Jan

2012

2:53pm, EST

Procrastinators rejoice: Tax deadline extended to April 17

By Allison Linn

If you’re the type of person who likes to wait until the last minute to file your taxes, congratulations: You have two more days to procrastinate.

The Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that 2011 federal tax returns will not be due until Tuesday, April 17 this year.

That’s because April 15, traditionally tax day, falls on a Sunday this year. In addition, Monday, April 16, is Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia.

This is the second year in a row that Uncle Sam has given taxpayers extra time to file.

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Last year, Americans were able to put off filing their federal taxes until Monday, April 18, because Emancipation Day fell on Friday, April 15.

For those of you who prefer to get your taxes done early – and your returns faster – the IRS also said Wednesday that it will start accepting electronic filing on Jan. 17.

In all, the IRS is expecting more than 144 million individual tax returns this year.

Tax time is coming, turn on the computer

Why we hate taxes (it’s not what you think)

When are you planning to file your taxes this year?

Results with 28 short comments
Total of 3,347 votes - click on the "Display Comments" bar below to sort comments

64.3%

As soon as possible

2,151 votes

26.4%

Sometime in March or April

884 votes

9.3%

Probably at about 11 p.m. on April 17

312 votes

Display Comments:

Sometime in March or April

I'll do them ASAP, but when I file depends upon if I'm getting a refund or paying.

4 votes

- Man-Sized Safe

- 3:06 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

As soon as everyone sends me my 1099's
I'll be visiting my accountant.

- wheels460

- 3:11 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

Whenever the stupid banks send me all the tax information I need to complete my taxes! They always procrastinate and wait till Jan 31st

- Vincent Wolf

- 4:12 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

Already started, as soon as i get my W-2's I'll file.

1 vote

- bass679

- 4:26 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

Get it done and get on with my life..

1 vote

- Steve Rutkowski

- 5:25 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

The sooner I get that cash in me hands the better Ima going to like it...

- FlawlessDog

- 5:35 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

I'm getting money back so not really interested in leaving it in a 0 interest account.

3 votes

- Sick of the Right's Crap

- 6:39 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

My wife takes care of the taxes (bless her) and we usually have our returns by end of January, early February.

- cherub_rock

- 7:42 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

Sometime in March or April

If you owe it's better to wait until the last minute anyway. And I will owe.

3 votes

- golliegeewillikers-1980315

- 9:32 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

Sometime in March or April

I will likely owe a few buck so there is no point in filing very early. Probably will wait until the beginning of April to file.

2 votes

#10

- JS in SD

- 10:10 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

Sometime in March or April

I wait until TurboTax works out all the kinks each year - by early March usually goes smoothly.

#11

- BBonnet

- 10:12 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

As soon as possible

If, as it is claimed by many, 50% of Americans pay no taxes, wouldn't the Federal Government "We" save money if they just didn't file? :-)

2 votes

#12

- Sarcasticus1

- 10:32 pm EST on Wed Jan 4, 2012

Probably at about 11 p.m. on April 17

I owe money this time around. I better I earn the interest than them.

1 vote

#13

- jfe-3059823

- 12:36 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

Sometime in March or April

I usually have to pay...I just take my time and don't get frantic about it...

1 vote

#14

- Chi-town Vet

- 2:38 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

They should have congress select the date for filing taxes each year --- that way we'd never have to file!

6 votes

#15

- PaPaT

- 3:04 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

Get it over and done with.

#16

- Dathias

- 3:26 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

Need to get them done early so my daughter can get her FAFSA filed for student aid.

1 vote

#17

- GiantGirl

- 6:12 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

I file it as soon as I get my W-2; I'm broke!

#18

- Baldman

- 6:33 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

Cut deep, cut fast. Get it over with.

1 vote

#19

- John-650104

- 7:12 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

I try to balance taxes so no refund and owe nothing, but it is increasingly difficult. I wind up owing, that's what I hate.

1 vote

#20

- Bennie-2342086

- 8:35 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

and the ones who were late last year will still be late. got my refund the first week of february last year.

