Federal Taxes Due on the 18th Not the 15th This Year & Here’s Why

Up until the other day I would have confidently told you that the deadline to file your taxes was April 15. That's what I have always been told and it just stuck with me but these last couple of years have really thrown everything off. Were taxes always due on April 15?

The answer is no. It was actually March 1. In 1918 it was switched to March 15. Then in 1954 it finally became April 15. However, that's not always the case.

I have some good news for the procrastinators out there who haven't filed their taxes yet.

Dave Lingardo from Taxpert Services in Hopewell Junction cleared this up for me. Emancipation Day is officially April 16 every year. Since it falls on a Saturday this year, the holiday is Friday the 15^th.  The tax filing deadline is moved to April 18 this year.

If 4/16^th falls on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, it does not impact the 4/15 deadline.  When it falls on a Sunday the deadline moves to Tuesday because Monday is the Holiday.  If the 16^th is a Saturday, the holiday is Friday, the 15^th and Tax deadline is Monday 4/18.

It's important to know that most accountants would not advice you to wait until the 15th to file your taxes so you probably shouldn't wait until the 18th either.

Emancipation Day is celebrated on Saturday in DC.