News & Tech Tips

Ohio Postpones Tax Filing Deadline to 5/17, Tax Conformity Passes

Kathleen Hargrove on March 25, 2021

OHIO TAX DEADLINE EXTENDED

 

Ohio Tax Commissioner Jeff McClain announced Wednesday that Ohio will be following the federal government and the IRS in extending the deadline to file and pay Ohio individual income and school district income taxes for tax year 2020.

 

The new deadline is May 17, an extension of approximately one month from the original deadline of April 15. The extension is intended to provide some relief to individuals impacted by the public safety measures adopted to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

 

As with the IRS extension, Ohio will be waiving penalty on tax due payments made during the extension. Also, as part of legislation passed addressing the continuing emergency, there will be no interest charges on payments made during the extension.

 

The filing extension, and waiver of penalty and interest, will be available to those filing Ohio individual income tax, and the school district income tax for tax year 2020.

 

In addition, the city of Columbus has also announced that they have extended their deadline to May 17 to align with the Federal and Ohio deadlines. It is expected that many cities and local jurisdictions will follow suit.

 

Please note that the first quarter estimated income tax payment for tax year 2021 is not impacted by this extension and must still be made by April 15.

 

 

TAX CONFORMITY PASSES

 

The final version of Senate Bill 18 has been passed by the Ohio House and Senate and now awaits Governor DeWine’s signature. It would conform Ohio with recent changes to federal tax law, including deductibility of expenses from the Paycheck Protection Program and excluding $10,200 in unemployment compensation from income tax.

 

Ohio-specific provisions in S.B. 18 will exclude the 2020 Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation refunds/dividends from CAT; reduce pass-through entity withholding rates and exclude PPP second-draw loans from CAT.

 

The Ohio Legislative Service Commission published this analysis of the bill.

 

Because S.B. 18 is emergency legislation, the changes will be enacted into law immediately upon the Governor’s signature.

 

 

SOURCES: Ohio Department of Taxation, Ohio Society of CPAs

IRS Extends Filing and Payment Deadline

Kathleen Hargrove on March 18, 2021

The Treasury Department and IRS announced Wednesday that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.

 

The IRS states that they will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.

 

Individual taxpayers can also postpone federal income tax payments for the 2020 tax year due on April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. This postponement applies to individual taxpayers, including individuals who pay self-employment tax. Penalties, interest and additions to tax will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of May 17, 2021. Individual taxpayers will automatically avoid interest and penalties on the taxes paid by May 17.

 

Individual taxpayers do not need to file any forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief.

 

If you need additional time to file beyond the May 17 deadline, please work with your Whalen advisor to request a filing extension until October 15.

 

The IRS urges taxpayers who are due a refund to file as soon as possible. Most tax refunds associated with e-filed returns are issued within 21 days.

 

This relief does not apply to estimated tax payments that are due on April 15, 2021. These payments are still due on April 15. Taxes must be paid as taxpayers earn or receive income during the year, either through withholding or estimated tax payments.

 

 

State Tax Returns:

 

The federal tax filing deadline postponement to May 17, 2021, only applies to individual federal income returns and tax (including tax on self-employment income) payments otherwise due April 15, 2021, not state tax payments or deposits or payments of any other type of federal tax.

 

State filing and payment deadlines vary and are not always the same as the federal filing deadline.

 

Currently, the state of Ohio has not announced an extension and still lists their due date as April 15, 2021. We will keep you informed if Ohio and other states follow suit with this extension and notify you as that information becomes available.

 

 

For more information or further assistance with your filing, please contact your Whalen advisor.

 

 

SOURCE: IRS.gov

Lawmakers Ask IRS To Extend Tax Season

Kathleen Hargrove on February 23, 2021

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are urging the IRS to again extend tax season beyond April 15 to July 15 to give taxpayers an additional three months to file.

 

Lawmakers on the tax-writing committee in Congress wrote a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig last Thursday to make the request, citing what happened last year in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as Congress and the IRS moved to provide relief to taxpayers to deal with the pandemic.

 

Many individuals are still coping with challenges of the pandemic, and in addition, tax provisions contained in last year’s stimulus packages including the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act have presented changes for filing this year.

 

The IRS delayed the start of tax season this year by about three weeks until last Friday, 2/12 in order to distribute the second round of Economic Impact Payments authorized by Congress in December.

 

The IRS has been asked to make an announcement as soon as possible to eliminate unnecessary anxiety for both taxpayers and tax practitioners.

 

We will continue to monitor this situation for any changes, and will keep you informed as soon as a decision regarding the deadline has been announced.

 

 

 

SOURCE: Accounting Today

Whalen CPAs
250 W. Old Wilson Bridge Rd., Suite 300
Worthington, OH 43085-2215
(614) 396-4200

© 2024 Whalen CPAs. All Rights Reserved.

The content provided on whalencpa.com is intended for informational purposes only. Before any action is taken based on this information, personalized advice should be obtained from a Whalen CPAs professional. Information obtained on whalencpa.com does not constitute professional advice or create a professional relationship with Whalen CPAs. Learn more.