15.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and tax preparers had argued that the filing deadline needed to be extended in addition to the payment deadline to minimize confusion for taxpayers and to ensure that people could receive the tax-preparation help that they need.