Vermonters will have an additional month to file state income taxes this year, as the Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday it was pushing back the federal tax deadline amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new tax deadline is May 17, and will also apply to Vermont personal income taxes, homestead declaration forms, and property tax credit applications, which are typically due on April 15.
Craig Bolio, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Taxes, said Thursday that, by law, the Vermont personal income tax due date moves with the federal income tax due date.
“So the IRS announcement yesterday extending federal individual income tax due date to May 17, 2021, also extends Vermont’s,” Bolio said.
IRS officials said they are giving people more time to file their income taxes this year because of the strain posed by the ongoing pandemic.
“This continues to be a tough time for many people, and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic, while also working on important tax administration responsibilities,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement on Wednesday.
Last year, the federal government pushed back the filing deadline even further: from April 15 to July 15, and filing deadlines for Vermont taxes were also pushed back three months.
The IRS and Vermont tax officials are still encouraging taxpayers to file sooner rather than later so that they can swiftly receive refunds.
“If a taxpayer is expecting a refund, they are still encouraged to file as soon as they have all of their tax information and are able to do so, in order to get their refund as soon as possible,” according to the Vermont tax department’s website.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the length of last year’s state income tax filing deadline delay.