1 vote

#21

- HATR_HURTER

- 9:15 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

That's if I am getting money back. If not, then I'll wait till the very last minute. Can't draw blood from a stone...

1 vote

#22

- onesoul4u2

- 9:51 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

I always get them done early.

1 vote

#23

- Michael-267231

- 9:59 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

I might as well get it over with and start making payments on what I owe.

#24

- Don't Worry Be Happy-4915630

- 10:31 am EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

As soon as possible

The time I file each year regardless of the IRS schedule.

1 vote

#25

- Don of San Antonio

- 5:23 pm EST on Thu Jan 5, 2012

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alan_static

Intereting, most of us spend equivelent of the first 4.5 months of our yearly income paying taxes which is April 15.

#1 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 3:12 PM EST

Ray_Chuang

I believe that the beyond-April 15th deadline is due to two factors:

1) You cannot have April 15th fall on a Sunday.

2) ALL IRS centers must be open on the first filing deadline date after April 15th. This means when we have things like Emancipation Day in Washington, DC or Patriot's Day in Massachusetts fall on a Monday (the IRS has major processing centers in Washington, DC and Boston, MA), the day afterward is the due date.

#2 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 3:23 PM EST

Rick in the Forest

Hilarious. Congress hasn't even fixed the AMT and a lot of other things (why is this an annual thing?) and the IRS "generously" allows American taxpayers another few hours in which to pay their taxes while Congress just dithers and withers. What we really need is good old-fashioned civil disobedience and a refusal to pay taxes.

That just MIGHT get their attention........................

#3 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 3:55 PM EST

Devil's Son

Yea but we can't filibuster and refuse to allow paying our taxes out of committee.

#3.1 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 8:46 PM EST

Sees Thru Gloss

Many of us have been out of work long enough to have forgotten how to fill out a tax return.

#4 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 4:03 PM EST

Rightly Concerned

I'd love to have been able to pay taxes, alas there are no available jobs to put me in such a position to do so. Memo to the next Jack-hole who opens his or her mouth about the "lazy" 49% who aren't working or are "sucking on the tit" of those who are working, better take a look at the facts--there are not enough jobs to go around.

#5 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 4:15 PM EST

slodon

concerned

Have you tried N. Dakota? How about Texas? Then there is Alabama. Seems to be plenty of jobs in those States. Oh,I almost forgot. The Gulf Coast seems to be going again,give that a try. But I must inform you that those jobs require PHYSICAL LABOR for the most part. And you must pass a drug test,unlike collecting Welfare and Unemployment.

1 vote

#5.1 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 10:03 PM EST

YellaHammer

Wrong about Alabama. The market here is the worse in my lifetime. 55 years.

#5.2 - Thu Jan 5, 2012 6:41 AM EST

P. James

I've already got mine plugged into TurboTax based on my final 2011 pay stub. Just waiting on the W2 to arrive to finalize and submit...

The sooner I file, the sooner I get's mah refund :)

#6 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 6:17 PM EST

Dennis-620001

Since I am retired and living part time in Costa Rica, I will file when I return to the states after Easter.

#7 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 7:11 PM EST

Jose Villa Lopez

Don't the idiots at The Bottom Line know that the tax filing deadline is October 15th?

Why is Emancipation Day only a holiday in D.C.? Is it because the government considers the rest of us still its slaves?

2 votes

#8 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 9:13 PM EST

golliegeewillikers-1980315

Well they can wait on mine until April 16th,the taxes I pay should fund Uncle Sam for about 2 nano seconds.

#9 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 9:41 PM EST

melrob9880

I will always file on Oct 15th, can't get around it. BTW I prepare taxes for a living.

#10 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 10:04 PM EST

bigbenalaska

Rejoicing they say .......who's rejoicing...??

#11 - Wed Jan 4, 2012 10:07 PM EST

SouthernGent

Taxes are only for legal Americans, the illegals that are such prolific breeders of 'anchor' babies pay no taxes because they do not have a valid ss# and usually work for cash or are paid under the table. So go ahead and file your taxes, pay your due and support these criminals while they break our laws.

#11.1 - Thu Jan 5, 2012 8:44 AM EST

ralph396-2103787

What are taxes?